Edvard Grieg (2022)

There are many attractive features of this album of Grieg songs by soprano Lise Davidsen, for which the Decca label seems to have pulled out all the stops. One is the presence of star pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, who is a marvelous accompanist with a knack for seemingly letting a song fade away into the ether. Another is the chance to hear a really deep engagement with the songs of Grieg; Davidsen says that Norwegians know these songs well, but that's less true outside of Norway, where they are more often performed singly than ... Read More

There are many attractive features of this album of Grieg songs by soprano Lise Davidsen, for which the Decca label seems to have pulled out all the stops. One is the presence of star pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, who is a marvelous accompanist with a knack for seemingly letting a song fade away into the ether. Another is the chance to hear a really deep engagement with the songs of Grieg; Davidsen says that Norwegians know these songs well, but that's less true outside of Norway, where they are more often performed singly than explored fully. The sound environment, from a small concert hall in Arctic Norway, is hypnotic and marvelous. Beyond all these factors, though, is simply the voice of Davidsen, which has already shown itself mature beyond the singer's years and now reaches the kind of gee-whiz-she-can-do-anything level that marks the true stars. The program opens with Haugtussa ("The Mountain Maid"), Op. 67, which plays to Davidsen's forte with its slightly Wagnerian mysticism and forest imagery.... Read Less