Alfvén is not a
composer one might instantly associate with films, especially
as his musical career lay between the two Golden Ages of Swedish
Cinema. But he wrote three major scores: the two recorded here
and the later (1949) one for Singoalla, also the subject
of works by Natanael Berg and Gunnar de Frumerie. Both Synnøve
Solbakken and En Bygdesaga have appeared on disc
before.
Synnøve of Solbakken
is a sort of Village Romeo and Juliet with a happy
ending. It was a Swedish-Norwegian joint production and Alfvén
uses Norwegian folk tunes in the score as well as excerpts from
his own ballet The Mountain King. From this he fashioned
a six-movement suite. Sunday Morning in the Forest appears
first here but was not originally the opening of the film, yet
it serves this function well. Young Love is a demure
episode, appealing rather than passionate, but with sumptuous
orchestration, including harps and piano. The second half has
some interesting development that one would not have predicted
when the piece started. The third section of the suite Poignant
Grief-Pastorale is quite effective with its Norwegian fiddle
sounds contrasting with material from the first two sections
of the suite. Torbjörn and Synnøve continues in the vein
of the second section. Langtan is the most effective
movement in the suite, with a haunting violin solo. I Solbakken
was the music actually played for the opening credits of
the film, but it’s Norwegian dances do just as well for the
end of the suite. All of the above is recorded rather closely,
but in an unobtrusive way that emphasizes both the emotions
of the score and the playing of the orchestra. Willén conducts
in a less sentimental fashion than Alfvén sometimes receives
and it is perfect for this film music. He also has an excellent
sense of tempo.
More serious is
the six-movement suite from the second and later film score
En Bygdesaga. In spite of the seemingly-benign name this
is the story of Märit, married to Påvel, but in love with Håkan.
The suite concentrates on the music associated with the characters
and the important emotions that propel the film’s action. The
Introduction immediately and almost violently sets the
emotional tone with resplendent brass chords giving way to a
more gentle section, still informed by the feelings of the opening.
Dreams deals with the musical ideas associated with the
main characters and with certain objects that have symbolic
value in the course of the film. Alfvén takes this material
into increasing tense, and for him, dissonant territory, before
reaching a quiet ending. Guilty love is even more violent
as it uses the lower notes of the orchestra to portray the feelings
of the two main characters. This music is developed into a chorale
section with the upper strings playing other material. An excellent
example of the composer’s orchestral and contrapuntal skill.
As if the previous section were not intense enough, Jealousy
shows us the feelings of Påvel - equally intense, though
different in kind. This does not last long, changing into a
pastoral section, but one in which the tension is not totally
dissipated. The composer uses the strings to make this transition
in his usual accomplished manner. After the previous sections,
the Funeral March makes a good contrast and it is solemn
enough, though not totally convincing. The title of the final
section, Baying of Wolves, refers to the social ostracism
Håkan and Märit will face as they run off together. This is
true music of flight, with elements of the joy of freedom mixed
in. Again, Willén and Norköpping handle every aspect of this
complicated music with aplomb.
The Elégie is
actually a tone poem written in memory of Emil Sjögren, the
great composer of lieder. It was originally published for piano
and then later orchestrated before being used in some incidental
music Alfvén wrote for a play called We, finally becoming
a part of the Gustav II Adolph Suite (op. 49) taken from
the incidental music. Harmonically and emotionally it is one
of the strongest of his shorter orchestral works. In his development
of the first theme Alfvén maintains some emotional distance,
as if writing for a beloved public figure, while the second
theme seems more appropriate for a friend or colleague. The
opening of the piece with its appropriately scored hollow chords
and the magical final notes frame a truly moving experience.
The string playing by the Norköpping players is wonderful throughout
and Willén ably brings out the various emotional shades of the
work.
The major competition
on CD to this disc would be Sterling Gramofon CDS 1012, released
in 1996. This contains the two film suites, but not the Elegie
and was recorded by two different conductors and orchestras,
one of them Norköpping. It is an estimable production but lacks
both the comprehensiveness of Willén’s outlook on the music
and the intimate but impressive recording quality of the Naxos
disc. Given the low price and the fact that that many listeners
will already have previous volumes by Willén in the Naxos Alfvén
series, this disc is a must for Alfvén fans and, due to the
specific qualities of the music, even those who do not otherwise
warm to him.
William Kreindler
see also Review
by Patrick Waller
Norköpping Symphony
Orchestra/Niklas Willén
