This
light romantic collection ('Music of Seashore and Fjord') stands
somewhere in the same region as Mayerl and John Ireland. The difference
is that the composers are Swedish and their twilight gloss softens
the 'scenery' with amber, motley and sepia.
The
Färnlöf piece is regretful then lounge bar jazzy
in the manner of Confrey and Mayerl with a touch of the dreamier
Kapustin. The Ericson is a fetching impressionist piece
(something of the pastel rockpool about it) with a Chopin flavour
to its cantilena. The Skargardsskisser continues
the mood but with more vigour. It is as if the tide has turned
and the wind has freshened; Von Koch's Vaglek is
similarly alive as is the Alfvén item although the
heroic Grieg is the dominant influence here. Carl-Anton Axelsson's
Överbyvals recalls a lost age of innocence common
to many of these pieces. There are three Taube pieces of
which Så skimrande and Nocturne are gentle
wisps of songs sung breathily by Anna Nygren. The other Taube
is Här Rosemarie which is similarly sentimental. The
Carlsson's Arholmavalsen is humorous with a long
introduction with notes picked out single finger evocative of
the parlour then disrupted by strange bass intrusions thrown into
the pool to create dissent. The majestic Medtnerian address of
Nordqvist's Till Havs ends the disc.
This
recital of Scandinavian piano stool nature favourites is a counterpart
to those two extremely attractive Artworks piano recitals (Tamara
Anna Cislowska) of Australia's early impressionists (Hutchens,
Agnew, Lindley Evans, Hyde and Hill). There is a little more variety
in this Proprius collection.
The
notes are in Swedish and by the look of it do not give biographical
information about the composers.
A
collection of Scandinavian piano stool nature favourites: impressionistic,
gracious watercolours pale with regret; fresh with innocence.
Rob Barnett
Rolf Lindblom (piano)