Dip Your Ears, No. 255 (Orchestral Works of Lars-Erik Larsson)

Lars-Erik Larsson, Orchestral Works v.3 Andrew Manze, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra CPO

CPO is on its third volume of the orchestral works of Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986), performed by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Manze, who seems to have fully made the move from HIP-violinist to all-purpose cross-genre conductor. Larsson is a late Swedish romantic, in the vein of Erland von Koch and the admittedly much, much more interesting, much darker Allan Pettersson. Hints of Shostakovich’s slow movements haunt his Adagio for String Orchestra; the Adagio of the Third Symphony contains moments of lyrical sweetness. Hindemith lurks in the shadows of the rest. The music is better than it is memorable but the works on the earlier two volumes are far more gratifying. Statt there, work your way back to this if you are sufficiently intrigued.

P.S. Charles has reviewed the first two volumes here. ClassicsToday review (Hurwitz) of this volume here; of volume 2 here; of volume 1 here. (Insider content the latter two.)

7/8

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