Scandinavian Wood: Northern Soundscapes For Clarinet And Piano – Chen Hu Jie

Inspired by Haruki Murakami’s novel Norwegian Wood, this Da Vinci Classics album features solo clarinet works composed by Scandinavian musicians. Gade was the most important Danish composer of his time, and his Fantasistykker are brilliant examples of the Romantic style, tinged with Nordic colours and expressions. Swedish composer William Seymer is less well known, but his works, such as the Suite op. 8 recorded here are worth rediscovering. Johan Kvandal’s Da Lontano: Fantasia is recorded for the first time here in the original version for clarinet. Erland von Koch, from Sweden, wrote several Monologues for unaccompanied instruments, and no. 3 is for the clarinet – one of his most popular works. Alfred Andersen-Wingar, from Norway, is nowadays virtually forgotten, and this recording is the piece’s world premiere more than a century after its composition. August Winding, from Denmark, was one of Gade’s numerous students, and he wrote his own set of Fantasistykker, which fittingly conclude our excursion among the “Scandinavian woods”.