“…The Bergen Philharmonic and Edward Gardner’s account of these works has a truly magisterial authority; Gardner’s control of the imagery of the works – in fine gradations of mood and colour – is utterly convincing. Lise Davidsen’s luminous soprano is heard on Luonnotar and the album’s longest work Pelléas och Mélisande – incidental music for Maurice Maeterlinck’s play. Orchestra and soprano have rarely sounded so beautiful and profoundly absorbed as in these stellar works. An album to die for.”

“Lise Davidsen’s name pings out of the album cover but make no mistake, its real star is the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra’s string section...Bergen’s woody, thoroughbred strings are most identifiable in ‘The Death of Mélisande’…”

Artistic Quality 8     Sound Quality 9

“… the Bergen Philharmonic sounds terrific, as do the sonics... This is great stuff.”

“…Now we have this superb new release containing many orchestral works as well as the vocal tone poem Luonnotar sung superbly by amazing new soprano Lise Davidsen… the engineering is superb … Recommended!”

Performance ****      Recording ****

“… This lasts recording of Luonnotar features rising Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen, whose breath control and even fullness of tone across a two-octave range prove radiantly equal to Sibelius’s uncompromising demands. Accounts of Tapiola can vary widely … Edward Gardner retains tension enough, but with time to brood, in a vivid, convincingly paced account… the Berge Philharmonic deliver the Spring Song with intensifying fervour.”

“… Gardner is one of the most perceptive interpreters of Sibelius of his or any generation. Each work receives an interpretation that ranks among the best available… Here [Luonnotar] the soloist is the up-and-coming Norwegian soprano, Lise Davidsen, who is in resplendent voice, achieving both strength of toe and an awesome range of power. Gardner guides his players through some gear changes that seem natural and inevitable. Tapiola grips our attention from the very first bar and Gardner’s attention to the strangeness of both the sound and form … is unrelenting. This is a superb performance… The playing throughout is authentic in sound and style; Gardner chooses tempi that suit the individual personality of each work…” *****

“For Davidsen at full throttle, you’re better off listening to her tackling the challenging vocal line in Luonnotar, the big attraction in a superbly played Sibelius selection from Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic … it’s Luonnotar that makes this an essential purchase.”