Grieg's Holberg Suite

[Belgrove]

This is a piece which always brings pleasure on hearing, but I do not have a recording of it. Can anyone kindly recommend a recording of either the orchestral or piano versions?

[umslopogaas]

I've always enjoyed the version by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, directed by Neville Marriner. I've got the Argo LP from 1970, but it was transferred to CD and is listed in the 2010 Penguin Guide as Decca (ADD) 470 262-2. As well as the Holberg Suite, you get string serendades by Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. I cant check if it is currently available, but even if not, there should be secondhand copies out there.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A wonderful work, but one that I only came back to recently, as this was an O-level setwork back in 1966...

I like the Karajan recording but the claustrophibic DG recording from the early 80s isn't great.

[Pabmusic]

I've always enjoyed the version by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, directed by Neville Marriner. I've got the Argo LP from 1970, but it was transferred to CD and is listed in the 2010 Penguin Guide as Decca (ADD) 470 262-2. As well as the Holberg Suite, you get string serendades by Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. I cant check if it is currently available, but even if not, there should be secondhand copies out there.

I'd second this. Also, there are two Naxos recordings that are excellent:

Strings: Malmo Symphony Orch, cond. Bjarte Engeset (Naxos 8.572403). This has Grieg's complete string music.

Piano: Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (Naxos 8.550884). This contains other piano works, including the Slatter, which is superb.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I'd second this. Also, there are two Naxos recordings that are excellent:

Strings: Malmo Symphony Orch, cond. Bjarte Engeset (Naxos 8.572403). This has Grieg's complete string music.

Piano: Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (Naxos 8.550884). This contains other piano works, including the Slatter, which is superb.

Belgrove: I second Pabmusic's endorsement of the Slatter if that's Op 72.

Don't feel that the piano version of the Holberg Suite is a cheap penny-plain version of the string suite: Grieg wrote it for piano and possibly made the string arrangement against his better judgment because it was obviously going to be popular. There's at least one movement that's so strongly based on piano textures that it arguably doesn't work properly on strings. Or so I've read, but not being a pianist or a string player I can't speak from knowledge, as usual!

[cloughie]

My first recording of Holberg was by Kleiner and the Hamburg Pro Musicaon a Saga LP, which some optimist is offering for £12 on Amazon
Nowadays for the orchestral any of Boskovsky, Faris, Jarvi, Karajan, Leppard, Marriner, Salter, Studt are fine, many of them on Amazon at very much less than £12.

[Parry1912]

Also, there are two Naxos recordings that are excellent

There's another with Richard Studt and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ('Scandinavian String Music') which is also very good. What's more, it has the advantage of containing Dag Wiren's superb String Serenade.

[Chris Newman]

My first recording of Holberg was by Kleiner and the Hamburg Pro Musicaon a Saga LP, which some optimist is offering for £12 on Amazon
Nowadays for the orchestral any of Boskovsky, Faris, Jarvi, Karajan, Leppard, Marriner, Salter, Studt are fine, many of them on Amazon at very much less than £12.

Ah. The Hamburg Pro Musica? The North West German Radio Orchestra when playing for Saga and other bargain labels. Erich Kleiner? Also known as Georg Byrd? He was our own very much loved George Hurst which suggests it was probably a good performance though Saga LP disc pressings could be variable. Using his real name George Hurst conducted Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto with the real Joyce Hatto (we think). Erich Kleiner does sound slightly familiar....change one letter? My favourite pseudo names of orchestras and conductors on 1960s cheap labels include the Cincinnatti Pro Arte Orchestra under Homer Lott or the Zurich Philharmonic conducted by Wilhelm Havagest. The Philharmonia of Berlin did not sound like The Philharmonia nor did it sound like the Berlin Phil.

Back to serious matters. My favourite Holberg Suite is Tommy Beecham's but I think it is not easily available at present.

[amateur51]

Ah. The Hamburg Pro Musica? The North West German Radio Orchestra when playing for Saga and other bargain labels. Erich Kleiner? Also known as Georg Byrd? He was our own very much loved George Hurst which suggests it was probably a good performance though Saga LP disc pressings could be variable. Using his real name George Hurst conducted Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto with the real Joyce Hatto (we think). Erich Kleiner does sound slightly familiar....change one letter? My favourite pseudo names of orchestras and conductors on 1960s cheap labels include the Cincinnatti Pro Arte Orchestra under Homer Lott or the Zurich Philharmonic conducted by Wilhelm Havagest. The Philharmonia of Berlin did not sound like The Philharmonia nor did it sound like the Berlin Phil.

Great fun, Chris - many thanks!

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah. The Hamburg Pro Musica? The North West German Radio Orchestra when playing for Saga and other bargain labels. Erich Kleiner? Also known as Georg Byrd? He was our own very much loved George Hurst which suggests it was probably a good performance though Saga LP disc pressings could be variable. Using his real name George Hurst conducted Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto with the real Joyce Hatto (we think). Erich Kleiner does sound slightly familiar....change one letter? My favourite pseudo names of orchestras and conductors on 1960s cheap labels include the Cincinnatti Pro Arte Orchestra under Homer Lott or the Zurich Philharmonic conducted by Wilhelm Havagest. The Philharmonia of Berlin did not sound like The Philharmonia nor did it sound like the Berlin Phil.

Is any of that true or just pre-twelfth night jesting? Either way, terrific stuff!

I'm now trying to think of all sorts of dodgy conductors' names.

[cloughie]

Is any of that true or just pre-twelfth night jesting? Either way, terrific stuff!

I'm now trying to think of all sorts of dodgy conductors' names.

I'm afraid it's mostly true, though it may have been Havagesse!

There are conductors whose names appear on CD. Has anyone ever seen Scholtz or Nanut on the podium?

[LeMartinPecheur]

Has anyone heard Jeno Jando tickling the ivories live - the most recorded pianist and the least heard in concert??

[cloughie]

I'm afraid it's mostly true, though it may have been Havagesse!

There are conductors whose names appear on CD. Has anyone ever seen Scholtz or Nanut on the podium?

OR Lizzio or Adolph?

[french frank]

Has anyone heard Jeno Jando tickling the ivories live - the most recorded pianist and the least heard in concert??

But he does exist! I had the impression that he was mainly a teacher before Naxos signed him up back in the early days, presumably for low cost. I bet he gets paid more now.

[Norfolk Born]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SsD9FcoQWs