Hugo ALFVÉN (1872-1960)

 

Symphony No.4

Festival Overture           

 

Iceland Symphony Orchestra/ Niklas Willén

 

The music of Hugo Alfvén has always been close to the hearts of the Swedish people. More than any other composer he is regarded as representing the spirit of the country, perhaps due to the fact that for many years he lived in Dalecarlia, the province where the genuine folk-music tradition is at its strongest.

 

One of the foremost Swedish conductors of his generation, Niklas Willén conducts regularly all over the UK, Europe and the USA. He is joined in this issue by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, whose credentials in Scandinavian repertoire – in particular the works of Sibelius – make them self-recommending.

 

“The brooding power at the start of the Fourth Symphony confirms the potency of atmosphere that the Iceland Symphony Orchestra can generate in this music.” The Daily Telegraph on Sibelius 8554377

 

Naxos 8557284