It was in conversation with Jean Sibelius that Gustav Mahler declared that a symphony should contain the world, though the Czech-Austrian composer was generally dismissive of the Finnish master’s music. Had he lived long enough, however, he might have been surprised to learn how the evolution of Sibelius’s symphonic language came to influence generations of musicians right up to the 21st century. 

These days, Sibelius cycles are as common as Mahler cycles, with many of the finest produced by outstanding Finnish conductors (who are currently legion) working with Finnish orchestras. This new set, recorded live with the Helsinki Philharmonic under Jukka-Pekka Saraste, is up there with the best and well worth acquiring if you are looking for a well-judged, scrupulously played set. Yes, there’s applause at the end of some, though not all, and occasionally the recorded balance is ever-so-slightly awry, but Saraste knows these symphonies like the back of his hand and as such is a terrific guide.

The First Symphony opens with a sinuous and especially eloquent clarinet solo the first of many occasions on which Saraste allows his orchestral soloists time and space to...