Just ordered the Aurora Egge Symphony 1 at Amazon.co.uk; think I try to judge by myself if it's a great symphony and a boxed-in recording (on my hifi-system)!
So, what was your verdict?
8)
It took some time before I got this CD! I think these are not earth shattering lost masterpieces but they deserve a firm place in the North European symphonic tradition. It made me wonder how the other symphonies by Egge are. The First symphony, composed during WWII is an good piece. I like it. It has a very sombre opening, like a funeral march. After that the symphony develops like many do: a faster episodes enclosed by more introvert one. The Adagio struck me as first class, it has a very sad and sombre feel enhanced by the low lying parts for cellos and double basses. The finale isn’t uninteresting but after the impressive adagio I think it’s a so so. Probably the playing could have more Schwung and power if the vigoroso as indicated was more vigorous. The piano concerto nr. 2 is a variation work on a Norwegian Folk melody, I couldn’t locate it, I’m not from Norway….. Eva Knardal plays very secure – she was the first pianist to complete an all Grieg series on BIS I was wondering? – and the work has a Martinů-feel over it. It has a nice drive but I think some listeners don’t bother for it like it’s a 13 in an dozen work.
As for the recording. I think that of the piano concerto is the best. It’s a clear recording with some tape hiss. What I like most is the way the piano is recorded: not particularly in front of the orchestra but more integrated with it. The symphony has problems to bloom and shine. It’s not boxy but there’s no air around the orchestra so it gives the impression of light claustrophobia. There’s tape hiss too and I think the remastering process could have been done better of they didn’t abruptly cut of the tape hiss between the movements. Percussion is good, ground bass is fine and instruments in the higher register don’t have any problem to cut through the dark atmosphere in the adagio. If you play the disc completely through you’ll mention after the concerto that the volume in the symphony goes down and you might therefore think the recording is mediocre. Give the volume a boost for the symphony and the problem is over. (signal through McIntosh HA-150 > Sennheiser HD-700 on my ears and monitored with Yamaha NS 5000 speakers.)
