Here’s a disc full of marvelous contemporary music, plain and simple. Jan Sandström’s pieces have recognizable tunes (not essential, but it never hurts), orchestration both colorful and meaningful, and they never outstay their welcome. Well, mostly–the one exception may be Éra, the earliest work here (the title means “Earth” in ancient Greek, if anyone cares), which tends toward static ruminations on nothing in particular; but even this will grow on you if you give it a chance.
A Manor Saga is a nice, old-fashioned ballet suite with some characteristically modern twists in its scoring and harmonic spectrum, and it is wholly entertaining. The other two tone poems alternate textural episodes with more melodic material, always with a sure sense of structure and purpose. Typical of many contemporary composers, Sandström seems to have taken a lot of trouble to think up cute titles that add little useful to the project; but unlike the work of so many of his colleagues, the music stands on its own without help from the artificial labels.
Trombonist Christian Lindberg has long been associated with Sandström’s music (think the “Motorbike” Concerto), and he conducts it as well as he plays it. The Iceland Symphony has developed over the years into a fine group, especially in contemporary works, and they play with conviction and security, attacking even the strangest sounds with purposeful abandon. Finally, as usual from BIS, the engineering is first rate. Great fun. [6/3/2011]
