Grieg: Complete Symphonic Works, Vol. III WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln & Eivind Aadland

• 1In Autumn, Concert Overture, Op. 1111:04
• 2I. Shepherd Boy (Gjætergut)04:51
• 3II. Norwegian March (Gangar)03:49
• 4III. Notturno04:33
• 5IV. March of the Dwarfs (Troldtog)03:23
• 6Klokkeklang, Op. 54, No. 605:03
• 7I. Poco tranquillo - Andante Espressivo01:36
• 8II. Poco allegro, Ma Tranquillo00:35
• 9III. Energico00:32
• 10IV. Allegro Leggiero00:35
• 11V. Poco Andante01:14
• 12VI. Maestoso01:11
• 13VII. Allegro scherzando e Leggiero00:42
• 14VIII. Andante01:25
• 15IX. Andante molto Tranquillo01:57
• 16X. Presto00:39
• 17XI. Tempo di Menuetto01:56
• 18XII. Allegro Marcato00:41
• 19XIII. Tempo di Valse01:11
• 20XIV. Adagio molto Espressivo02:38
• 21XV. Finale. Allegro molto marcato - Pomposo - Prestissimo - Andante molto Tranquillo05:41
• 22I. Prelude to Act I. In the King's Hall03:51
• 23II. Intermezzo. Borghild's Dream03:52
• 24III. Homage March09:10
• Total Runtime01:12:09

Info for Grieg: Complete Symphonic Works, Vol. III

The WDR Sinfonieorchester and the Norwegian conductor Eivind Aadland continue their survey of Edvard Grieg's orchestral works with this selection from the composer's orchestral repertoire which he liked to conduct himself across Europe. Not all of Grieg's orchestral works were originally conceived as such. As he became increasingly famous as a composer and conductor, the Norwegian also arranged piano works which later became popular above all in their orchestral versions. Amongst these is the suite from his Lyric Pieces, Op. 54, to which belongs another single piece, the almost impressionist study, Bell Ringing. The Old Norwegian Melody with Variations, Op. 51, originally a set of variations for two pianos, was also skilfully provided with orchestral colours, at the same time increasing the musical drama. The Concert Overture In Autumn, completed by the 22-year-old composer during a stay in Rome, creates an exception: it was apparently conceived from the outset as an orchestral work, but was initially published as a piano piece and orchestrated at a later stage. Amongst all these innovative works, the only 'original' ones are the three pieces from the incidental music to Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's Norwegian play Sigurd Jorsalfar, of which the Homage March remains an obligatory item to the present day at coronations and festivities of the high nobility.

„I don't think I've ever encountered more sheerly affectionate, imaginatively shaped accounts of either In Autumn or the criminally underrated Old Norwegian Melody with Variations, while Aadland's memorably poetic and intensely warm-hearted way with the adorable Lyric Suite even put me in mind of Sir John Barbirolli's legendary mid-1960s version with the Hallé (long my touchstone in this piece). A outstanding release, which ever way you look at it.…“ (classical ear)

'With a superb recording from the Philharmonie, Koln, this is the finest Grieg disc to be issued for a long time and, if the other volumes in this series are as good, then this series will prove hard to beat.' (The Classical Reviewer)

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Eivind Aadland, conductor

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
The WDR Symphony Orchestra of Cologne was formed in 1947 as part of the then North West German Radio (NWDR) and belongs nowadays to the West German Radio. It is not merely the studio orchestra of the WDR for radio and television productions but also presents numerous concerts in the Kölner Philharmonie and throughout the transmission area. Its outstanding reputation has been acquired in cooperation with its principal conductors – Christoph von Dohnányi, Zdenek Macal, Hiroshi Wakasugi, Gary Bertini and Hans Vonk. Celebrated guest conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Karl Böhm, Fritz Busch, Herbert von Karajan, Erich Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, Lorin Maazel, André Previn, Zubin Mehta, Sir Georg Solti and Günter Wand have also stood on the orchestra’s rostrum.

Impressive examples of the extraordinary quality of the WDR Symphony Orchestra and its stylistic versatility are the successful concert tours throughout Europe, Russia and Japan, its regular radio and television broadcasts and the numerous recordings which set high musical standards.

Apart from promoting the classical and romantic repertoire, the WDR Symphony Orchestra is known for its interpretation of works of the 20th century. Luciano Berio, Hans Werner Henze, Mauricio Kagel, Krzysztof Penderecki, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Bernd Alois Zimmermann are among the contemporary composers who have performed their works – mainly compositions commissioned by the radio station – with the WDR Symphony Orchestra.

Semyon Bychkov was appointed Principal Conductor of the orchestra in 1997. Under his leadership the orchestra toured very successfully in Japan, Europe, South America and the USA.

Eivind Aadland
is one of Norway’s most respected conductors. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Leader of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons from 2004, during which time he conducted the complete Beethoven and Mahler symphony cycles. His extensive work with Scandinavian orchestras includes regular guest engagements with the Oslo and Bergen Philharmonics, the Stavanger Symphony, the Gothenburg Symphony and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. In addition Aadland has conducted critically acclaimed productions of Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte and Die Fledermaus for Den Norske Opera, Oslo.

Aadland has also worked extensively in the Far East and Australia. In 2010 he led the Trondheim Symphony on a seven-concert tour to China and made his debut with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul. In 2011 he launched his tenure as Principal Guest Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane.

Eivind Aadland is a frequent visitor to the Oslo Philharmonic and WDR Symphony Orchestra Köln. He has also worked with Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Belgique, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lausanne and Scottish Chamber Orchestras and the symphony orchestras of Melbourne, Tasmania, Iceland, Finnish Radio, Bamberg and SWR Stuttgart. Engagements in recent seasons have included debut performances with the Rotterdam and Seoul Philharmonics, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Further engagements in recent seasons include the Trondheim and Iceland Symphony Orchestras, and a return to the Bergen Philharmonic to conduct a new visualisation by artist Alexander Polzin of Grieg’s Peer Gynt with further performances by the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. Current highlights include concerts with the Oslo Philharmonic, WDR Köln, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Belgique and the Staatskapelle Weimar.

Aadland’s prolific discography spans a broad repertoire range and underlines his status as a tireless champion of Norwegian music. In November 2015 the Audite label issued the final instalment of a five- volume set of Grieg’s complete symphonic works with the WDR Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded the symphonic works of Eivind Groven; and the complete music for violin and orchestra of Arne Nordheim for BIS Records. Aadland’s catalogue includes a recording with the Bergen Philharmonic of Irgens-Jensen's works and the music of Ole Bull with the Trondheim Symphony on the Simax label; and two CDs devoted to the orchestral music of Irgens-Jensen and Schjelderup for CPO Records. He has also recorded for Hyperion, ASV, IMP Classics and Koch. Aadland recently recorded an album for EMI Classics with the trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, complete with transcriptions and arrangements of songs by, among others, Grieg, Strauss, Dvořák, Sibelius, Korngold, Mahler and Weill.

This album contains no booklet.