LARS-ERIK LARSSON (1908-1986): Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 - Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 2, Music for Orchestra, Op. 40, Lyric Fantasy for Small Orchestra, Op. 54, 4 Vignettes to Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale", Pastoral for Small Orchestra.

Description: No first recordings here but a welcome new series to look forward to and most of the music has very few previous recordings. The 30-minute symphony of 1927-8 owes more than a little to Sibelius' early symphonies but it also has some of the distinctive Nordic pastoral qualities of Rangström or Petterson-Berger. The Pastoral and Winter's Tale pieces of 1937 share delicate, pastel tone colors and the late (1967) Lyric Fantasy shows that Larsson could still revisit these tones at will. Standing apart is the 1949 Music for Orchestra, more dissonant, tougher and more tense, sounding like the sort of music being written in central Europe just before the Second World War. Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra; Andrew Manze.