Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996)

[krummholz]

The Nightingales are releasing Vol 2 of their SQs series on 2 June: 2, 14 and 21.

This sounds like a very short disc... #2 is the longest of the three at just under 30 minutes (at least as played by the Kontras), and 21 (I assume this is the posthumous Quartetto Sereno, completed by Per Norgard?) clocks in at under 10 minutes.

Regardless, this is good news!

[Mirror Image]

This sounds like a very short disc... #2 is the longest of the three at just under 30 minutes (at least as played by the Kontras), and 21 (I assume this is the posthumous Quartetto Sereno, completed by Per Norgard?) clocks in at under 10 minutes.

Regardless, this is good news!

The Nightingale Quartet completing their Holmboe SQ cycle will be even better news! I'll just wait for this series to be boxed up.

[foxandpeng]

This sounds like a very short disc... #2 is the longest of the three at just under 30 minutes (at least as played by the Kontras), and 21 (I assume this is the posthumous Quartetto Sereno, completed by Per Norgard?) clocks in at under 10 minutes.

Regardless, this is good news!

#14 will bring it up to an hour, though, so not too short... Nice write up by Dacapo.

https://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/news/nightingale-string-quartet-is-continuing-their-prize-winning-holmboe-series

[Madiel]

57 minutes (hopped onto the Apple Music preview).

[krummholz]

57 minutes (hopped onto the Apple Music preview).

Ah, okay, that sounds about right I guess. Tempi not too different from the Kontras then - at least "on average". Maybe the slower sections of #21 are taken a little more slowly? (The ending of #21 is probably the starkest ending to any Holmboe work and seems uncharacteristic for the composer - that is, if that ending is Holmboe and not Norgard.)

57 minutes still seems kind of short to me for a CD - but I guess not quite as short as I thought at first.

Definitely looking forward to this one!

[foxandpeng]

Really good to see volume two of the Nightingale Qt cycle of the Holmboe String Quartets released yesterday. First listen due this morning!

[Madiel]

Really good to see volume two of the Nightingale Qt cycle of the Holmboe String Quartets released yesterday. First listen due this morning!

Yes, having a listen (and maybe a direct comparison to the Kontra) is on my to-do list.

[foxandpeng]

Yes, having a listen (and maybe a direct comparison to the Kontra) is on my to-do list.

This is a win for me, so far.

It seems to me, as with the first Nightingale release in the series, that there is a less 'raw' tone to these performances. I don't dislike that rawness at all in the Kontra - far from it - but this feels a nice change. Also, as far as SQ 2 is concerned, I think that the timing differences really work.

1. Allegro fluente (7.07 Kontra, 6.28 Nightingale)
2. Andante con moto e affettuoso (7.06 Kontra, 6.37 Nightingale)
3. Presto (3.52 Kontra, 3.55 Nightingale)
4. Un poco adagio ( 2.42 Kontra, 3.04 Nightingale)
5. Allegro molto e leggiero (6.06 Kontra, 5.25 Nightingale)

There is a brightness and lightness of touch that seems to suit the first two movements and finale, particularly. I don't notice a huge difference in the Nightingale's slower adagio, but both it and the presto work well. Sound quality is great, particularly in the pizzicato sections 🙂

Too early to judge a preference, but this is a thumbs up so far.

[foxandpeng]

Having heard the new Nightingale Qt release of 2, 14 and 21 a few times now, I very much like it. Don't get me wrong, 14 is still probably my least favourite quartet of the cycle, but the performance is really good and I think I prefer it to the Kontra. This was always going to be a strange release in my eyes, coupling 14 and the Nørgård-completed 21 (both lesser works for me) so early in a planned complete cycle - you would think that putting out the more accessible quartets would be a better strategy to engage curious listeners. Holmboe can be challenging enough at times! Meh, who knows? #2 is the big positive for me on this disc- one of my favourite Holmboe SQs, but the whole thing is a welcome addition to my rotation.

[krummholz]

Having heard the new Nightingale Qt release of 2, 14 and 21 a few times now, I very much like it. Don't get me wrong, 14 is still probably my least favourite quartet of the cycle, but the performance is really good and I think I prefer it to the Kontra. This was always going to be a strange release in my eyes, coupling 14 and the Nørgård-completed 21 (both lesser works for me) so early in a planned complete cycle - you would think that putting out the more accessible quartets would be a better strategy to engage curious listeners. Holmboe can be challenging enough at times! Meh, who knows? #2 is the big positive for me on this disc- one of my favourite Holmboe SQs, but the whole thing is a welcome addition to my rotation.

I've held off ordering this disc because none of the quartets here really stand out for me, but I'm definitely a Holmboe completist, and I was VERY impressed by their first release, so I think I'll take the plunge. I hope they eventually release the complete cycle - I'm especially interested to hear what they do with 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, to name but a few. I suspect their readings will contain many fresh insights into these works, as they did for #3 and especially #15.

[foxandpeng]

I've held off ordering this disc because none of the quartets here really stand out for me, but I'm definitely a Holmboe completist, and I was VERY impressed by their first release, so I think I'll take the plunge. I hope they eventually release the complete cycle - I'm especially interested to hear what they do with 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, to name but a few. I suspect their readings will contain many fresh insights into these works, as they did for #3 and especially #15.

I share your thoughts. Being a Holmboe completist is my curse also, so I've very much looked forward to this. That, and the fact that #2 is amongst my favourites of the quartets.

[Maestro267]

I picked up three volumes from the BIS symphony cycle the other day, my first discs of Holmboe's music. Nos. 4 & 5, Nos. 8 & 9 and Nos. 11-13.

[Madiel]

I picked up three volumes from the BIS symphony cycle the other day, my first discs of Holmboe's music. Nos. 4 & 5, Nos. 8 & 9 and Nos. 11-13.

So I saw. I recommend you start with symphonies 5 and 8.

[Maestro267]

I didn't start with those, but by coincidence those are the two I've listened to this morning. In fact I'm on the slow movement of No. 8 as I write this. And these two are definitely the ones that have impressed me most.

[MusicTurner]

The 1st is folksy and very charming. The 11th has a mysterious, rhapsodic quality to it; I like a lot, but some find it among the weaker ones. Nos. 9 and 10 for example are pretty massive.

The 7th needs a new, 'cinematic' recording with a really big orchestra, IMO.

[Madiel]

I didn't start with those, but by coincidence those are the two I've listened to this morning. In fact I'm on the slow movement of No. 8 as I write this. And these two are definitely the ones that have impressed me most.

They (5 and 8 ) are two of the ones that are more direct and dynamic. Whereas no.9 for example has a reputation of being "difficult". It's a wonderful piece but certainly not one that is readily grasped on a first hearing.

[krummholz]

Agree that #5 and #8 are the most easily grasped of the works on those discs, also that #9 is a great work that rewards repeated hearings, though it might not impress particularly straightaway. Other readily approachable Holmboe symphonies include #3, #6, #7, and #12. #2 as well and the Sinfonia in Memoriam, though the former is not really representative of Holmboe's mature style.

[springrite]

Had another run through the cycle. The ones I like the best are, in order: 8, 11, 5, 4.
Well, they are good but these I listened to repeatedly.

[Symphonic Addict]

4th, 5th and 8th are also favorites of mine. The 6th is also indispensable to me (and Sinfonia In memoriam). I wish non-Danish orchestras will perform these symphonies in the near future. Repertoire is so vast and many of those orchestras perform the same pieces over and over again.

[KevinP]

Until recently, Holmboe was the name of yet another I knew I should probably listen to at some point. But some point came.

I recently ordered and received these:




The way I ordered these is a confusing mess. Interested in exploring his work, I put several titles in my Amazon cart, but I didn't order them right away. For whatever reason, the three titles above got ordered on separate days, probably because they came from different distributors, all international to me. But after eventually ordering the third disc pictured, I realised I had duplicated the chamber symphonies (albeit in different renditions), which hadn't yet arrived. But when the third disc arrived yesterday, I see that these are different works. I haven't spun it yet, but I am confused. The chamber symphonies are not the same as the chamber sinfonias? I had assumed the different titles were just a translation issue.

Getting a bit bogged down with too many recent purchases (these and others), but I really like what I've heard so far.