2L: 2L34

Enescu & Strauss - Sonatas for Violin

The young 2L label shows the tremendous scope of its activities in the six discs released this month. All recorded in state-of-the-art compatible SACD format, the repertoire ranges from Gregorian Chant for Lent and Holy Week, to the music of Ola Gjeilo, very much a 21st-century post-modernist composerperformer, and Arne Nordheim, probably Norway’s best-known contemporary composer. The Nordheim disc demonstrates the other strand in 2L’s release programme: young Norwegian artists – in this case the Cikada Duo. There is also a live recording of an excellent concert given by pianist Steffen Horn (Dussek, Grieg, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev), and two discs devoted to young violinists in 20th century repertoire: Annar Follesø playing Bartók, and an enticing coupling of sonatas by Richard Strauss and George Enescu, played by Kolbjørn Holthe accompanied by Tor Espen Aspaas. Attractive and unusual “book” style presentation completes the picture, giving instant ‘eye appeal’. Certainly, all worth checking out.