Grieg: Orchestral Pieces

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For several months now, the famous (former East) German record label, Eterna, has been busy making its entire catalogue available, including original sleeves and, for the most part, high-definition remastering. This is the perfect opportunity to rediscover great musicians who are little known in Western Europe. One such example is Otmar Suitner, who made some great recordings in the 1950s for the label Deutsche Grammophon with the Bamberger Symphoniker (which was then under Joseph Keilberth’s direction).

Otmar Suitner worked with Eterna from the early 1960s onwards, exploring a wide range of repertoires—Germanic, French and Russian—with his orchestra, The Staatskapelle Berlin, which he directed from 1964 to 1990. These sumptuously recorded Grieg sessions of 1976 remain one of the conductor's great successes.

Essentially free from even the slightest emphasis, the four Symphonic Dances highlight a real finesse (Allegretto tranquilillo e grazioso) and vivacity of spirit that never fails to excite. There’s even a small nod to the popular origin of the four Grieg masterpieces, something which isn’t always made as evident. A large string orchestra was featured for the “Au temps de Holberg” Suite, but Otmar Suitner surprised everyone with Prélude and Rigaudon and the autumnal splendour of the polyphonies within Sarabond and Air. These rediscoveries come highly recommended. © Pierre-Yves Lascar/Qobuz