Scandinavian Suite

On this CD:

1. Little Suite for string orchestra in A minor, Op. 1/s 1-3/FS 6
Composed by Carl Nielsen
Performed by Guildhall String Ensemble

2. Fra Holberg tid (From Holberg’s Time), for string orchestra ("Holberg Suite"), Op. 40
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by Guildhall String Ensemble

3. Elegiac Melodies (2) for orchestra (or piano), Op. 34
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by Guildhall String Ensemble

4. Romance, for string orchestra in C major, Op. 42
Composed by Jean Sibelius
Performed by Guildhall String Ensemble

5. Melodies (2) for string orchestra (or piano), Op. 53
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by Guildhall String Ensemble

6. Serenade for strings, Op 11
Composed by Dag Wiren
Performed by Guildhall String Ensemble

Tracks:

The Festival March
Aladdin's Dream And Dance Of The Morning Mist
Hindu Dance
Chinese Dance
The Marketplace In Isaphan
Dance Of The Prisoners
Negro Dance
Cupid And The Poet (Amor Og Digteren), Op. 54
Saga - Dream ( Saga-Drom) Op. 39
Helios Overture, Op. 39
Overture
Prelude To Act II
Pan And Syrinx (Pan Og Syrinx), Op. 49

Customer Reviews:

A lovely potpourri of Nielsen outside the symphonies.......2006-02-07

Something must be right in the world when the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra can play this well. Naxos has employed a lot of provincial orchestras, and there's no doubt that the musicians in Jutland, like their confreres in Slovakia and Ukraine, are not first-rate, but they play here wiht great enthusiasm and commitment under Niklas Willen. I think Nielsen peaked as a composer with his Sym. #3, 4, and 5, along with the violin, flute, and clarinet concertos. But this very enjoyable omnium gatherum of shorter works has some surprises in store.

The two pieces that deserve to be promoted to the level of Sibelius's best tone poems are the Saga-Dream, which is both static and ecstatis, and the tone poem Pan and Syrinx, which despsite a title that would baffle most modern listeners unfamiliar with the crannies of Greek mythology, is as spicily varied as Nielsen's mature symphonies. I expected more from Cupid and the Poet, but it came off as bits and pieces from the anarchic Fifth Symphony. The two best-known works, the Helios and Maskarade Overtures, have been much better performed by Esa-Pekka Salonen and his Sweidsh orchestra on Sony. South Jutland isn't ready for the world stage, but it's given Nielsen lovers everywhere a valuable colleciton.

Excellent Recordings.......2005-12-28

This is a great collection of Carl Nielsen's incidental and shorted orchestral works. His music for Aladdin has been recorded in its entirety by Chandos but the suite captures the best of the music, including the evocative The Marketplace in Ispahan. The many dances in the suite are tuneful and memorable. Cupid and the Poet is also incidental music but differs from Aladdin in that it comes from Nielsen's later period prior to his Fifth and Sixth symphonies, which this music is akin to. Saga Dream is a tone poem is a mood piece, somber and contemplative in its music. The piece is somewhat reminiscent of Sibelius' tone poems but with the playful melodies of Nielsen. The Helios Overture was written after a journey to Greece and is beautifully evocative of the azure blue Aegean Sea, taking us from the dawn to dusk and darkness. The Overture has a lively middle section the perhaps was influenced by the spirit of the heroic Greek past.

The overture to the opera Maskarade has enjoyed much more success than the opera itself. The sprightly music is very ear-catching and literally bursts on the audience like the Marriage of Figaro. Pan et Syrinx was composed following the Fourth Symphony and reflects the advances in orchestration the Nielsen reached in the symphony. The extended percussion section makes use of the xylophone, tambourine and glockenspiel.

The music is beautifully recorded and played by the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra and makes a fine introduction to Carl Nielsen's music or a nice addition to ones collection.

2 Great Pieces and a Few Good Ones.......2005-12-06

Nielsen's Helios Overture is one the greatest tone poems ever written. Even people who hate Nielsen love it. It really leaves you feeling that you have just witnessed a sunrise from the Acropolis. This piece alone is worth the price of the CD.
"Fantasy Voyage to the Faroes" is a beautiful seascape piece that you will want to play again and again. Both of these great tone poems are well preformed.
The other pieces on this CD are good, but they are mostly for lovers of Nielsen's music.

Fleshing Out the Library of Carl Nielsen's Works on a Shoestring.......2005-10-26

While more and more conductors are regularly programming the gorgeous symphonies of Danish composer Carl Nielsen (and justly so), the other works by this inventive yet resolutely romantic composer appear only as filler on recordings of the symphonies. This fine recording by Niklás Willén conducting the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra of Denmark should change all that. The wealth of beauty and creative ideas in these five shorter works flesh out the thoughts of a composer difficult to categorize.

Nielsen's opera 'Maskarade' receives performances in Denmark and now some smaller opera companies and universities are giving it presence, and if the entire opera follows the pleasures of the Overture, we should hope for greater exposure. The 'Helios Overture' is more of a tone poem then overture in its structure: it makes sonically visual the play of the sun on the sea both at sunrise and sunset. 'Pan and Syrinx' while short suggests some of the wonderful percussion writing found in 'The Inextinguishable' symphony without the overtones of war. 'Saga Dream' is simply Nielsen at his best and for those who know the symphonies, this will conjure the majesty of the 'Sinfonia Espansiva' and the 5th, while for those unfamiliar with the symphonies will gain a quick course on why they are so well loved.

This very affordable album is a must for those who love Carl Nielsen and also a very fine introduction to those for whom this will be an introduction to an important 20th Century master. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Superb Shorter Orchestral Pieces by Nielsen.......2005-09-02

We are used to thinking of Carl Nielsen as one of the great symphonists of the twentieth century and there are multiple sets of recordings of them. But he also wrote a fair amount of orchestral music not in symphonic form, and many of those jewels are included in this wonderful issue from Niklás Willén leading the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra, a very fine regional Danish orchestra. Included here are the Aladdin Suite, Cupid and the Poet, Saga-Dream, the Helios Overture, the Overture and Act II Prelude to his opera 'Maskarade,' and Pan and Syrinx.

All are given really quite good performances. Clearly this orchestra and its Swedish chief conductor have this music in their bones. My own favorite of these is the evocative 'Helios Overture' that Nielsen wrote after he and his wife took a trip to Greece; it portrays the sun rising and setting over the Aegean Sea, and unlike some tone-poems, it actually conjures up in sound those phenomena. I'm particularly fond of the contrapuntal section that always makes me think, 'Aha, a fugue of sunbeams.'

The jolly 'Maskarade' Overture is another favorite of mine, but perhaps best of all is the contemplative 'Saga-Dream' ('Saga-drom'), Op. 39, that has some of Nielsen's most beautiful melodies, including some really quite Brucknerian writing for the horns. 'Pan and Syrinx', Op. 49, is thought by some to be Nielsen's finest short tone poem but it doesn't quite measure up, in my books, to that assessment. Still, it contains reminders of Nielsen's unique approach to orchestral timbre, and it includes one of Nielsen's characteristic raucous outbursts from the percussion section (similar to that in his Clarinet Concerto).

Most intriguing of all, though, is the 'Aladdin Suite.' Written in 1919 as incidental music for a play by Adam Oehlenschläger, it has all the gestures that later came, via movie music, to be associated with music from the mysterious Middle East, including the most amazing section, called 'The Marketplace at Ispahan,' that out-Iveses Charles Ives in its overlay of four distinct musics in different keys and meters; it quite effectively calls to mind the multifarious activities of a busy marketplace. It really must be heard to be appreciated. Willén and his orchestra manage to keep all four planes of sound quite distinct and yet they meld into a glorious whole.

Considering that this is a budget issue, and that is contains masterful performances of some of Nielsen's finest music, this CD is a must-buy.

TT=67:56

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Beautiful!
Wonderful selection of works for strings...

Scandinavian String Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000144G
Release Date: 1995-05-09

Tracks:

Preludium: Allegro Molto
Andante Espressivo
Scherzo: Allegro Vivace - Trio: Poco Meno Molto
Marcia: Tempo Di Marcia, Molto Ritmico
No. 1: Maestoso
No. 2: Moderato
Praelude: Allegro Vivace
Sarabande: Andante
Gavotte: Allegretto - Musette: Poco Piu Mosso
Air: Andante Religioso
Rigaudon: Allegro Con Brio - Poco Meno Mosso
'I Fjol Gjaett'e Gjeitinn': Andantino
No. 1: 'Allt Under Himmelens Faste': Adagio
No. 2: 'Du Gamla, Du Friska, Du Fjellhoga Nord': Moderato
Praludium: Andante Con Moto
Intermezzo: Allegro Moderato
Finale: Andante Con Moto - Allegro Con Brio - Piu Mosso

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful!.......2003-03-16

When it comes to composing for and playing strings, I will go out on the limb and say that no group of musicians does it better than the Scandinavians. This cd caught my attention after hearing Johan Svendsen's "Icelandic Melodies". That alone I thought would be worth the discounted Naxos price. But after hearing the rest (especially Grieg's "Holberg Suite" and Dag Wiren's "Serenade for Strings"), I can't seem to get this out of my cd changer. It's always nice to find a cd where you get twice the pleasure for half the price!

Wonderful selection of works for strings..........2001-04-18

Grieg is unfortunately often credited with having composed only two masterpieces: his single piano concerto and the incidental music to Peer Gynt. I disagree and the work contained on this bargain Naxos release, his "Holdberg Suite", ranks up there with the Serenades of Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and Suk as a masterpiece for string orchestra.

On this disc, rather than pair the work up with other compositions by Grieg, Naxos has provided us with some wonderful performances of less frequently heard works for similar forces by fellow Scandinvian composers.

The other major pieces here, if you can call them major, are Nielsen's "Little Suite in A Minor" and Wiren's "Serenade". Though composed by Nielsen when he was only 23 the Suite more than hints at the more mature Nielsen of the symphonies, especially in the finale. Wiren's work is much lighter and a delight from start to finish especially in the playful scherzo and the familiar fourth movement - the "marcia".

Johan Svendsen, a contemporary of Grieg, is represented by five shorter works, all based upon folk songs and all with a very melancholy feel to them.

Tracks:

Molly On The Shore
My Robin Is To The Greenwood Gone
Shepherd's Hey!
Harvest Hymn
Arrival Platform Humlet
Handel In The Strand
I. Swedish Air And Dance
II. Song Of Varmeland
III. Norwegian Polska
IV. Danish Melody
V. Air And Finale On Norwegian Dances
The Nightingale And The Two Sisters
The Maiden And The Frog
The Shoemaker From Jerusalem
Mock Morris
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol
Themes And Variations
Youthful Rapture
Colonial Song

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely, Percy at his best............2006-07-15

For anyone who loves Merchant-Ivory films and recalls the background music for Howard's End (my favorite), Mock Morris has to keep playing over and over in one's head; but for me it's never annoying, only happy.

This ensemble enhances every composition - marvelous!

A delight!.......2000-08-12

This is one of the most delightful recordings of Grainger's works I have heard. If you're looking for Grainger or just enjoyable music, this is for you. It lifts my spirits and inspires me with the great performance as well as the wonderful, lyrical melodies.

More music of Percy Grainger.......1999-09-29

Chandos is certainly to be lauded for their wonderful Grainger project. This volume which features Grainger's chamber music is wonderful. The members of the Academy of St. Martin's in the Fields deliver a wonderful performance.

Tracks:

Hostkvall
Soluppgang
Se'n Har Jag Ej Fragat Mera
Arioso
Varen Flyktar Hastigt
Solveigs Sang
Solveigs Vuggesang
Fra Monte Pincio
En Svane
Varen
Luonnotar
Det Forste Mode
Sancta Maria, Mild Och Naderik (Jungfrun I Tornet)
Den Judiska Flickans Sang (Belsazar)

Amazon.com

Whether in Sibelius' Wagnerian-in-scope song "The Maiden in the Tower" (actually a solo from his brief opera of the same name) or his ominous "Fall Evening," Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, with her grand, soaring, secure voice brings a personal, storytelling, evocative stamp to the songs she sings. The Grieg songs are less emotionally complicated, and the effortlessness and expressiveness with which Mattila sings the two Solveig songs from Peer Gynt create an intimacy in wonderful contrast; her voice, scaled down, positively glistens. "Luonnotar," a 10-minute tone poem for soprano and orchestra, is the disc's centerpiece. This strange story of a "maiden of the skies" who descends into the sea and offers her knees as a place for a duck to build its nest has an ancient but hazy aura to it, and Mattila takes us through it with great intensity, building to a impressive climax which she rides easily. Conductor Sakari Oramo and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra catch the Northern lights in both voice and instruments. A fine disc of songs from a leading operatic soprano. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Soothing, steady, melodic with a theme........2005-03-02

Otherworldly is the way I would describe this latest offering from Warner Classics featuring soprano Karita Mattila, backed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It takes a little getting used to, but overall this CD is increasingly hypnotic the more you listen to it - meaning, give it a try, you won't be disappointed. This offering of fourteen songs, provides the listener with a sampling of the works of Jean Sibelius and Edvard Grieg, with some truly hypnotic and brooding background music that flows in and out: deep, rich, full, haunting, leaving ample room for Ms. Mattila to display her ample vocal skills, her clear diction and her understanding of the long, slow recitative style of the Finnish-Karelian vocal tradition. In this style, long before written literature existed for the Finns, the oral tradition, known as the Karelian tradition, dominated storytelling. It is well served here. Each of the songs tells a brief story or poem as a lament, and reinforces a thematic quality of the whole, making this an easy CD to put on and listen to, with one exception which I will discuss below. I use the word "haunting" here decisively, because for the most part the musical passages are highly evocative and full, conjuring images of a mist covered mountainside, rising from the banks of a lake, perhaps at dawn, when the sun begins to come over the horizon and the traces of mist cling stubbornly before dissipating. That is the mood created here. As with every CD I review, I ask where and how would I listen to it? What mood does it create and does it sustain that mood once created? Here, as just noted, the mood is consistent, with one annoying exception contained in cut 13, Sibelius' "sancta maria, mild och naderik". Its sound borders on shrill, and the mood and effort that went into creating this otherwise wonderful CD is lost, if momentarily. Even with that one diversion, I can recommend this CD for all the rest. It is a fine effort with some truly moving orchestration throughout and top notch singing with only an occasional rough spot from Ms. Mattila.

Brilliant.......2005-01-02

This is a real surprise. I love this cd. It is really haunting and beautiful. Buy it. Sibelius, Grieg, and Karita Mattila are just wonderful.

Suttle beauty of music and voice with fabulous artistry.......2004-12-17

It is a pure golden find in musical recording when you are being able to enjoy such a perfect performamce at home. I did listen it again and again with such a joy. The majical voice of Karita Mattila soars gently above most beautiful music. Even I do not
know Finnish language it did not mater. Everything was superb
with quiet and not showy beauty, I could close my eyes and get drawn deeply into the songs.
We are so fortunate to be able to listend this heavenly recording . I will do it again and again....

Average customer rating:

haunting
Absolutely gorgeous
Absolutely gorgeous

Michala Petri - Scandinavian Moods
Edvard Grieg , Hugo Alfven , Carl Nielsen , Norwegian Traditional , Rolf Loveland , Fini Henriques , Andreas Randel , Ulrik Neumann , W. Peterson-Berger , Finn Aiegler , Evert Taube , Carl Michael Bellman , Ole Borneman Bull , London Philharmonic Orchestra , James Judd , Michala Petri , Boje Skovhus , and Bo Skovhus
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000046Q8N
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Morgenstemning/Morning Mood
Theme From 'Midsommarvaka'
Nocturine
Vandring I Skoven (I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro/In The Deep Calm Of The Forest
Snurretoppen/Spinning Top
Vuggesang/Lullaby
Hojt Pa En Gren En Krage/A Crow Was Perched High Up A Tree
Tagen Letter/The Fog Is Lifting
Ack, Varmeland, Du Skona/Oh Varmeland, So Beautiful
Karleksvals/Lovewaltz
Sommarsang/Summersong
Waltz For You
Per Spelman
Nocturine
Fjarilin Vingad Syns Pa Haga/I See The Winged Butterfly In The Garden
Myggedans/Dance Of The Mosquitos
Varen/The Last Spring
Saterjantans Sondag/The Herdgirl's Sunday
Poul Sine Hons I Haven Lod Flyve/Paul Let His Hen Flutter In The Garden
Jeg Gor Sa Att Blommarna Blommar/I Make The Flowers Bloom

Customer Reviews:

haunting.......2000-06-13

To be honest, I only heard a few selections from this CD on the radio. The music is haunting.

You will be captivated, for example, by selection #17: Elegiac Melodies (2) for Strings, Opus 34: no 2, Last spring, composed by Edvard Grieg. This is a very effective orchestral setting of a well-known Grieg song which, in my opinion, is one the most beautiful songs ever written.

The combination of Michala Petri on the recorder with the London Philharmonic Orchestra is quite marvelous.

Absolutely gorgeous.......2000-05-31

The moment I saw the title of the new RCA Victor release (74321679502), I knew that I was bound to love it. When it arrived, the smiling face of Michala Petri confirmed my prediction even more, since I learned to love this master of the recorder years back when I enjoyed her Vivaldi and other Baroque concerts. To cut to the chase, grab this one!

With a 58:10 minute running time, it offers 20 cuts of Scandinavian music, including two sung by baritone Bo Skovfus, featuring Petri as soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, James Judd conductor. Drawing upon music from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, the producers have mixed folk tunes with classical and modern selections to give us a very beautifully thought out and executed program of music, some of which is quite familiar ("Morning" from "Peer Gynt" and Alfven's theme from his Swedish "Midsummer's Vigil") and most of which is quite unfamiliar to this listener and all the more welcome for that.

A superior offering and (again) a definite Grabbit.

Absolutely gorgeous.......2000-05-24

Tracks:

You Are Near Me In My Dream
Bacchanal
Little Princess
Sweden, Op. 22:2
A Ballad About Lamech's Sons
A Ballad About The Jester And Death
A Ballad About Good Sleep
You Are Near Me In My Dreams
Black Roses, Op. 36:1
Sigh, Rushes, Sigh Op. 36:4
En svane, Op. 25:2
Thou Blessed Land
The Diamond On The March Snow
The Tryst, Op. 37:5
Among The High Fir Trees In The Forest, Op. 5:4
The Enchanted Lake
Evening Mood
Toward The Sea
Visions
The Enchanged Lake

Average customer rating:

The Music of Scandinavia

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DSF4
Release Date: 1992-07-14

Sibelius: The Maiden in the Tower; Pelléas et Melisande; Valse Triste

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Sibelius: The Maiden in the Tower; Pelléas et Melisande; Valse Triste

Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005KK28
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

The Maiden In The Tower: Overture - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 1 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 2 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 3 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 4 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 5 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 6 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 7 - Garry Magee
The Maiden In The Tower: Scene 8 - Garry Magee
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: At The Castle Gate - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: Melisande - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: At The Sea - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: By A Spring In The Park - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: The Three Blind Sisters - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: Pastorale - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: Melisande At The Spinning-wheel - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: Entracte - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: The Death Of Melisande - Estonian National Male Choir
Pelleas Et Melisande, Incidental Music, Op.46: Valse Triste - Estonian National Male Choir

Sibelius: Karelia Op11; Jungfrun i tornet

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A Sibelius rarity

Sibelius: Karelia Op11; Jungfrun i tornet

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000016AU
Release Date: 1994-03-25

Tracks:

Overture
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
Intererlude. Largamente
Scene 4
Scene 5
Scene 6
Scene 7
Scene 8
Intermezzo - Neeme Jarvi
Ballade - Neeme Jarvi
Alla Marcia - Neeme Jarvi

Customer Reviews:

A Sibelius rarity.......2006-08-09

THE MAIDEN IN THE TOWER is the closest the great Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, ever came to writing a complete opera. This opera in one act has only been recorded twice, and this BIS release represents the first recording of the two.

After giving the opera a few listens, it's not that difficult to see why this work is not performed regularly anywhere in the world, nor has it been recorded more times. THE MAIDEN IN THE TOWER has a promising, tuneful beginning but soon runs out of steam after the first five minutes or so. The opera continues for about another 30 minutes, but lacks any great melodies or moments of intrigue. (This is, no doubt, partially due to the weak libretto by Raphael Hertzberg.) Notwithstanding, any Sibelius fan will encounter fleeting moments of potential greatness throughout the duration of the piece, but nothing truly exceptional ever comes to fruition. One truly gets the sense that Sibelius was not very much personally invested in this composition, and thus it's not surprising he never wrote another opera.

The soloists on the recording are adequate, but the usually stellar Mari-Anne Haggander seems especially uninterested and disconneted from her role of the title's maiden. Her voice seems strained at times, especially in the higher end.

Neeme Jarvi's conducting on MAIDEN IN THE TOWER seems fairly inspired, but of course it is hard to weigh it against anything else as there is only one other recording (which I have not heard).

Speaking of the conducting, the disc ends with a dissapointing reading of Sibelius's KARELIA SUITE. Jarvi's tempi are quite slow, especially in the shockingly sluggish INTERMEZZO. In fact, this is probably the least exciting recording I have ever heard of the KARELIA SUITE.

This disc is recommended for Sibelius completists or anyone interested in what an opera by Sibelius could have sounded like. It will satify your curiosity, but as a purely enjoyable listening experience, even this die-hard Sibelius fan was left wanting. For a good recording of the KARELIA SUITE, I could not advise more strongly that you look elsewhere.

The sound on this early BIS recording is quite good, but not audiophile quality, as would be expected given the age of the disc.