August Soderman (1832-76) is considered Sweden’s first “national romantic”, in that he forged a highly individual style based on his country’s indigenous folk music and was a pivotal influence on later composers including Hugo Alfvén and Wilhelm Peterson-Berger. Soderman studied in Leipzig during 1856-57, where he came into contact with the music of Schumann and Wagner, though his own style reflects more the former (traces of Wagner are occasionally discernible in Soderman’s orchestral palette, particularly his use of brass). However, by far the most pervasive element is Soderman’s use of Swedish musical sources, which gives his melodies a homespun cast that’s consistently engaging and immediately accessible. This is particularly so in Swedish Folksongs and Folk dances, and in the Bellman Melodies. Zohrab reveals Soderman’s cultivated air for drama, as does the Concert Overture in F. On the whole, the music is on the light side, closer to Mendelssohn than anything like Wagner, but is nonetheless quite pleasing.
Roy Goodman’s performances with the Symphony Orchestra of the Norrlands Opera are flowing, vibrant, and well-executed. I wish I could say the same for the recording, which unfortunately is marred by excessive brightness and limited dynamics, which make it sound like a production of the late 1950s rather than its 2000 recording date. Fans of late-19th century romanticism should be prepared to bend their ears a bit, but they’ll likely find it worth the effort. [7/25/2001]
