|
Black Roses
Romanser (lieder)
SOLVEIG KRINGELBORN soprano Includes full texts with translations in English. |
VIRGIN Classics VC5 45273-2
[54'40"] full-price
by the Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase
With their strong tradition in the choral arena, it is not surprising (and also not often realised) that the Scandinavians have also made great contributions to the lieder repertoire. Here, up in the nordic world, the art-song is known as the romans. This recital, featuring one composer from each of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, makes a fascinating and quite lovely introduction; one which you can indulge in on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Ture Rangström (1884-1947), founder of the Society of Swedish Composers (1918), is one of Sweden's most important song composers. His settings are based on a technique he called "speech-melody", which creates "the vocal line from the intonation of an expressive reading" (Grove). Though this might suggest a recitative-like style, the examples on this disc, "The girl under the new moon", the flowing "Melody", the serenely understated "Villemo" and "Pan" - transforming between lament and song - demonstrate otherwise. These show how lyrical and authentic this idea (exemplified by Purcell in English) can be - poetry after all is first and foremost to be read aloud, not mere words on the printed page.
The six Rangström songs here are derived from poems by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804-1877), Bo Bergman (1869-1967) and the great Swedish playwright August Strindberg (1849-1912). With soprano Solveig Kringleborn's relaxed concentration of singing, Runeberg's evocative "The only moment" is sweetly sorrowful, depicting the augenblick (Moment) of two strangers whose eyes meet in a fleeting connection of unspeakable love - only once and never again:
A day vanishes, a day passes,
Malcolm Martineau's piano accompaniment can be so light and quiet you almost forget he is there, and yet his place is indispensible. "The girl under the new moon", with Kringelborn warbling next to the cascading, darting, skipping piano, is particularly delightful, both lyrical and even humorous.
Seamlessly, the mood hardly changes as we travel to Norway for the Six Songs, op.25 of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). More direct and also more conspicuously dark, these settings of poetry by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) show proof of the composer's gift for miniatures.
"The Swan" (a common symbol of the soul in Scandinavian literature), the 12-bar "Album verse" and "With a water lily" - all demonstrate Grieg's expressive contrast, often moving from tranquil lyricism to sudden bursts of dark emotion. Kringelborn and Martineau pull off these episodes with skill and satisfying composure, bringing to the music its inherent beauty and darkness, that special combined quality of Scandinavian art.
I guess this is no small praise... Solveig Kringelborn (right) hails from Norway. She made her debut as Papagena at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1987, and received the Norwegian Critics' Award for her role as Mimì in La Bohème. Witold Lutoslawski dedicated his Chantefleurs et Chantefables to her, which has apparently become a signature piece. Her operatic repertoire is pretty impressive, including the roles of Antonia, the Countess, Elvira, Fiorfiligi, Jenufa, Marguerite, Marzelline, Micaëla and Tatyana.
The title song of this album is from Jean Sibelius' famous Svarta rosor "Black roses", an urgent setting of a poem by Ernst Josephson (1852-1906) with the thrice-sung line "ty sorgen har nattsvarta rosor" ("for sorrow has night-black roses"), each increasing in emotion. Runeberg's "But my bird is nowhere to be seen" is a subtler setting in similar vein, lyrical but also somehow understatedly grief-stricken. The Op.36 set on this disc is quite varied in character, including the playful "Tennis at Trianon", depicting "[a] patter of talk, the thud of balls and laughter" at a game!
"Black roses" is not one of my prefered Sibelius songs, famous as it is. Of the set on this disc, I much prefer the two "March snow" songs: No.5 "March snow" itself...
Keep yet closed, o Spring! your eye,
... and the utterly Romantic "The diamond on the March snow" by the same poet -
"Apple blossom" is a poetic tribute to the flower, singing of love during its short life. Nielsen's melodic talent is evident in the sunny "Summer song", filled with many images of nature (including apples again). I think there are moments here where Kringelborn could afford to bring more brightness, fleetness and cheer to her tone, as in Martineau's ringing cascades on the piano. But no, I'm not really complaining - this is wonderful music. The same applies to the playful and suggestive lyrics of the "Song behind the plough", a poem about, um, night-time lovers' rendevoux.
Kringelborn's often meditative style, which avoids monotony, is evocative in songs like "Yesterday evening". Like some of the songs mentioned above, this beautiful evocation of nature is actually about peace of death.
"The lake of memory" is a haunting work, using the imagery of water to converse on the themes of art, memory, time and ending. This is quite a masterpiece, served ably by the equal-toned, slightly cool yet poetically calm and distantly concentrated singing of Kringelborn, with Martineau's artfully inconspicuous pianism.
This happens to be the only song on the entire disc that exceeds 3 minutes. Every song indeed, is a miniature tone-poem of sorts. When I bought this disc (Virgin's covers can be so cool), I was only vaguely familiar with a tiny handful of the pieces offered. By now, I remain amazed by the subtlety and precision, plus the beauty and poignancy of the poetry and their writers; and the spontaneously musical rendering of these powerful words and images by the composers.
TURE RANGSTRÖM (1884-1947)
I was alone, he came alone;
his path led across my path.
He did not stop, but thought of stopping,
he did not speak, but his eyes spoke.
He was unknown, yet familiar!
one memory chases the other;
that brief moment will last forever:
that bitter moment, that sweet moment.
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
6 Songs, op.25
Likewise, Kringelborn's voice itself is dark and a little throaty in these Grieg pieces, with light intensity adding to its beauty. She often reminds me of the voice of the much more famous Anne Sofie von Otter.
JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
6 Songs, op.36
... the white stars are settling
in layer on layer across the earth.
sleep well in soft and friendly snow -
so much the mightier shall you bloom,
so much the richer shall you die.
At the foot of [the sun's] beam
[the diamond] stands beseeching
and kisses it lovingly
and melts into a tear.
With over 200 songs to his credit, Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) is more than the great Danish symphonist we know of. The choice to end this beautifully produced album with his Six Songs, op.10/FS18 to texts by Ludvig Holstein (1864-1943) is an aptly satisfying one. Compared to the considerably "loud" aspects of the symphonies (think snare drum of No.5), it may come as a surprise how simple, beautiful and quiet these songs are.
CARL NIELSEN (1865-1931)
6 Songs, op.10/FS18
In Singapore, this CD is available at or can be ordered from Tower (Pacific Plaza & Suntec City), Sing Discs (Raffles City), Borders (Wheelock Place) or HMV (The Heeren).
The Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase is easily distracted by nice, tinkling sounds particularly in D major.
|
Click to Return to the Classical Index!...
or Visit the Inkvault archives! |
315: 12.10.98 ©Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase
 |
Explore the Flying Inkpot
| Concert Reviews |
Bit deadish:
| Take Me To Your Lieder |
with soprano Solveig Kringelborn (Virgin Classics)
- An Inktroduction
- Recommended Recordings
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - Autumn Journey A film by Bruno Monsaingeon with a Franz Schubert Recital
Ian Bostridge Sings Schubert (EMI)
Ian Bostridge Sings Schumann (EMI)
Bryn Terfel Sings Schumann (DG)