Delightful quasi-pastiche of classical style but with late19th/early 20th Century orchestral leanings (the Gigue, for instance). Originally conceived as entr'actes for a production of an 18th Century Holberg play, the music was rearranged by Halvorsen as a concert suite. This is a lovely performance, taken at a slightly slower tempo overall than Jarvi with the Bergen Philharmonic and, in my opinion, all the better for it. Thanks for uploading such a pleasurable alternative reading.
What an unexpected treat! This suite seems to straddle the style of the nationalist/regionalist period in autumnal 19th-century Europe, and the later neoclassical romp around WW I. The nationalist period (paralleling the growing bellicosity, unfortunately) seems to bid farewell to “classical” forms, which were still revered by Halvorsen’s elder patriot Grieg, and by Sibelius, who gave us “Finlandia,” and several glacially majestic symphonies, and Dvorak with his “Carnival Overture,” “New World” Symphony and “Slavonic Dances.” But neoclassicism clearly pokes fun at Beethovenian tonality, while still championing its heart and soul over atonal alienation. It’s still my favorite genre, exemplified by Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Prokofiev’s Symphony #1, and Ravel’s “Tombeau du Couperin.” Halvorsen’s sound prefigures the lush, romanticism of movie scores, which can swing from programmatic brilliance to programmed emotions in a soda can. Every two or three years I stumble upon some work from Common Practice I never knew existed. (My last surprise was “Grateful Ghost Rag,” by William Bolcom. It’s addictive. As is my surprise before that -“Ave Maria” by Franz Biebl, especially the Chanticleer performance.)
Scandinavian, thy name is crispness.
Delightful quasi-pastiche of classical style but with late19th/early 20th Century orchestral leanings (the Gigue, for instance). Originally conceived as entr'actes for a production of an 18th Century Holberg play, the music was rearranged by Halvorsen as a concert suite. This is a lovely performance, taken at a slightly slower tempo overall than Jarvi with the Bergen Philharmonic and, in my opinion, all the better for it. Thanks for uploading such a pleasurable alternative reading.
Very nice music!
What an unexpected treat! This suite seems to straddle the style of the nationalist/regionalist period in autumnal 19th-century Europe, and the later neoclassical romp around WW I. The nationalist period (paralleling the growing bellicosity, unfortunately) seems to bid farewell to “classical” forms, which were still revered by Halvorsen’s elder patriot Grieg, and by Sibelius, who gave us “Finlandia,” and several glacially majestic symphonies, and Dvorak with his “Carnival Overture,” “New World” Symphony and “Slavonic Dances.” But neoclassicism clearly pokes fun at Beethovenian tonality, while still championing its heart and soul over atonal alienation. It’s still my favorite genre, exemplified by Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Prokofiev’s Symphony #1, and Ravel’s “Tombeau du Couperin.”
Halvorsen’s sound prefigures the lush, romanticism of movie scores, which can swing from programmatic brilliance to programmed emotions in a soda can. Every two or three years I stumble upon some work from Common Practice I never knew existed. (My last surprise was “Grateful Ghost Rag,” by William Bolcom. It’s addictive. As is my surprise before that -“Ave Maria” by Franz Biebl, especially the Chanticleer performance.)
what a gem. superb