No matter how often one hears it, who can ever fail to enjoy “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt, the incidental music which Grieg wrote for Henrik Ibsen’s play of the same name. And who can fail to want to accompany the hero on his musical journey through the uncanny world of gnomes and trolls and the seductive exoticism of the Orient, and to return to the stillness of the North after a long sea voyage? And who better to capture the magic of romantic Scandinavian music than Grieg’s compatriot, the unforgettable Øivin Fjeldstad, under whose baton the London Symphony Orchestra conjures up the highly changeable moods with a rare forceful presence.
The velvet-smooth, highly sonorous strings play with delicately shaded dynamics and impressive spatiality, while the wonderfully gentle winds transport the listener to the atmosphere of the concert hall. There’s no escaping this music; once you have sat down to listen to it, it will hold you enraptured right up to the very last note.
This excellent DECCA recording, now available in a limited edition, will surely be sold out within no time!

Recording: Februar 1958 at Kingsway Hall, London by Cyril Windeback / Production: Christopher Raeburn