While newly commissioned violin concertos may be commonplace, concertos for the double bass are a rare commodity. This 2L album by the Trondheim Symfoniorkester features both, written by the orchestra's composer-in-residence, Ståle Kleiberg. The disc opens with the Violin Concerto; composed in 2005, it has a clear neo-Romantic sense coupled with impressions of Stravinsky and Prokofiev. The whole concerto is based on Kleiberg's idea of thematic transformation, a more fluid and continuous version of thematic variations. The ...
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While newly commissioned violin concertos may be commonplace, concertos for the double bass are a rare commodity. This 2L album by the Trondheim Symfoniorkester features both, written by the orchestra's composer-in-residence, Ståle Kleiberg. The disc opens with the Violin Concerto; composed in 2005, it has a clear neo-Romantic sense coupled with impressions of Stravinsky and Prokofiev. The whole concerto is based on Kleiberg's idea of thematic transformation, a more fluid and continuous version of thematic variations. The orchestration is typically thin and veiled, allowing the violin to effortlessly rise above the accompaniment. Violinist Marianne Thorsen offers a convincing performance filled with crystal-clear sustained notes high up in the violin's register; a warm, natural vibrato; and wonderful intonation. The bass concerto was written in 1999 and focuses less on neo-Romanticism and more on a modernized, progressive version of the traditions established by earlier Nordic composers. Kleiberg is...
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