250th Archive

“Opus 250” – Works by BERG, ULVO, SÖDERLING and PAUS – Bergen Philharmonic Orch. – LAWO

by Audiophile Audition | Jun 7, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

“Opus 250” – Works by BERG, ULVO, SÖDERLING and PAUS – Bergen Philharmonic Orch. /Andrew Litton /James Macmillan/ Edward Gardner – LAWO Classics LC1089, 72:54 (11/27/15) [Dist. by Naxos] ****: Contemporary music from Norway nicely recorded and expertly played. In celebration of its 250th anniversary (!), the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra has undertaken an interesting project of commissioning and premiering more than 20 new compositions. Contemporary music has always been central to the orchestra’s tradition which, nearer the time of the orchestra’s founding, premiered works by Haydn and Beethoven. Opus 250 is the name of this project dedicated not only to the modern composers represented, but also to the musicians of the orchestra and particularly its own soloists. The four works included on this CD are the result of efforts by the soloists themselves to inspire and collaborate with Norwegian composers with whom they particularly identify. Our readers aren’t likely to have heard any of the works on this disc, but that doesn’t render them uninteresting. In fact, the program is quite a fine survey of contemporary music. The first work is Olav Berg’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. He says he based the piece on a dream, and the piece […]