Danish, Norwegian and German songs
10/28/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Anyone considering this disc probably already has the Gramophone Award winning Grieg recital on DG, or mixed recitals like Diamonds in the Snow (Bonney on Decca), Black Roses (Kringelborn on Virgin). It has to be said that Bodil Arnesen isn't quite in the Otter or Bonney league yet. Nor is Sinding quite in the league of Grieg or Sibelius. However this is a fine recital and anything less than three stars would be churlish. The fact that Naxos, as earlier in Arnesen's Grieg recital, have provided original texts in Danish, Norwegian, New-Norwegian or German (as well as translations in English), at super-budget price, earns the fourth star. Timing 56:15. The only reason it doesn't get five stars is the presence of the Deutsche Grammophon Grieg recital by Otter in the catalogues (look for #37521, and avoid the reissue of half of that disc coupled with Berg, and neither with texts, in DG's mid-price Centenary Edition). However price is a factor and given the choice between 1 CD of Grieg from DG, and 2 CDs of Grieg and Sinding from Naxos, a lot of people will have no hesitation in going for the two Naxos discs."