Licensed from BIS, these performances on balance remain the finest versions of this music available, though some of the Naxos recordings are equally fine. Alfven wrote some very colorful, enjoyable music, especially the Swedish Rhapsodies and tone poems such as A Legend of the Skerries. As a symphonist, he was a bit hapless. The best of them is No. 4, with its wordless vocalise and Straussian lushness. It really is a tone poem in all but name, and it benefits from its free-form construction. Still, you won’t find more exciting interpretations of any of these works, and even the derivative early symphonies sound fresh and impulsive in Järvi’s hands. He understands that there’s no point in forcing the music to sound more profound that it really is, and the result, paradoxically, is that it succeeds on its own terms better than you might expect. It’s good to see these works available at a discount price. [11/15/2011]
