Henning Sommerro (b. 1952)
Borders
Solstice
Ostara
Borders
Sigmund Groven (harmonica), Roar Engelberg (pan flute), Marianne Thorsen (violin)
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra/Nick Davies
rec. 2021, Landemoen Church, Trondheim, Norway
2L 2L-173-SABD SACD/BD-A [48]

Henning Sommerro, born in Norway, has been composing across many genres for over fifty years. His inspiration has come from the musical traditions of all the countries round the North Sea, but also from further afield – from Persian and Jewish cultural traditions, for example, and from the east, and from Latin rhythms. At the same time, his compositions, whatever distant inspiration they absorb, are always built on the bedrock of Norwegian folk music. For the three pieces on this recording, he has chosen themes from myths and from European history; each of the three works is written for solo artist and orchestra. The first piece, called Solkverv [Solstice], is for harmonica and orchestra. Although this might sound unusual, over the years several works for the harmonica and orchestra have been composed. For example, Malcolm Arnold Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra, Op 46 and Alan Hovhaness – Concerto No 6, Op 114 and Heitor Villa-Lobos – Harmonica Concerto Op 86 being some better known composers who have done so. The soloist is Sigmund Groven.

The inspiration for the piece is a poem, of the same name by Sighvat Tordsson (c. 995-1045) who is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential poets of the century. The story is about a religious pilgrimage. The first movement striding has a real sense of expectation with the light notes of the harmonica playing a melody that contrasts with the confident, deep sound of the timpani. The second movement Bliss starts with the melody that was played by the harmonica in the previous movement but now being played by the orchestra whist the soloist plays a slower more mournful, relaxing motif. It’s a lovely piece which is beautifully played. Finally we have The Sun much more upbeat, with repeated fanfares from the orchestra between the jaunty tune on the harmonica which becomes almost jig-like. There is an extended solo before the orchestra finishes it all off in rousing style. The whole work really shows off well how the harmonica has a valid place within the classical music genre and it has made me want to explore more works for the instrument.

The next piece is also for an instrument that is not typically associated with the classical music genre: the pan flute. I have to say, with apologies to those who appreciate it, that the pan flute is not my favourite instrument; I often feel that its tonal range is rather limited. Nevertheless, based on the first piece, I approached the second work with bated breath. It is called Ostara; if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the name of a tradition to mark that spring and warmer, sunnier days have come. There are many ways that it is celebrated, depending on local traditions. The soloist is Roar Engelberg (b. 1964) who has recorded sixteen solo and duo albums, and taken part in a number of others, as well as holding thousands of concerts in his home country and abroad in most musical genres; he has a particular interest in Romanian folk music. The three movements of the piece are all simply given single letters as titles; the first is R. and I was very much pleasantly surprised by it. It has a broad and grand opening with the pan flute contrasting well with the whole orchestra and, in particular, a lilting motif played lazily on the trombone. The melody played by the soloist is upbeat and lively. The high register tones of the flute are well-balanced with the deeper sounds of the orchestra, particularly from the brass section and the timpani, to make a rousing piece. At the end, the flute and the lazy trombone resume their banter. The second movement, E, has the feeling of a slow tango; it’s dance-like and again makes great use of the difference in pitch across the orchestra and the flute, the brass section and percussion are again used well to create the atmospheric piece. Finally, B begins slowly but then gathers pace to create once again a dance-like, humorous movement which ends in a rousing finale. The entire piece demonstrates Sommerro’s  excellent composing skills in the way that he creates a range of colours that show off the pan flute’s abilities as part of the whole orchestra.  

The final piece is the one that the album is named after CD title, i.e. Borders. This time it’s for an instrument that we are all much more familiar with – the violin. The soloist is the Norwegian Marianne Thorsen who is Professor at the Music Department of Norwegian University of Science and Technology and has many CD appearances to her name. Borders was commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Georgian violinist Aleksandre Khatiskatsi in 2016, and its inspiration is the plight of refugees. The first movement called Borders begins with Thorsen playing a clear gentle melody suggesting optimism; however, then the orchestra seem bent on taking away the soloist’s confidence with a series of darker, more menacing motifs. The second movement, Lament,is slower, more reflective and in the words of the CD brochure, “almost as if it were a river flowing through the score. Perhaps it is the valleys’ extraordinary beauty that finds expression in the sixths that propel this melancholy and harmonic stream of music which so gently and soothingly nourishes the listener”. It’s a lovely piece. The final movement, Hope, begins with a flourish and is then characterized by abrupt leaps in which the cellos and double basses join, contrasting strongly with the xylophone. The soloist takes over for much of the piece and then a rousing optimistic finale.

Finally, I need to acknowledge the orchestra The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and their conductor Nick Davies for their excellent skills on this album, the quality of the sound recording and production are also exceptional. The CD brochure contains extensive, thought-provoking notes which add to the enjoyment of the album.

Ken Talbot

Previous review: Dominy Clements (January 2024)

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