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Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Harald Sæverud - Symphony No. 9; Piano Concerto (Alexander Dmitriev; Noriko Ogawa)


Information

Composer: Harald Sæverud
  • (01) Fanfare og Hymne, Op. 48
  • (02) Piano Concerto, Op. 31
  • (05) Symphony No. 9, Op. 45

Noriko Ogawa, piano
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Dmitriev, conductor

Date: 1998
Label: BIS Records
https://bis.se/composer/saeverud-harald/saverud-symphony-no9

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Review

The Fanfare and Hymn was written to a commission from the City of Bergen. It is one of his most immediately melodic pieces. Despite its late date it shares the same soundworld as the Psalme and Dolorosa.

Much to the composer's satisfaction the Piano Concerto was taken up by none other than Andor Földes although dedicated to the Norwegian pianist Robert Riefling. By the time he had completed it he had written seven symphonies (only two more to be written). The Salme-Symphony, Sinfonia Dolorosa and the Kjempevise-Slåtten had made his name in musical circles. By contrast the concerto has the brittle, clarified and stripped down sound of the Williamson and Berkeley piano concertos as well as the convulsive acerbities of the Britten. It is neither neo-classical nor atonal. It is a lithe work yet one not aiming for charm punchily despatched by Bis regular, Noriko Ogawa.

The Ninth Symphony like its predecessor is in four movements. It was premiered at the Bergen Festival conducted by Karsten Andersen. After a conflict-ridden allegro appassionata comes a fractured dance which when it finds itself whole appears in Prokofiev-like avian finery. Such singable melodies borne high on flute and clarinet return for the finale in which there is some mild dissonance amid an energy that is almost Beethovenian - how often does LvB put in an appearance in the twentieth century symphonies - listen to those by Fernstrom and Martinu. The orchestral piano is a prominent presence in the first and last movements.

-- Rob BarnettMusicWeb International

More reviews:
https://www.classical-music.com/reviews/orchestral/saeverud-0/
https://www.amazon.com/S%C3%A6verud-Vol-Fanfare-Concerto-Symphony/dp/B00000FXZL

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Harald Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. Sæverud studied at the Grieg Academy in Bergen with Borghild Holmsen, and at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik with Friedrich Koch. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's Peer GyntRondo Amoroso, and the Ballad of Revolt. Sæverud wrote nine symphonies and a large number of pieces for solo piano. He was a frequent guest conductor of his own works with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Sæverud's central place in Norwegian and European music has resulted in many honorary awards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_S%C3%A6verud

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Noriko Ogawa (born 1962 in Kawasaki) is a Japanese classical pianist, based in London. She studied at the Tokyo College of Music (1977–80) and the Juilliard School in New York (1981–85), and later with Benjamin Kaplan. Since 1997 Ogawa has been an exclusive recording artist for BIS Records. She has collaborated in a piano duo with British pianist Kathryn Stott since 2001 and has a longstanding collaboration with clarinetist Michael Collins. Ogawa also worked closely with Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu. She teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Tokyo College of Music.
http://www.norikoogawa.co.uk/

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Alexander Dmitriev was born in Leningrad in 1935 and received a solid musical education at the Leningrad Conservatoire. In 1966 he won in the Second All-Union Competition of Conductors, and during 1970 was associate conductor to Evgeny Mravinsky. Since 1977 Dmitriev has been Chief Conductor and Artistic director to the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St.Petersburg Philharmonia. At present Dmitriev is one of the leading Russian conductors, who has distinguished himself as an accomplished musician, having a wide and varied repertoire. He is also a Professor of the St Petersburg Conservatory.
https://www.operaandballet.com/index.html?lang=eng&page=catalog&person=158

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