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Sirens

This hybrid SACD brings together four pieces by the contemporary Swedish composer Anders Hillborg. I first heard his music on the radio, by way of a BBC Radio 3 'Proms' concert broadcast in the summer of 2015 which included a performance of 'Beast Sampler', the opening piece on the disc. Hillborg apparently characterises a symphony orchestra as a 'sound animal', and, in this work - a sort of collage of orchestral colours and textures - he conjures up a hair-raising succession of sonic creatures. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and conductor Sakari Oramo bring them expertly to life.


After the opening track's exuberance, the short piece that follows, 'O dessa ögon' is a model of frosty elegance, featuring Hannah Holgersson's soprano soaring ever higher over the RPSO's strings. I find I prefer those two pieces over the others. 'Cold Heat' is another showcase for Hillborg's orchestral prowess, but one that I enjoy a little less than 'Beast Sampler'. The longest and most ambitious piece on the album, 'Sirens', is the one I've played the least, and know the least well. On it, the RPSO's forces are augmented by two choirs and two lead sopranos: Holgersson again, and Ida Falk Winland. Its theme is Odysseus' encounter with the titular enchantresses.

I think I have something like seven or eight SACDs in all, which I've never had the opportunity to hear in all their extra high fidelity and/or multi-channel glory. I do wonder if my cloth ears would even be able to discern the difference between that and regular CD quality. In any case, regular quality already sounds great here: it's an impeccably well-recorded album.

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