Romantic Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Svante Sjöberg (1873-1935)
Violin Sonata in A minor, Op.2 (1899)
Harald Fryklöf (1882-1919)
Sonata alla leggenda (1918)
Alice Tegnér (1864-1943)
Violin Sonata in A minor (1901)
Hans Enflo (violin)
Per Enflo (piano)
rec. 2024
Sterling CDA1881 [74]

The three selected composers in this disc were born between 1864 and 1882. They are obscure, so one’s interest is piqued.

The Sjöberg whose Sonata is performed is not Emil, who is much better known, but Svante Sjöberg. He was a pupil of Max Bruch and his cusp-of-the-century Sonata is an easy-going essay in lyrical warmth which touches on Grieg-like mellifluousness. The slow movement is ripe and affectionate though one would be hard pressed to point out any real melodic distinction above the salon level, but the folksy finale exudes a terpsichorean spirit, playful, but also lyric and very attractive. 

Hans Enflo studied with Charles Barkel, Sweden’s leading violinist of the first half of the century, amongst others, so one would expect to find stylistic infinity with Harald Fryklöf’s Sonata, a work that Barkel did so much to popularise in his native country. Both Enflo brothers know precisely how to phrase in this work – it all seems so natural in their hands – and the first movement is very reminiscent of the way Barkel himself played it, tempo-wise. That said I found that the central movement was pushed just too hard. It doesn’t allow the lovely melodic writing to burgeon.

Alice Tegnér is best known for her delightful series of songs and her Sonata is indeed a songful affair, which was never published in her lifetime. Parts of it owe much to Gade, others to Baroque inspiration.

I’m not aware of a competing version of the Svante Sjöberg Sonata, but doubtless someone will write in if I’ve overlooked a disc. Harald Fryklöf’s Sonata has been recorded a few times. Cecilia Zilliacus (violin) and Bengt Forsberg recorded it for Db Productions though the historic recording of choice was that by Charles Barkel who performed it in his own edition, with Carin Gille-Rybrant. Alice Tegnér’s Sonata has been recorded by Bernt Lysell and Lucia Negro on a ‘Swedish Chamber music’ twofer from Musica Sveciae.

The booklet notes feature a very pleasing conversation with the Enflo Brothers, in which they reflect on their musical lives and comment on the works performed.

Violinist Hans Enflo was born in 1946 and his mathematician brother Per in 1944, which would have made them 78 and 80 years old respectively when they made this recording. With this, I’m afraid, I have to face the realities of the violinist’s performance. It’s striking that his worst playing comes in the most insubstantial work, Alice Tegnér’s Sonata, but throughout there are too many frailties of tone, intonation and vibrato slackening for me merely to pass over them in silence.

One must add to this the very domestic acoustic. No location is given so I’ll make a guess at a music room in one of the brothers’ houses. It’s raw-sounding with little cushioning and makes for tiring listening.

With the best will in the world, I’m afraid that this disc, though it has some interesting repertoire, is simply not competitive. I admire the ambition but can’t overlook the deficiencies.

Jonathan Woolf

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