Document

  2000
    February 2000
        Orchestral
                Englund Symphonies - No 2, 'Blackbird'; No 4, 'Nostalgic' Piano Concerto No 1

Englund [Symphony] Symphonies - No 2, 'Blackbird'; No 4, 'Nostalgic'. Piano Concerto No 1^a ^aNiklas Sivelov pf Turku Philharmonic Orchestra / Jorma Panula

Naxos R 8 553758 (76 minutes: DDD)

Excellent recordings of three of Englund's finest works, including the Blackbird Symphony, depicting the 'brutality of Man ... compared with the purity of Nature'

Symphony No 2 - comparative versions:

Helsinki PO, Pekkanen (FINL) 4509 99971-2

Estonian SO, Lilje (8/92) (ONDI) ODE751-2

Symphony No 4 - comparative version:

Helsinki Strings, G Szilvay (FINL) 0630-13709-2

The late Einar Englund is, to my mind, the finest Finnish symphonist between Sibelius and Kokkonen, and the Blackbird Symphony (which won high praise from Copland when he inspected the score at Tanglewood in 1949) is one of his finest. One can hear why he so named it from the woodwind writing, particularly the solos for flute, although he grew wary of emphasising the title in later life. One of the most attractive features of all his music is its orchestration, not really to be wondered at since his teacher was Leo Funtek, who premiered Englund's first two symphonies and made a fine arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures (BIS, 6/87). Panula's account is superbly played and, with its excellent sound, makes that by the late appear Peeter Lilje dull and leaden by comparison. Pekkanen's older Finlandia version, available now only in a two-CD set, provides rather stiffer competition, though he rushes the 'blackbird' solos somewhat. Panula finds more magic here and has the edge.

The Fourth (1976), written in memory of Shostakovich, is less epic, though no less inventive. A chamber symphony for strings and percussion, its most effective movement is the sparkling but macabre Scherzo, 'Tempus fugit', haunted by the chiming of bells and the manic ticking of some outlandish clock. Here, as well as in the darkly poetic third span, 'Nostalgia', and concluding 'Epilogue', Panula finds more poetry than did Szilvay with the young Helsinki Strings on Finlandia. Naxos's centrepiece, though, is the first of Englund's two piano concertos, otherwise unavailable, written for a competition in 1955 - which it won. Englund's own recording disappeared from the catalogue long ago, but Niklas Sivelov proves a fine advocate.

Naxos has apparently not committed to recording an Englund cycle (Ondine's, under different batons, is still incomplete), but on the evidence of this disc should be urged to do so without delay. Strongly recommended.

Guy Rickards



		The late Einar Englund is, to my mind, the finest Finnish symphonist between Sibelius and Kokkonen, and the Blackbird Symphony (which won high praise from Copland when he inspected the score at Tanglewood in 1949) is one of his finest. One can hear why he so named it from the woodwind writing, particularly the solos for flute, although he grew wary of emphasising the title in later life. One of the most attractive features of all his music is its orchestration, not really to be wondered at since his teacher was Leo Funtek, who premiered Englund's first two symphonies and made a fine arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures (BIS, 6/87). Panula's account is superbly played and, with its excellent sound, makes that by the late appear Peeter Lilje dull and leaden by comparison. Pekkanen's older Finlandia version, available now only in a two-CD set, provides rather stiffer competition, though he rushes the 'blackbird' solos somewhat. Panula finds more magic here and has the edge.



		The Fourth (1976), written in memory of Shostakovich, is less epic, though no less inventive. A chamber symphony for strings and percussion, its most effective movement is the sparkling but macabre Scherzo, 'Tempus fugit', haunted by the chiming of bells and the manic ticking of some outlandish clock. Here, as well as in the darkly poetic third span, 'Nostalgia', and concluding 'Epilogue', Panula finds more poetry than did Szilvay with the young Helsinki Strings on Finlandia. Naxos's centrepiece, though, is the first of Englund's two piano concertos, otherwise unavailable, written for a competition in 1955 - which it won. Englund's own recording disappeared from the catalogue long ago, but Niklas Sivelov proves a fine advocate.



		Naxos has apparently not committed to recording an Englund cycle (Ondine's, under different batons, is still incomplete), but on the evidence of this disc should be urged to do so without delay. Strongly recommended.