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Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907)
Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34 (1880) [8:47]
Two Melodies for String Orchestra, Op. 53 (1890) [8:20]
From Holberg's Time: Suite in Olden Style,
Op. 40 (1884) [20:06]
Two Lyric Pieces, Op. 68 (1897-9) [7:10]
Two Nordic Melodies for String Orchestra, Op. 63 (1895)
[11:07]
Lyric Suite, Op. 54 (1905) [15:42]
Malmö Symphony Orchestra/Bjarte Engeset
rec. Concert Hall of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Sweden, May 2009
NAXOS 8.572403 [71:13]
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The title "Music for String Orchestra" isn't
strictly accurate. The ensemble for the Op. 68 pieces includes
an oboe and a horn along with the strings, while the Lyric
Suite, even in Grieg's own adaptation, requires
the full orchestra. Still, this is a lovely collection.
The Holberg Suite, the major work on the program, comes
off well, in a performance that plays to the Malmö ensemble's
strengths. The opening Prelude benefits from a forthright
attack and drive. The gentle treatment of the Sarabande
doesn't sacrifice rhythmic backbone; the cello solo at
1:11 aches with yearning, while the following duet evokes a
lovely nostalgia. Here, as in the buoyant Gavotte that
follows, Engeset infuses the second subject with greater impulse.
The dignified, steady tread of the Air builds into
a tonally saturated climax; the closing Rigaudon is
crisp and lively.
The "standard" Op. 54 Lyric Suite isn't
quite that. The opening Shepherd Boy is played in the
composer's own arrangement for harp and strings. The
main theme, here assigned to violins, unexpectedly sounds more
expressive and less clichéd than in the solo double-reeds of
Anton Seidl's familiar orchestration. In the other three
movements - where Grieg's redactions don't differ
markedly from Seidl's versions - Engeset offers distinctive
readings, with a bracing horn in the Gangar; graceful,
easy attacks in the Notturno; and a March of the
Dwarfs that's rousing but never driven. If you want
more Lyric Pieces, the program includes the two of
Op. 68. The oboe in Evening in the Mountains doesn't
sound offstage as prescribed, and At the Cradle is
too matter-of-fact in demeanour for a lullaby; still, the performances
are lovely.
The other short pieces are nicely turned, as well. In The
Wounded Heart, the first of the Two Elegiac Melodies,
the bold attack on the tutti recap gradually settles
into a peaceful final cadence. The introductory phrase of The
Last Spring could be a bit more restrained, but the players
soon settle into a more comfortable level, for a touching performance.
The Two Nordic Melodies both open into full-throated
tuttis, though the first, In Folk Style, has
its wistful, delicate moments along the way. The "Peasant
Dance" portion of the second movement doesn't sound
very dance-like, but its energy is winning.
The Two Melodies, Op. 53, come off as less substantial
than the rest of the program, not because they're overtly
"pretty-pretty" pieces - which shouldn't ipso
facto make them "unimportant," after all - but
because they never quite make it to pretty-pretty. Engeset and
his players do their best for them, particularly in the first
piece, Norwegian, with its strong, folksy accents.
The string sections of the Malmö Symphony sound perhaps a desk
or two shorter than full symphonic strength, so they don't
command the tonal plush of, say, the London Symphony, or the
big American orchestras. Their playing has plenty of concentrated
power and intensity - the initial phrase of In Folk Style
is played with full, surging tone - yet accents are warm and
cushioned rather than aggressive. The cleanly etched textures,
avoiding the mushiness or blunted edges of some string-orchestra
performances, are pleasing; high violin passages are ethereal
and transparent. The players' conscientiousness about
tuning and blend, however, can lead to undue caution: here and
there, a quiet or lyrical phrase is carefully or tentatively
negotiated rather than calmly intoned.
The recorded sound comes up with splendid depth and a buzzy,
focused bass. This will delight even those who might otherwise
prefer Leppard's similarly scaled but more muscular Holberg
Suite(Philips Duo).
Stephen Francis Vasta
Stephen Francis Vasta is a New York-based conductor, coach,
and journalist.
See also review
by Brian Reinhart
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