Sibelius: Six Humoresques, Op. 87 and Op. 89 for violin and orchestra

There was a particularly rich vein of Nordic writing for the violin between the years 1910 and 1930. In this recital Henning Kraggerud, an exemplary stylist lauded for his Sibelius and Sinding concerto disc, Naxos 8557266 (CD) and 6110056 (SACD) (‘Kraggerud’s performance is superb throughout’ – Classics Today.com), explores this memorable repertoire. It ranges from Halvorsen’s folk-flecked Norwegian Dance to Stenhammar’s passionate Sentimental Romances. Late romanticism floods Sinding’s Abendstimmung whilst Sibelius’s Six Humoresques remain a masterpiece of the genre. The earlier works of Ole Bull illustrate the brilliance and panache of ‘The Nordic Paganini’.

The year’s 1917/18 proved to be an interesting period for three great composers active at the early part of the 20th century. Up until this time each was known primarily for his orchestral music but in 1917/18 the three composers decided to write for smaller combinations involving the violin. This CD allows a comparison of their respective compositional styles in, perhaps, an unfamiliar context. Debussy was to die soon after completing his Violin Sonata; Elgar wrote three valedictory chamber works beginning with the Violin Sonata within this period before entering virtual creative silence apart from the final masterpiece, the Cello Concerto. Sibelius was to continue his quest for symphonic unity with the final version of his Fifth Symphony before ending his career with the last three big orchestral works, symphonies Six and Severn and finally Tapiola in 1926. These four works place him at the pinnacle of 20th century music.

Includes previously unreleased recordings with Lahti Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä:

Karelia Suite, Op.11; Romance in C major for string orchestra, Op.42; March of the Finnish Jäger Battalion, Op.91a; Suite mignonne, Op.98a; Suite champêtre, Op.98b; Suite caractéristique, Op.100; Autrefois from Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op.96; Menuetto, JS127

Also includes the following world première recordings:

Processional, Op.113 No.6; Rakastava, Op.14; Tableaux 7/8 from Karelia, JS115, with simplified version of Tableau 7; Impromptu for string orchestra

This instalment returns to the field in which the Finnish master has earned the greatest acclaim. Sibelius himself is reported to have said: ‘I am a man of the orchestra. You must judge me from my orchestral works.’ This disc includes some of Sibelius’s best-known works (the Violin Concerto in Leonidas Kavakos’ award-winning recording and the Karelia Suite newly recorded by Osmo Vänskä to name but two) to rarities such as an early version of Rakastava never previously on disc.