Englund: Symphony No. 4, etc.

2010

“The Fifth Symphony (1977) was recorded on LP by Jukka-Pekka Saraste; Englund once said this was too fast, so he would probably have approved of Klas's better-judged version. Although titled Sinfonia Fennica ('Finnish' Symphony), the composer claimed it contained more of his wartime experiences than his famous War Symphony (No 1, 1946). In a bold, riveting single span, its full orchestration pairs very effectively with the strings and percussion of No 4. The suite from the incidental music to Max Frisch's The GreatWall of China (1949) is great fun. 'The Green Table Tango' and 'Rumba' reveal what an adept light/jazz composer he also was (under the pseudonym, Marcus Eje). The Tampere band are really put through their paces here and come through very well. If Panula's Naxos disc is still perhaps the best introduction to Englund's music, this disc should certainly be the next stop.”