MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW Plain text for smartphones & printers

Support us financially by purchasing this from

Henning MANKELL (1868-1930)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Op. 30 (1917) [36:42]
Gösta NYSTROEM (1890-1966)
Concerto Ricercante for Piano and Chamber Orchestra (1959) [25:18]
Anna Christensson (piano)
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Roberto Paternostro
rec. 2015, Ludwigshafen, Philharmonie, Germany
World premiere recording (Mankell)
Deutschlandradio Kultur production
CAPRICCIO C5240 [62:00]

At first this might seem an odd pairing, on the one hand we have a work by one of Sweden’s romanticists, which is coupled with a concerto by a composer who, along with Hilding Rosenberg, was one of the country’s leading modernists. However, this works surprisingly well with each work proving a fine contrast for the other.

Henning Mankell, who is the grandfather of the author of the ‘Wallander’ series of books and much besides, is deeply rooted in the romantic tradition; this is evident in Anna Christensson’s fine survey of his solo piano works (Phoenix Edition PE184 - review), where his music shows the influence of Chopin and to a lesser extent of Schumann and Brahms. Here, the Concerto still shows the influence of the Polish master, although with the scale and grandeur of Rachmaninov. The first movement alone is just over seventeen minutes long and has a fast-slow-fast structure so could be construed as a mini-concerto in its own right. The second and third movements follow in a similarly romantic vein, and at nearly ten minutes each it all adds up to quite a substantial and unjustly neglected work. Here the Concerto receives its premiere recording, and I can only ask why. It may not be a masterpiece, but it is interesting and attractive enough to warrant an occasional recording and public performance. There are far less worthy works out there which have achieved a popularity beyond their status.

The second work on this disc is a different kettle of fish altogether. Gösta Nystroem, despite being born only twenty two years after Henning Mankell, is stylistically streets ahead of his compatriot. I have come to know his music through the excellent recordings of his symphonies on Bis (BIS-CD-782 (Espressiva and Seria), BIS-CD-1082 (Shakeseariana and Tramontana) and BIS-CD-682 (various including Sinfonia Concertante)) as well as some of his many fine songs (BIS-CD-38L Songs at the Sea). Yes this is obviously music that is more modern than Mankell’s but it is tuneful modernity. It has a definite sequence and progression. It is not just a case of notes for the sake of it. I should suggest that Nystroem’s music has more in common with that of Allan Pettersson, Dag Wirén and with the Danish composer Vagn Holmboe than with that of Hugo Alfvén, Ture Rangström or even Kurt Atterberg. The Concerto Ricercante follows in the same vein as the symphonies; it is full of dramatic intensity with quite difficult and demandingly virtuosic passages. Nystroem asks a lot of both the soloist and the ensemble, and this despite it only being a chamber orchestra. I am glad to say that all perform well here.

The performance in both concertos is in fact excellent. I came to know of Anna Christensson through her excellent recording of the solo piano music of Hilding Rosenberg (Capriccio C5116), this led me to invest in recording of the solo piano works of Mankell (Phoenix Edition PE184). Here she shows she is equally adept in the larger-scale concerto as she is in the solo repertoire. The Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz are very spirited; indeed first rate under the direction of Roberto Paternostro of what I can only imagine was music that was new to them. Good recorded sound and booklet notes make this a most attractive disc.

Stuart Sillitoe

 

 



Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing