Svendsen: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

Featuring

Neeme Järvi
Truls Mørk
Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
Johan Svendsen

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Compositional Technique

In his Norwegian Rhapsodies, Svendsen used a 'changing background technique' where a melody is repeated unchanged over a constantly varied instrumental accompaniment.

Critical Reception

The Cello Concerto in D major, Op. 7, received muted acclaim from critics at its premiere, with some finding the solo part rather boring due to its unconventional form and limited virtuoso passages.

Performer Biography

Neeme Järvi, the conductor, has an impressive discography of over 450 recordings, including complete symphony cycles of Prokofiev, Sibelius, Nielsen, and Brahms.

Performer Biography

Truls Mørk, the cellist on this recording, plays the rare 'Esquire' cello made by Domenico Montagnana in Venice in 1723.

Composer Biography

Johan Svendsen (1840-1911) was the first successful Norwegian symphonist and a close friend of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907).

Compositional Technique

Svendsen's Cello Concerto in D major, Op. 7, experiments with form by presenting as a single large sonata allegro enfolding a slow intermezzo, despite appearing to be a three-movement concerto.

Composer Biography

Svendsen grew up in poverty in Christiania (now Oslo) and became proficient on several wind instruments and the violin, which influenced his later skills as an orchestrator and conductor.