Grieg’s mighty score for the incidental music to Ibsen’s dramatic literary work, here receives a thrilling performance under Herbert Blomstedt with an orchestra from the very city Peer Gynt himself was reputed to have visited on his travels. The 73 minutes of incidental music take in all the movements traditionally included in the two suites but go beyond, to give a glimpse of extraordinary tracts of score not otherwise well known.
GRIEG
Peer Gynt, Op. 23
Incidental music to the play by Henrik Ibsen
Urban Malmberg (Peer Gynt)
Mari-Anne Haeggander (Solveig)
San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
(Director: Vance George)
Herbert Blomstedt
Recording Producer: Andrew Cornall
Balance Engineers: John Pellowe, James Lock, Michael Mailes
Recording Location: Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, USA, June 1988
*** ‘The Decca recording approaches the demonstration class’ Penguin Guide
‘the best single-disc version of Peer Gynt to be had … Blomstedt conducts with a great deal of dash and flair … excellent engineering’ Gramophone