Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Bjarte Engeset - Grieg: Music for String Orchestra (2011)

Like most of his contemporaries, Grieg was motivated by the popularity of works for string orchestra. Apart from his familiar and often-performed Op. 40 Holberg Suite, Grieg also turned to his own music -- songs and piano miniatures -- on several occasions to make even more arrangements for string orchestra. Grieg's ideal sound for these works was not of a small, intimate chamber ensemble, but a full, rich, symphonic string sound. The Malmö Symphony Orchestra under conductor Bjarte Engeset produces just such a sound: vibrant, shimmering violins; assertive, powerful violas; and articulate, resonating cellos and basses. Engeset's own heritage allows him to accentuate the Nationalistic sentiments and scenic vistas Grieg incorporates into his scores. The lyrical, singing qualities of those pieces transcribed from songs are maintained with beautifully crafted, well-connected lines. The Baroque stylings of the Holberg Suite are executed with crisp, clean articulation and a nice contrast from the deeper, more Romantic works on the rest of the album. The disc closes with an equally lush and rousing performance of the Op. 54 Lyric Suite, the only work on the program not for strings alone. Naxos' sound is clean and clear with just enough reverb to enhance the warmth of the strings.