From Amazon.co.uk
Franz Berwald (1796-1868) remains arguably the greatest composer Sweden has yet produced, and his four hugely rewarding symphonies all date from the period 1842-5. The one indisputable masterpiece here is the
Sinfonie singuli&ecaute;re. This has an absolutely magical opening and immediately sucks the listener into its astonishingly individual and prodigiously inventive sound-world. In the boldness of his harmonies and masterly transparency of his orchestration, Berwald has much in common with Berlioz, yet his music also looks forward to such Scandinavian masters of the symphony as Sibelius and Nielsen. This handy Double Forte release is a straightforward recoupling of two previous separate Matrix compilations. The ripely resonant Abbey Road recordings have been vividly remastered and are very well balanced. Some of the items were set down during the 1976 heat-wave, which might account for an occasional hint of lassitude about the orchestral response. On the whole, though, Ulf Björlin is a trusty guide, and the performances leave a healthy impression. Perhaps Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on DG Masters are the more invigorating interpreters. However, their set contains just the four symphonies, whereas Björlin throws in four highly appealing extra items. Whatever, do try and hear one or the other.
--Andrew Achenbach
