For some conductors, Sibelius' vast and seemingly uncharted soundscapes can be difficult to navigate. Add to that a non-Finnish singer tackling Luonnotar, Sibelius' tone poem for soprano and orchestra, and it might be advisable to proceed with caution. Not so here. His Sibelius is dark and at times even menacing despite the sometimes calm exterior of the score. Norwegian soprano Solveig Kringelborn makes an admirable contribution in the strange tale of Luonnotar, joining the ranks of such colleagues as Phyllis Curtin, Gwyneth Jones, Elizabeth Soederstrom and Taru Valjakka.
Fragmentation plays a central role in all four of the works.
Nono's last orchestral work uses percussion attacks to interrupt sustained quiet chords. Giovanni Morelli has suggested a connection between this piece and Tarkovsky's last movie The Sacrifice . The title refers to a message from Beckett to Hungarian actress Ildiks Monysk, who was struggling to learn how to speak again. The Dance Album Riccardo Chailly, a remarkable technician, leads the Philadelphia Orchestra in high-spirited performances of extracts from the colourful, playful and entertaining ballet, film and operetta scores of the Russian composer. This is a fun CD and an excellent opportunity to discover a more upbeat, self-mocking and less tortured Shostakovich.