A very fine disc indeed.

Young Kristjan Järvi is a very good musician indeed and the variety of styles required in this highly diverse selection that Stravinsky employs displays the range of all talents involved to the full. Opening with the longest piece, Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements, Järvi and the Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera demonstrate their affinity with this music from the start. The clarity of articulation is a must in this music and it gives a momentum to the score that emphasises the irregularity of parts of the writing; all this is combined with characterful playing and a quick tempo - no mean feat! The slow movement reminds one of a ballet score such is the tenderness and poetic response of the woodwind. The concertino grouping conduct a lovely dialogue with the broader ensemble and whilst audibly discrete, blend in their motifs with the whole. Moving seamlessly back into the faster paced world of the third movement, which is taken at a reasonable lick, the players respond with audible relish to the difficulties of the writing and prove more than a match for the BPO under Pierre Boulez as they not only render the notes but do so with a sense of understanding that few can bring to the score of the underlying structure at this (high) speed.

Moving closer to their home, the Norrlands ensemble then present Four Norwegian Moods (Intrada, Song, Wedding Dance & Cortège) with great wit and vitality and no little eloquence when called upon. Stravinsky's two Suites follow with a wide range of folk music styles being played as if to the manner born; quite delightfully entertaining - the Polka from the second suite has Shostakovich written all over it! Concluding Stravinsky's contribution to this disc is his transcription of Sibelius' Canzonetta for eight instruments (2 clarinets, 4 horns, harp & double bass) which is a lovely and atmospheric gem, played with touching simplicity.

Concluding the disc is Hindemith's Concerto for Orchestra, the style of which is a polytonal Baroque dance suite. As before, Järvi has clearly taken a lot of time to understand the score and convey the meaning & structures within to both the orchestra and us as listeners. The interplay between the full ensemble (small orchestra compared to the Symphony) and the soloists is wonderfully managed from both a performance and engineering perspective (there is none of the hall "collapsing" which can plague less successful attempts).

Throughout the sound is marvellous; detailed, rounded and with a good sense of perspective - when inspecting the notes, it is clear why - Polyhymnia once again do the honours for CCn'C as they have done for Pentatone and RCO Live amongst others. The tangibility of the percussion and, especially the strings reminds me of the first time I ever heard a SACD except that this is in a whole different league again.

The only response that I felt as the music finished was to look for the play button again... Actually, that's not quite true - I also cross my fingers that we might be treated to a Symphony of Psalms from these forces too!

Copyright © 2007 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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