Per Enoksson, Kathryn Stott - Emil Sjögren: Violin Sonatas (2000)

Swedish composer Emil Sjögren (1853-1918) is perhaps best remembered outside his native land for his songs that were popularized by the great tenor Jussi Björling, who made a point of sharing works by his countrymen in his recitals. However, Sjögren wrote many chamber, piano, and organ compositions that deserve to be reexamined and revived on a more international level. Certainly, a gorgeous, lush, high Romantic work such as the Sonata No. 2 would be a welcome addition to the concert stage, especially when it is given as fine a performance as violinist Per Enoksson and pianist Kathryn Stott offer on this release from BIS.
Sjögren was heavily influenced by musical activity in mainland Europe, and particularly in France. That inspiration is evident in the quietly assured Poème pour violon et piano from 1903, a work as Gallic in its influences as its French title would imply. The two other, less mature works offer a neat contrast in Sjögren's development as a composer for the violin: 1903's Two Lyrical Works are less "lyrische" than overbearing, particularly the opening Andantino quasi Allegretto. The Sonata No. 1 is quite intentionally the last selection in this recital, though it's choronologically the earliest (written between 1883 and 1886). It is a rather scattered, less coherent work that if anything underscores the maturity of Sjögren's later works.
The recording environment of Sweden's Gothenburg Concert Hall leaves something to be desired. The sound is almost antiseptic--while Kathryn Stott's piano fares moderately well given the circumstances, the violin isn't resonant enough, and the overtones of each note die far too quickly. -- Anastasia Tsioulcas