“The arrangements, clever and imaginative, are for the most part strikingly successful; the intense drama of the opening Allegro of Op 45 is well served by the sustaining power of the strings, and the colourful sonorities heard in the finales of Opp 8 and 13 accentuate the verve and energy of these ebullient pieces. And the orchestration of the first page of Op 45’s Andante as a flute solo sounds really beautiful.
…Kraggerud…has provided its players with some very attractive repertoire and they clearly respond with enthusiasm, producing performances that are precise, alert and expressive…thoroughly recommended.” --Gramophone Magazine, July 2013
…Kraggerud…has provided its players with some very attractive repertoire and they clearly respond with enthusiasm, producing performances that are precise, alert and expressive…thoroughly recommended.” --Gramophone Magazine, July 2013
Everyone loves Grieg. Everyone wishes he had written more orchestral works in large forms. Well, now he has, more or less. I have to confess that I had some qualms about this project to arrange the three violin sonatas as violin concertos, especially on reading the statement, “In these arrangements the solo violin is set against a string orchestra augmented by wind instruments in order to retain the feel of chamber music.” After all, if you want to “retain the feel of chamber music,” why not just stick to the originals?
In turns out that listening is believing. These are superbly made arrangements. The fact is that Grieg’s writing for solo violin in a duo sonata is naturally quite different from the kind that would have been necessary in a romantic concerto for violin and large orchestra. The use of restrained forces is thus entirely appropriate, and by having four woodwinds on hand–one each of bassoon, clarinet, oboe, and flute–there’s just enough contrast to prevent monotony and color the orchestral melodies effectively. Try, for example, the bassoon solo at the start of the F major Concerto’s central Allegretto (sound clip). It’s delightful–just right.
The concluding bars of the Second Concerto’s finale basically summarize all that can be done to transform Grieg’s piano original into a work for string orchestra (second clip). To facilitate comparison, and show how effective these arrangements truly are, I also provide the violin and keyboard original (third clip). Violinist Henning Kraggerud is more than just an able transcriber (along with colleague Bernt Simen Lund). He is the excellent soloist and leader of the very fine Tromsø Chamber Orchestra. They sound lovely together–by turns robust, delicate, and always sensitively balanced. The result couldn’t be more natural.
This beautifully recorded release has to be accounted one of the most successful projects of its type ever realized, and this is certainly one of the best discs of the year. -- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
In turns out that listening is believing. These are superbly made arrangements. The fact is that Grieg’s writing for solo violin in a duo sonata is naturally quite different from the kind that would have been necessary in a romantic concerto for violin and large orchestra. The use of restrained forces is thus entirely appropriate, and by having four woodwinds on hand–one each of bassoon, clarinet, oboe, and flute–there’s just enough contrast to prevent monotony and color the orchestral melodies effectively. Try, for example, the bassoon solo at the start of the F major Concerto’s central Allegretto (sound clip). It’s delightful–just right.
The concluding bars of the Second Concerto’s finale basically summarize all that can be done to transform Grieg’s piano original into a work for string orchestra (second clip). To facilitate comparison, and show how effective these arrangements truly are, I also provide the violin and keyboard original (third clip). Violinist Henning Kraggerud is more than just an able transcriber (along with colleague Bernt Simen Lund). He is the excellent soloist and leader of the very fine Tromsø Chamber Orchestra. They sound lovely together–by turns robust, delicate, and always sensitively balanced. The result couldn’t be more natural.
This beautifully recorded release has to be accounted one of the most successful projects of its type ever realized, and this is certainly one of the best discs of the year. -- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
