Thomas Jensen (conductor)
Legacy Volume 10
Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000)
Violin Concerto No.1, Op.50
Franz Syberg (1904-1955)
Symphony
Knudåge Riisager (1897-1974)
Primavera, concert overture, Op.31
Little Overture for strings
Siegfried Salomon (1885-1962)
Cello Concerto, Op.34
Leif Thybo (1922-2001)
Cello Concerto
Niels Viggo Bentzon
Cello Concerto No.1, Op106
Charles Senderovitz (violin)
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson (cello)
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra
rec. 1957-62, Danish Radio Concert Hall; 1957, Tivoli Concert Hall; 1949 and 1960, studio recordings
DANCORD DACOCD920 [2 CDs: 151]
Danacord has begun to embark on recycling – or cannibalism - in its Thomas Jensen series. This makes reviewing much simpler for me, and for you, as you can just follow links to previous appearances of these performances. The transfers sound to me the same. For example, this twofer contains a raft of concertos, three of which are played by cellist Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, who has also enjoyed a long-running series courtesy of Danacord. You can find the Salomon and Bentzon Cello concertos in the same volume (see review) and the Thybo is contained in another volume (review) reviewed just a couple of years ago. Parenthetically, I’m not sure that this level of recycling is healthy in today’s (non-existent) market, but I’ll merely note that and move on.
Which leaves just the first CD to review. Bentzon’s Violin Concerto No.1 was composed in the early 1950s and this September 1957 performance was its premiere. This was the first of his four violin concertos but the score, according to the booklet notes, has disappeared. This, therefore, is its only recording. Bentzon’s ‘metamorphosis’ process – familiar from his orchestral works of the time - is cast in a two-movement form, strongly contrasted. In the opening the solo violin muses seemingly apart from the orchestral tapestry in which interesting things are happening – pounding percussion, restlessness and brassiness among them. The cadenza is again rather reflective rather than overtly virtuosic, in which the soloist poses questions that musically speaking he then answers. The second movement is largely lyrical with some whimsical dialogues and some increased vitality. The soloist is the long-time concertmaster-leader of the Danish Radio Symphony, Charles Senderovitz, who manoeuvres splendidly around the thornier elements of the concerto maintaining fine body of tone and flexible technique.
Franz Syberg is little-remembered these days and, if at all, it’s an organist. He died in 1955 at the early age of 51 after a fire at his farm. His only Symphony was composed in 1940 and is heard in this May 1961 radio broadcast. It’s opening movement (of three) moves from Nielsen-like vitality to March vivacity whilst the central movement eventually burgeons into life via ripe wind writing. An eruptive moment or two deflects from the movement’s gentler course but the finale reasserts brassy, militant and filmic writing – very filmic - and gets spicily dramatic. Even so, the ending (at least in this performance) sounds oddly perfunctory.
The disc also includes two pieces by Riisager. Primavera is a concert overture composed in 1934 and recorded commercially on the Odeon label here in 1960. The recording sounds a touch brash through the music is verdant and exciting. The Little Overture for Strings has been reissued a number of times. It was recorded on Tono in 1949 and is a perfect fit for a four-minute 78.
The Bentzon, Syberg and Riisager’s Primavera are making their first appearance on CD. The Bentzon, being cast in his mid-period style, will be of interest and the Syberg opens up a little-known compositional channel in Danish music. Riisager is always enjoyable to encounter. As noted, CD2 revisits previously reissued material which, if you happen to have the relevant Blöndal Bengtsson discs, means that the decision-making process regarding this twofer is for you. The good news is that it’s priced ‘two for one’.
Jonathan Woolf
