BENTZON: Sym.Nos.5 & 7

Amazon.co.uk Judged by the standards of any era, the output of Niles Viggo Bentzon (b. 1919) is a formidable one. These two symphonies are part of a cycle of 24 to date, and part of a catalogue which currently extends beyond Op. 600! Of course, this would only be significant were the music of a quality to match. While there's inevitably a high degree of "been there, done that" in Bentzon's music, he does have a personal voice, and these symphonies give a good account of what makes him tick. Like his Danish compatriot, the late, great Vagn Holmboe, Bentzon is occupied with transformation and perspective in his large-scale works. Symphonies 5 and 7 emphasise each of these qualities in turn, always with the powerful sense of atmosphere that characterises Scandinavian symphonic thinking at its best. The single-movement No. 7, with its extremes of mystery and energy, and a momentum akin to Shostakovich, is a good way in. Ole Schmidt gets committed playing from his Aarhus forces, while the early 1980s sound shows up well in these digital transfers. Often gripping and always thought-provoking, these are symphonies worth getting to know. --Richard Whitehouse Product Description Niels Viggo Bentzon: Symphonies No. 5 and 7