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Bergen Philharmonic Archive

Jean SIBELIUS:  “In the Stream of Life”, Songs – Gerald Finley (bass/bar) / Bergen Phil. Orch. / Edward Gardner – Chandos

Jean SIBELIUS:  “In the Stream of Life”, Songs – Gerald Finley (bass/bar) / Bergen Phil. Orch. / Edward Gardner – Chandos

by | Jun 26, 2017 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

“In the Stream of Life: Songs by Sibelius” – Gerald Finley, bass-baritone/Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Edward Gardner – Chandos SACD CHSA5178 [Distr. by Naxos], 78:40, (1/29/2017) [Track list follows] ****: Splendid performances of some lesser known works. Sibelius is not known very widely for his vocal music but what a rich and rewarding collection of his songs for voice and orchestra as well as some of his legend-inspired tone poems this is! The two orchestral tone poems here in this splendid collection are actually among Sibelius’ better known works. Pohjola’s Daughter is based on a Kalevala legend in which an old mystic of sorts discovers the daughter of the demi-goddess Pohjola spinning a golden thread in the night sky. The Oceanides is simply, but majestically, Sibelius’ ode to the power of the seas (the composer was said to have been inspired by Debussy’s La Mer.) Both of these works are representative of the very colorful and somewhat impressionistic Sibelius and remain among his most programmatic pieces. The inclusion of the Romance for strings (dating from 1904) is a pleasant work and certainly an example of lesser-known and introspective Sibelius but other than the curiosity that it is it is not of the […]

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Job; Symphony No. 9 – Andrew Davis/ Bergen Philharmonic – Chandos

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Job; Symphony No. 9 – Andrew Davis/ Bergen Philharmonic – Chandos

by | Mar 18, 2017 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Job; Symphony No. 9 – Andrew Davis/ Bergen Philharmonic – Chandos multichannel SACD CHSA 5180, 77:29 (2/17/17) ****: Davis returns to Vaughan Williams in a fine performance and recording. This new recording from Chandos couples a stunning performance and recording of two of Vaughan Williams’ great works. This is not the first time these compositions, conducted by Andrew Davis, have been on CD. He recorded the pair for Teldec in the ‘90s with the BBC Symphony. The first work, Job: A Masque for Dancing, has a scenario by Geoffrey Keynes based on William Blake’s illustrations of the Old Testament Book of Job. The score was first performed in concert in 1930.  Some consider it Williams’ greatest orchestral creation and I wouldn’t argue with that sentiment. The piece is richly orchestrated, and the Bergen Philharmonic is precise and dynamic. The recording captures the glorious sound of the Bergen Cathedral, with its fine organ making an appearance on track 7. The Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 9 is also a pleasure to hear. It was the last symphony Williams composed, but it is strong and defiant in nature. It was premiered in London in 1958. Williams was clearly thinking of his […]

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

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

by | 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 […]

***********  MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH  ************ RACHMANINOV: Sym. No. 2; LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake – Bergen PO/ Andrew Litton – BIS

***********  MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH  ************ RACHMANINOV: Sym. No. 2; LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake – Bergen PO/ Andrew Litton – BIS

by | Feb 14, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

A glorious performance of sumptuous demeanor and satisfying execution. * RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 2 in e, Op. 27; LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake – Bergen PO/ Andrew Litton – BIS multichannel SACD 2071, 70:54 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: I’ve always thought Rachmaninov the true Russian composer; something about his melodies and rich textures bespeak an authenticity that Tchaikovsky, normally considered the echt Russian composer, seems to lack. Not that the latter, easily the greater artist, was insincere. Simply that Rachmaninov’s Slavic soul was not as fettered with the cosmopolitan utterances of the internationalist Tchaikovsky. Yet in the realm of the symphony, vitally important in Russia at the time, Rachmaninov was woefully behind his elder. After a horrid 1897 premiere of the First Symphony, his confidence, never great to begin with, waned severely. Only in 1907 did he let on that he had completed a new second symphony, and that he was concerned about it. Because of his experiences with the First, he conducted the first performances of the Second Symphony in 1908, making only minor changes afterward for balance and texture. Later on critics inspired him to sanction ill-considered cuts to the piece that only eliminated about ten minutes of total […]