I have an affection for Grieg’s
Landkjenning that is quite
disproportionate to either its scale or indeed significance in the
composer’s canon. Yet it is a piece which – together with the rest of this
proudly nationalistic programme – knocks Debussy’s snide “its taste in the
mouth, both strange and delightful, is of a pink bonbon filled with snow”
into the proverbial cocked hat. For this is lusty, energetic, celebratory
music written to celebrate Norway, its history and culture. To have the
greatest impact, it strikes me that it needs to be performed in just that
manner.
I must admit that I had not made the effort to hear the earlier releases
in this series of recordings on Naxos overseen by Bjarte Engeset. Only
recently, I had acquired the really excellent set of the same complete
orchestral and choral works issued by BIS featuring the Bergen Philharmonic
conducted by Kristian Ruud. That remains stunning, brilliantly and
idiomatically played and presented, even by BIS’s high standard, in
demonstration class sound. However, the excellence of one disc or set does
not preclude there being another. I enjoyed this current disc hugely. Indeed
I would go as far as saying this current version of
Landkjenning
has gone to the top of my list. If I focus on that one short work it is
because the virtues displayed there apply to the whole disc. After a brief
heroic call-to-arms on unison horns the male-voice choir sing; “And it was
Olav Trygvason, Sailing o'er the North Sea wide, Towards his young
kingdom, Expecting him not”. This represents the sailors on Trygvason’s
galley returning home and it needs a sense of energy and excitement. Rather
simple and obvious one would think but listening to just about all the other
recent recordings; Per Dreier on Unicorn, Neeme Järvi on DG, or even Ruud on
BIS are as successful as Engeset. Dreier phrases nicely and Ruud is good –
Järvi is the most bonbon-esque; too urbane and suave. Engeset’s choir you
imagine
could be sailors. There is a quality here that reminds me
of full-throated Welsh male-voice choirs which whether you love or loathe
them sing with a commitment and identifying with the text that is very
powerful.
The unifying element on this disc is that the texts were all provided by
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910). He was instrumental in the Norwegian
revival of the 1800s – seeking a free and democratic Norway. So no surprise
that his texts resonate with nationalist pride and have the same kind of
faux-folk/archaic cadence as the Finnish
Kalevala or even
Longfellow’s
Hiawatha. Indeed, it is in this style of epic festive
tableaux that Grieg’s music finds echoes in Smetana’s grand operas or
Sibelius’ incidental music and cantatas. Grieg’s skill is
not to
try to make the characters here too subtle or ‘real’ – they are folklorish
archetypes and need to be portrayed in confidently broad brush-strokes. This
the composer achieves superbly and likewise the performances. Additionally,
all of the soloists are native Norwegians who have the idiom – and the
language – in their bones, and it shows. I’m not sure any could be said to
have the most sheerly beautiful voices but there is a rightness and urgency
about the delivery that disarms criticism. I particularly liked the tenor
Helge Rønning in the two Choruses from
Sigurd Jorsalfar; “The
Northland folk have the urge to travel, Bringing power to other peoples. The
spear of war throws a reflection Honour encourages the people in their
task!” His slightly constricted tone cuts through the accompanying texture
as a real call to arms. It does not concern me that the most famous
orchestral sections of the play’s orchestral music are not included here.
This disc can act neatly as an appendix for those who already have the
orchestral suite in their collection and in any case its aim was to collect
together the Bjørnson inspired works.
The Malmö Symphony Orchestra have impressed me in the past; their cycle of
Schmidt Symphonies on Naxos are a special pleasure. The Malmö Opera
Orchestra less so. I found their recording of the Tovey Symphony strangely
unengaged. Given that it is the Opera Orchestra who carry the bulk of
playing responsibilities here I am glad to say the far higher level of
commitment is palpable. This is especially true in the extended fragments
that form Grieg’s only attempt at opera,
Olav Trygvason. Bjarte
Engeset also contributes a really excellent liner-note in which he
elaborates how Grieg and Bjørnson worked in an excited (‘feverish’ is
Engeset’s word) state to create this work celebrating Norway’s early
Christian history. ‘Feverish’ and ‘excited’ capture the mood of the music
too. It builds from a wonderfully atmospherically brooding opening to a
thrillingly muscular conclusion. This is no juvenile fragment – Grieg was at
the very peak of his powers – work was initially interrupted to start the
Peer Gynt incidental music. The problem was that Bjørnson and Grieg
could not agree on a mutually acceptable working practice, then Bjørnson
moved to Italy to write contemporary plays. By the time the work, as it
stood, was premiered in 1889 to great acclaim, Grieg felt he had moved on
both artistically and ideologically. He did not want to be compartmentalised
as
just Norway’s National Composer. The problem, if problem it is,
with the work as it survives is that for all the brilliance of the
orchestral writing and power of the vocal parts it is dramatically static.
Over the forty minutes we get a series of very impressive tableaux but one
could not say any of the characters have started any individual journey.
Presumably, this was going to come later and this prologue would give it
context. Much as I thoroughly enjoy this work my instinct is that Grieg was
right. In passing – and not knowing one word of Norwegian – some of the
English translation seems a little curious. “Gladly we join in gambols of
joy!” is just one line of many which seems to be linguistically rather
rickety.
Not surprisingly, programme-planners often link the opera excerpts to
Landkjenning so all three of the other conductors mentioned earlier
have recorded the excerpts. Interestingly, the exact same observations are
true. Ruud is excellent – he drives the music forward just as Bjørnson
wanted. Dreier sounds engaged but rather rough and ready in dated sound and
Järvi is efficient. Artistically and at this price-point it is hard to look
beyond Engeset and his Malmö team. Especially since they throw in a charming
bonne bouche to close the disc in the form of a world premiere
recording of a Grieg instrumental version of Edmund Nuppert’s Bjørnson
setting. After the blood and thunder of Pagans versus Christians this is a
charmer from an altogether gentler time.
The disc is marked by consistently fine engineering – a perfect blend of
presence, detail and power. Engeset’s excellent liner-note is a model of
insight and information and it matches the quality of his work on the
podium. All in all a very fine disc indeed and one that makes me keen to
hear the other discs in the series so far and those yet to come.
Nick Barnard
Previous review:
Paul Corfield Godfrey
