Chopin & Schumann
Bjelland / Norwegian Radio Orchestra / Eggen
Chopin’s E minor Concerto and Schumann’s Opus 92 remain as two of the finest of all works for piano and orchestra by composers from the early part of the Romantic era — the universal spirit of these compositions being equally relevant in the early decades of the 21st century as they were when they first appeared.
Sveinung Bjelland is one of The Norwegian Radio Orchestra’s preferred partners, both as soloist, which he has been numerous times, and in its chamber music series. With an ear for detail in sound and phrasing and content only after achieving his intended nuances at the micro level, he is, at the same time, a pianist with the power and authority needed to be heard over the orchestra. In these works, the interplay between soloist and orchestra is especially important, and it may be noted that the conductor on this recording is also a pianist.
Album reviews
Schumann og Chopin
«Her møter vi en pianist og et orkester i perfekt harmoni og nydelig spillemodus. Formidlingen er herlig - og samspillet mellom pianist og orkester er i mine ører noe av det beste jeg har hørt når det gjelder dette verket.»
Trond Erikson – Den klassiske CD-bloggen
09.05.18 http://klassiskcd.blogspot.no/2018/05/schumann-og-chopin.html
Raffinert og heftig av Sveinung Bjelland
«Det er herlig å høre Schumann spilt så romantisk som det Bjelland gjør [...] Utfordringen i denne konserten ligger i det klanglig raffinerte, som Bjelland demonstrerer med forfinet behandling og sans for nyanser. [...] Vi gleder oss til flere innspillinger med Bjelland!»
Arnfinn Bø-Rygg – Stavanger aftenblad, 03.05.18
anmeldelse_LWC1149_Stavanger_aftenblad.pdf
«There’s always room for a reading as considered and thoughtful as this one, too: to my mind, Sveinung Bjelland is one of Norway’s most mature musicians, and he brings both clarity and energy to the piece, with like support from Christian Eggen and the players of the Kringkastningsorkestret.»
Martin Anderson – klassiskmusikk.com, 20.07.18
http://klassiskmusikk.com/review/sveinung-bjelland/
«Det handler om å mene det» – intervju i Vårt Land 01.06.18
«Sveinung Bjelland, a new pianist to me, plays this minor masterpiece with great sensitivity and aplomb.»
Guy Rickards – Musical Opinion, juli 2018 review_LWC1149_musicalopinion.pdf
Ytterst velformulert
«Bjellands klang er både rik og øm, anslaget mykt, men karakteren samtidig fast, og det er aldri noen tvil om at vi har å gjøre med en musiker som har det tidligromantiske uttrykket i fingrene. [...] Det som imidlertid gjør innspillingen særlig inspirerende, er hvordan Bjelland nettopp makter å variere uttrykket og spille ut de mer retoriske finessene gjennom briljante og delikate løp og detaljer, uten at tilnærmingen virker påtatt eller anstrengende korrekt.» Emil Bernhardt – Morgenbladet, 21.09.18
anmeldelse_LWC1149_morgenbladet.pdf
"What makes this recording particularly inspirational is how Bjelland precisely varies the expression and reveals the more finely rhetorical essence of the music through brilliant and delicate runs and details, without the approach seeming to be laboured or mere straining after effect. Sveinung Bjelland knows the modern piano’s possibilities of colour and caprice."
Emil Bernhardt – Morgenbladet, 21.09.18
"[...] The Norwegian Radio Orchestra conducted by Christian Eggen, with the presence of the pianist Sveinung Bjelland. These artists offer us a clean and intense reading and performance of the scores of two great contemporary composers. [...] Equally romantic the executive intent of the introduction and Allegro appassionato op. 92 by Schumann where the balance between the piano and the instruments of the orchestra is always controlled in the wake of the expressive timbre and melodic elegance that characterize the piece."