Alfvén: Symphonic Works, Vol. 3 Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin & Lukasz Borowicz

• Hugo Alfvén (1872 - 1960): Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11:
• 1Alfvén: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: I. Moderato12:09
• 2Alfvén: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: II. Andante16:12
• 3Alfvén: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: III. Allegro06:42
• 4Alfvén: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: IV. Preludio. Adagio06:52
• 5Alfvén: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: V. Fuga. Allegro energico10:00
• Swedish Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 47:
• 6Alfvén: Swedish Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 47: I. Andante15:39
• 7Alfvén: Swedish Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 47: II. Allegro violento05:51
• 8Alfvén: Swedish Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 47: II. Allegro violento (Alternative Ending Version)03:12
• Total Runtime01:16:37

Info for Alfvén: Symphonic Works, Vol. 3

It was in 1905, an entire decade prior to Wilhelm Stenhammar’s second symphony, that Hugo Alfvén completed his third symphony. In this work Alfvén, like many other Scandinavian composers, found the typical Nordic tone of his music in the sunny south. Like Sibelius’ second symphony and Stenhammar’s Serenade for Orchestra, this symphony is Swedish through and through. In addition, it is pervaded by the longing for home repeatedly felt by Alfvén during his years of wandering. He composed his Uppsala Rhapsody in 1907 for the commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of the great botanist Carl von Linné (Linnaeus) held at the University of Uppsala in May 1907. Like its counterpart by Johannes Brahms, this work turned out to be an »Academic Festival Overture« including some student songs. The Concert Suite from Alfvén’s ballet The Mountain King offers a masterful wealth of color. His excellent knowledge of the art of instrumentation was the product of his earlier activity as a violinist in the Royal Court Orchestra, which also served as the Opera Orchestra.

"Alfven's third symphony in the bright key of E major, begun in 1905 in sunny Italy, is what he himself called a hymn to happiness. The slow movement is a real gem. The folk-like melody is captivating, also creating unity across the movements: the trio of the Scherzo, for example, seems like a reminiscence of the secondary theme from the opening movement. Mood through the most differentiated orchestral colours takes precedence over symphonic development: the most splendid late romanticism somewhere between Grieg and Mahler. The Berlin performance is very dignified with many beautiful moments and a conductor who knows how to transfer his intentions to a top orchestra in the most precise way." (klassik-heute.​com)

"Sweden's perhaps most important, but certainly most popular symphonist is done a labour of love here." (FonoForum)

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Lukasz Borowicz, conductor

Lukasz Borowicz
Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra since the 2021/22 season, Chief Guest Conductor of the Cracow Philharmonic since the 2021/22 season. One of the most versatile conductors of his generation, Łukasz Borowicz regularly leads the major European orchestras in the core Germanic repertoire as well as important Russian, Polish, Czech and Hungarian works. He conducts opera and has received numerous prizes for his over 100 recordings. From 2007 to 2015 he was Chief Conductor of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw, and from 2006 to 2021 he was Chief Guest Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic.

In the 21/22 season Borowicz debuts with Chœur de l’Opéra national du Rhin, Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse, Brandenburger Symphoniker and returns to Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, L’Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie, Prague Philharmonia, Teatr Wielki-Opera Narodowa – The National Opera of Poland, Wrocław Opera, NOSPR (Katowice), Cracow Philharmonic, Rubinstein Philharmonic (Łódź), Polish Baltic Philharmonic (Gdańsk).

In the 20/21 season Borowicz made his debuts with Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, Orquestra Titular del Teatro Real (Madrid) and returned to Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Ostrava), Baltic Philharmonic (Gdańsk), Cracow Philharmonic, Beethoven Academy Orchestra (Cracow), Silesian Philharmonic (Katowice), Pomeranian Philharmonic (Bydgoszcz) and Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera (Warsaw).

In the 19/20 season Borowicz led a new production of Moniuszko’s Halka at the Theater an der Wien and the Teatr Wielki – National Opera of Poland. Throughout February and March, Borowicz led the Poznań Philharmonic on tour throughout Germany and France, including stops at the Kölner Philharmonie and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.

In the 18/19 season Borowicz made his debuts with Paris Opera (Les Huguenots), Hungarian National Orchestra and Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and led a new production of Halka (Vilnius Version) by Stanisław Moniuszko at the Polish National Opera. He performed on tour with the Poznań Philharmonic, and returned to Warsaw Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Janáček Philharmonic and Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy, as well as the orchestras in Katowice, Szczecin, Gdańsk and Łódź. Ongoing recording projects included a multi-disc recording of Anton Bruckner’s sacred music with RIAS Kammerchor and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin for Accentus, as well as a release of Hugo Alfven’s five symphonies with the Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin on CPO. He also recorded an album of cello concertos by exiled Jewish composers with Raphael Wallfisch and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In the 17/18 season he made his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln and recorded with Bamberger Symphoniker.

Łukasz Borowicz has appeared as guest conductor with SWR Sinfonieorchester, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Hamburger Symphoniker, MDR Sinfonieorchester, Luzerner Symfonieorchester, Orchestre National de Lille, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group and a number of other orchestras and ensembles, including all the major Polish symphonies. He has led concerts at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Kissinger Sommer Festival, and has an ongoing relationship with the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, which has seen thirteen rarely played operas recorded and released to date.

Borowicz made his operatic debut at Polish National Opera with Don Giovanni, which has been followed by over 180 performances at the house, including new productions of Orfeo ed Euridice, A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Mendelssohn/Ligeti), The Rite of Spring and Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev). Further operatic credits include premieres of Die Zauberflöte, Rusalka, Dido and Aeneas, Blubeard’s Castle (Łódź), Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, Halka, King Roger (Kraków), Eugene Onegin (Nantes), King Roger (Bilbao), Don Giovanni (Polish Royal Opera Warsaw).

A prolific recording artist with over 100 albums to his name, Borowicz’s recordings have been awarded four Diapason d’Or prizes. Symphonic recordings include the complete violin concertos by Grażyna Bacewicz for Chandos, the complete symphonic works by Andrzej Panufnik for CPO, and several titles for Hyperion. The final installment of the Panufnik cycle was selected as an Editor’s Choice by Gramophone magazine, and Borowicz received the ICMA Special Achievement Award in 2015 for his pioneering work on the cycle. In 2018 he received another ICMA award for his recording of Quo Vadis by Feliks Nowowiejski. His collaboration with Piotr Beczała on Deutsche Grammophon’s recording Heart’s delight – Songs of Richard Tauber was met with wide critical and public praise.

Born in Warsaw in 1977, Łukasz Borowicz graduated from the Frederic Chopin Music Academy, where he studied under Bogusław Madey. He received a doctorate in conducting under Antoni Wit. He has received the Polityka Passport Award (2008), Coryphée of Polish Music Award (2011), Norwid Award (2013) and Tansman Prize honouring an outstanding musical personality (2014).

Booklet for Alfvén: Symphonic Works, Vol. 3