In "Nordic Melodies" we find Grieg in passionate play with folk songs. The work sparkles with harmonies and expression, developing a whole story from just a few short stanzas. The Holberg Suite, loved for its beauty and feared for its challenges, is a fusion of European musical tradition and a genuine Norwegian sound palette. The Trondheim Soloists follow up with two brilliant soloists, Emilia Amper on nyckelharpa and Gjermund Larsen on fiddle, in newly commissioned music characterized by the same energy and tenderness. Wild nature and Nordic light are essential elements of the folk style. This lies at the core of the Trondheim Soloist's soul, a meeting between the musical playfulness and passion.
Suite "From Holberg's Time" op. 40
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Two Nordic Melodies op. 63
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
ABRÉGÉ - folk suite for nyckelharpa and string orchestra
Emilia Amper (1981-)
DIPLOM - folk suite for fiddle and string orchestra
Gjermund Larsen (1981-)
The Trondheim Soloists are regarded one of the top chamber orchestras in the world. Their DIVERTIMENTI was nominated for the 51st GRAMMY Awards as "Best Small Ensemble", "Best Engineered Album" and "Best Surround Sound Album" in 2008. Now IN FOLK STYLE sets a new standard for the performance of Edvard Grieg's "Suite From Holberg's Time" with the intense musical details revealed in this most spectacular surround sound recording ever made.
You rock music fans have no doubt heard of Nickelback, but how many music fans of any genre have heard of nyckelharpa? Okay, okay, so it's not a band, it's an instrument, but even so, my hunch is the word, let alone the instrument, will be new to most of you. I'm not ashamed to admit it was for me, but I'm also happy to realize there are still instruments out there I haven't personally experienced. And what an invigorating experience listening to the nyckelharpa (literally, "key harp," more about which later) is, as is amply demonstrated on the lovely and exciting new 2L release from TrondheimSolistene (the Trondheim Soloists), In Folk Style. This interesting compendium of two suites by Edvard Grieg and two much more modern pieces by composers both born in 1981 is a warm and inviting trip through some luscious string sonorities, all of which help to evoke the crystalline beauty of the fjords of Norway. If Grieg's "Holberg Suite" and "Two Nordic Melodies" are the evergreens of this release, both "Abrégé—Folk Suite for Nyckelharpa and String Orchestra" and "Diplom—Folk Suite for Fiddle and String Orchestra" are more than worthy companion pieces and may in fact be more instantly accessible to younger, "hipper" (a relative term, of course) listeners more used to the world music stylings of, say, Garmarna, than the supposedly musty sounds of a bygone composer, no matter how beloved he is in his native country.
A nyckelharpa.
Grieg's homage to Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754), written on the bicentenary of the writer's birth, is a dance suite of sorts, originally written for solo piano, and patently modeled on the French Baroque model, with a Prelude followed by a Sarabande, Gavotte, Air, and Rigaudon. This is incredibly lush, gorgeously melodic and moving music, and it's quite interesting if you're so inclined to compare Grieg's original piano verson with his reworking for string orchestra, the version presented here. For example, if you peruse the original piano score, you find an Allegro Vivace filled with fleet sixteenth notes which outline the delicious G major harmonies. Grieg magically transforms those ideas into dynamically bowed block chords in the string version, completely altering the feeling, if not the inherent character, of the piece. If his revisions aren't quite so startling in the rest of the suite, they nonetheless show the mastery of a composer rethinking his compositions for entirely different instruments.
The "Two Nordic Melodies" are from a later period in Grieg's compositional life, though the second item, "Cow Call and Peasant Dance," is actually culled from themes that first appeared in "Norwegian Folksongs and Dances." The "Cow Call" is a sweetly lilting piece in triple meter, almost childlike in its simplicity and heartfelt nature. The first piece, "In Folk Style," is a good deal more somber, even morose, as it traces a stark journey through minor modalities in a pensive mood.
If you're a fan of Medieval or Renaissance dance music, you're in for a treat once Emilia Amper steps up to her nyckelharpa and takes us on a rhythmic roller coaster ride in "Abrégé," an incredibly colorful and wonderfully evocative set of pieces which the young performer evidently introduced to Trondheim's Johannes Rusten, who arranged them for string orchestra. The liner notes aren't exactly clear, and I wasn't able to find definitive answers in my research, but it seems that these pieces were all written by different composers (not Amper), but Amper evidently adapted them for her instrument and then passed them on to Rusten for that final spit and polish.
Now, more about the nyckelharpa, as promised above. Though this particular iteration of this instrumental idea was new to me (and probably is to you, too), if you've seen or heard a hurdy gurdy, you know the basic premise: though the instrument most resembles one of the string family, it actually has keys attached to tangents which act as the frets, allowing the string to produce the chromatic scale. The nyckelharpa also has a set of resonating strings, one for each note of the chromatic scale, giving a wonderfully lush chorused effect when it's played.
Finishing off this excellent release is the more traditional sounding "Diplom," by Gjemund Larsen. This lovely and energetic suite was actually written by Larsen as a graduation exercise from the Norwegian Academy of Music, and his intention was to write it specifically for TrondheimSolistene. Luckily, the members of that troupe were evidently already aware of Larsen's virtuosity and agreed to not only play it, but record it. "Diplom" lacks the outré elements of "Abrégé," but it's a cohesive and metrical journey through some fun string effects like comical glissandi.
The TrondheimSolistene have established themselves as one of the preeminent interpreters of Grieg's string music, and that certainly was the smart place for them to make their presence known on the world music stage. Now as they begin to stretch out, one can see perhaps a more Kronos Quartet approach to their recordings, as they embrace a younger generation and begin to peer into genres at least a little removed from the hallowed halls of nineteenth century Romanticism. If that tendency continues to pay off dividends as bountiful as those displayed on In Folk Style, we all have a lot of enjoyable listening to look forward to.
Once again 2L quite simply hits it out of the ballpark with this incredible audio Blu-ray. Three lossless tracks are offered, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (24/96kHz), a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (24/192kHz) and a LPCM 2.0 (24/192kHz). With the soloists located in the front channel, we have violas in the left front channel, celli in the front right channel, first violins in the rear left and second violins in the rear right (the lone doublebass is positioned just a tad to the left of the soloist, between the front center and front left channels). The immersive experience is complete and breathtaking here as the sound wafts in and around the listener like a warm embrace. All of this music is incredibly supple, and the two surround channel mixes let us actually enter the music, hearing the disparate lines and the thumping rhythms of the two modern pieces in all their glory. The more traditional and stately sounds of the Grieg may not exploit the surround soundfield quite as much, but there is still a wealth of harmony to bathe in, and the faster dance movements give moments of really exciting separation between the sections. Engineer and Producer Morten Lindberg deserves major kudos for not only undertaking a risky endeavor like this, but for maintaining such impeccably high standards. Recordings like this will help to establish audio Blu-rays as the format to beat for audiophiles wanting crystal clarity, gorgeous warmth, and a three dimensional experience that puts the listener squarely in the middle of an enveloping sonic experience.
As with other 2L releases, a hybrid SACD is included with the audio Blu-ray. The new "mShuttle" technology is also available, allowing you to link your internet connected player to portable copies of the music for your MP3 player. The insert booklet also contains interesting background information on the players.
If you haven't yet jumped on the audio Blu-ray bandwagon, I can make no better recommendation than that you start with this exquisite recording. You get a nice sampling of nineteenth century Romanticism via the two Grieg pieces, and then you're off on a frolicsome journey through everything from the Middle Ages to rock with the two modern suites. Unbelievably well recorded and lusciously performed, this is my new favorite quasi-classical release of 2010.
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