Malmö Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Bjarte Engeset - Grieg: Suites Peer Gynt & Six Mélodies Orchestrales (2007)

The catalog is brimming with superlative recordings of Grieg's Peer Gynt Suites from the monaural, stereo, and digital eras. This offering sets itself apart by pairing that popular standard with eight of Grieg's songs for voice and orchestra. Bjarte Engeset and the Malmö Symphony may be out-gunned by some bigger named conductor-orchestra combinations, but their performances here are still strong, energetic, and colorful. More importantly, the performances of the eight songs by Inger Dam-Jensen and Palle Knudsen are nearly as good as it gets in these much less familiar works. Dam-Jensen's clear, vibrant soprano is heartbreaking in "Solveig's Cradle Song," while Knudsen's big, virile baritone is heart-swelling in the ballade Henrik Wergeland. Engeset and the Malmö Symphony provide competent accompaniments. So, while the Grieg shopper looking for a Peer Gynt has many other choices, and many better ones than this, the inclusion of the songs makes this otherwise middle-of-the-road recording stand out. Produced by Morten Mogensen and engineered by Erik Nielsen, Naxos' 2006 digital sound, though not particularly warm, is sharp, colorful, and detailed.