Wilhelm STENHAMMAR (1871-1927)
Excelsior! symphonic overture, Op. 13 (1896) [13:50]
Mellanspel ur Sången, Op. 44 (1921) [6:14]
Serenade in F major, Op. 31 (1914-1919) [37:16]
Royal Flemish Philharmonic/Christian Lindberg
rec. March 2013, deSingel, Antwerp, Belgium
Hybrid SACD, stereo and multi-channel
Reviewed as a 24/96 download
BIS BIS-SACD-2058 [58:19]
Less than an hour’s playing time, I hear you cry; well yes, but
with eclassical’s per-second charging you only pay for what you
get. In this case $8.74 (£5.21) or if you take advantage of this
particular deal you can also download the 16-bit flacs of Neeme Järvi’s
1986 recording of the First Symphony for a mere $5.52 (£3.29). These
limited offers are a sign of major changes in the way music is bought
and sold; indeed, as much as I prefer the physical product I find myself
attracted more and more by the simplicity and convenience of downloads.
I’ve long since run out of shelf space for discs, so I welcome the
fact that all my downloads – more than a hundred at the last count
– fit comfortably on a portable hard drive the size of a paperback.
Admittedly 58 minutes or less of music on a silver disc is more of a problem,
which is why BIS chose to release Thomas Adés’s Violin
Concerto and Couperin Studies – all 34 minutes of
it - as a download only (review).
All of which makes me certain that downloading as a means of delivering
reasonably priced, high-res music makes sense for labels and listeners
alike. That said, far too many sites charge silly sums for their downloads
– in some cases more than the equivalent disc – so they will
need to re-jig their business model if they want to succeed in this rapidly
changing business.
Now back to the music. Swedish trombonist and conductor Christian Lindberg
continues to impress in both roles; most recently I’ve enjoyed hearing
him as a soloist in this irreverent programme (review)
and as an equally talented baton-waver in Allan Pettersson’s powerful
Ninth Symphony (review).
He gets off to a rousing start here with Stenhammar’s splendid Excelsior!,
premiered by the Berlin Philharmonic no less. Lindberg gives the overture
plenty of surge and space and the BIS engineers respond with sonics to
match. This may not efface memories of Järvi’s more urgent
and visceral account (also on BIS) but it’s much better recorded.
One might expect Lindberg’s Flemish orchestra to trail Jarvi’s
mighty Gothenburgers - the latter recorded live – but their ringing
horns and impassioned strings are superb; that’s especially so in
the overture’s imposing climaxes. Even in the solemn environs of
the interlude from Sången, the cantata Stenhammar wrote
to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Swedish Academy
of Music, the RFP play with a quiet unanimity and gravitas that engages
and delights. Perhaps we can now look forward to a BIS recording of the
complete cantata to complement the Caprice version recorded in the 1980s.
The most substantial work here is the five-movement Serenade,
which Stenhammar withdrew ‘for revision’ after its premiere
in 1914. Brimming with gentle charm and suffused with radiant harmonies
it’s a pearl of a piece. After a restrained Overture the
soft-pulsing Canzonetta is genuinely ear-pricking. Lindberg paces
it all so well and the orchestra respond with playing of great subtlety
and feeling. Timbres are true and this recording gives the music a rich
inner glow that’s hugely satisfying. As for the Scherzo –
Presto it's light on its feet and the atmospherically placed brass
bring real frisson to the mix.
The Serenade is such civilised music, so fresh and spontaneous,
and I doubt you’ll hear a lovelier, more sun-dappled account than
this. Tipping into night Lindberg gives us an evanescent reading of the
Notturno; it’s delivered with astonishing finesse and,
where necessary, silk-spun ardour. Sensitively shaped and dynamically
sophisticated this version of the Serenade surely trumps all
others; the recording is class-leading too. Nowhere is that clearer than
in the tumbling detail and animation of the Finale.
What a refined and responsive band this is, and how splendid Antwerp’s
deSingel concert hall. Like the Liège orchestra that enchanted
me in Respighi (review)
this is an ensemble whose polished playing belies its lower rank. And
after a few disappointing recordings I’m happy to say BIS have more
than made amends with this one. Very detailed liner-notes – downloadable
- complete a luscious package.
At last, Stenhammar gets the fine performances he deserves; first-rate
sound, too.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
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