Marianne Beate Kielland (mezzo-soprano), Nils Anders Mortensen (piano)
Description
It is an adventure to immerse oneself in the Norwegian treasury of song. There is so much magnificent music, and so much of it bears witness to the time in which it was written. It tells which poets were setting the tone, how strong were the influences from European musical life, or whether the composer looked more to what Norwegian traditional music had to offer.
The songs on this release - volume 1 - are all songs that were published during Sigurd Lie's lifetime. Apart from the "super hit" Sne (Snow), with which the album begins, the songs follow in chronological order.
There are texts from Vilhelm Krag, Theodor Caspari and Per Sivle, all well-known and acclaimed lyric poets whose verse has been set to music by many other Norwegian composers. But we also find a large number of texts by Helge Rode and Idar Handagard, who are lesser known. Idar Handagard (1874-1959) was a doctor, botanist, writer and poet, while Helge Rode (1870-1937) was a Danish poet and writer whose verse was also set to music by Carl Nielsen.
Critical Acclaim:
"What sticks in the mind, though, is simply the lyrical beauty of almost all of these songs, along with the lovely singing of Marianne Beate Kielland and the colorful playing of pianist Nils Anders Mortensen. The recorded sound is excellent." - Fanfare
[Eivind Groven: Songs - Marianne Beate Kielland, Nils Anders Mortensen (LWC1178)]
"Keilland's even tone, flexibility and brilliant sensitivity to the text make this a rewarding collection, the intensity and drama of each song powerful and impassioned." - The Guardian
[Jean Sibelius: Orchestral Songs - Marianne Beate Kielland, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Petr Popelka (LWC1239)]
"[Kielland] She has a bright tone extending into the soprano range; she sings fearlessly and passionately, flying to high notes as if they pose no risk. Finally, her timbre is beautiful, given added brightness by a fast vibrato." - Fanfare (LWC1239)
Tracklisting
Tine Thing Helseth, tenThing Brass Ensemble
Marianne Beate Kielland, Halvor Festervoll Melien, Nils Anders Mortensen
Jan Martin Smordal
Daniel Saether, Ensemble C4
POING
NoXaS Saxophone Quartet, Berit Norbakken, Nordic Voices
Sanae Yoshida
Christiania Mannskor, Marius Skjolaas
