I often forget what truly beautiful sonics can achieve.
While I am not an audiophile snob, I do pay attention to my equipment, even if high-end would hardly account for my setup.
I do not go out of my way to listen to brand new recordings either, where I most often focus on the countless recordings of the near and far past.
In listening to these, I have never really felt recordings ever get the string sound right. When CDs emerged, the recording quality when backwards in that regard, in my opinion. Moreso, I urge everyone to hear a live orchestra, for a string section's sound fills up in the listener's body cavity and thorax as well as being merely heard, and this aspect can never be replicated on a recording.
Thus, it really hit me listening to this BIS SACD of Stenhammar, and another recently of Neschling leading Villa-Lobos. The orchestra is beautifully laid out in its sonic soundscape, and the depth of field for the listener is superb. While I have the capability of hearing the SACD layer at home, I know that is not usually the case for most, but even the CD layer is rather lovely.
As to the music, the big features here are the Incidental Suite to Romeo and Juliet and the large-scale cantata Sången. Both have been recorded before, the latter with Herbert Blomstedt from the 70s, but the prizes here are the stunning recorded fidelity and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble for whom Neeme Järvi built an stunning international reputation from the 1980s through the 2000s.
Romeo and Juliet is almost a slight affair. Its music bears a Renaissance flavor, favoring chamber-sized events and solo instrument features. I can't say it is a new masterpiece, but it sets itself apart from Stenhammar's other orchestral works, and perhaps shares similarities with his rather breezy Serenade for Orchestra.
I really like Sången, though. It throws the listener straight into the action with three blustery solos singing of the world's problems, with phrases like (albeit translated) 'searing pain', 'bloodied hearth', 'world of frozen fear', 'carry wounds from bleak and harsh defeats'.
Set in two parts, the first deals with the birth and triumph of Song in life, while the second deals with building a temple to Song. As expected, the first part raises the roof in a grand musical paean, whereas the second part feels like a Bruckner-ian chorale, followed by a Baroque choral setting, ultimately leading to the quiet of Song's nightly slumber.
As with Romeo and Juliet, I can't call Sången another masterpiece, yet I am captivated by Stenhammar's music and choice of setting. The chorus is thankfully well heard amongst the soloists and orchestra.
The rest of the program is taken up by the single movement Reverenza and the Two Sentimental Romances for violin and orchestra. These have been recorded by Neeme Järvi before, on a set I just covered on this blog. I am not entranced by the Romances on either recording, with violinist Sara Trobäck here and Ulf Wallin on the older set. The music ambles a fair bit too much for my wants, although I kind of like the rhythmic musical ideas of the second Romance.
Reverenza is a discarded movement from the Serenade for Orchestra. It is more muscular than I remember when included within the Serenade, a lighter work overall, so perhaps Järvi improves upon the earlier version as far as characterization.
So what to make of this? Well, the filler seems unnecessary to me, where the focus is keenly on the Romeo and Juliet Suite and Sången. The Suite can be found on Sterling with other theatre-based compositions from Stenhammar, and the rare program on Sterling might be preferable to those wanting to explore nook and cranny from the composer. Sången is moved along more strongly than Blomstedt on Musica Sveciae, so it might depend on taste as to which to choose from.
Listen on YouTube
Work
Romeo and Juliet: Suite (17.20)
Serenade: Reverenza (5.58)
Two Sentimental Romances (13.26)
Sången (29.15)
Soloists
Sara Trobäck, violin
Charlotta Larsson, soprano
Martina Dike, alto
Lars Cleveman, tenor
Fredrik Zetterström, baritone
Ensembles
Norrköpings Musikklasser Children's Choir
Gothenburg Vocal Ensemble
Gothenburg Symphony Choir
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Järvi, conductor
Label: BIS
Year: 2018
Most will come to this recording for Sången and Romeo & Juliet, and that is reason enough.
I am not so hot on the other works here, especially since this same team has already covered them on this same label.
Not a first step for listening to Stenhammar, but delights await nonetheless.
Find more Stenhammar recordings HERE!
No comments:
Post a Comment