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Wagner - Wesendonck-Lieder

Composer Sir Edward Elgar
Gösta Nystroem
Richard Wagner
Performer Dan Almgren
Rosemarie Lang
Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra
Hans-Peter Frank, conductor
Period Romantic
Catalogue Number BIS-530 CD
EAN 7318590005309
Format CD
Release date Dec 1991
Total time 58'57

This album features three evocative song cycles centered around themes of love, the sea, and nature: Richard Wagner’s *Wesendonck-Lieder*, Gösta Nystroem’s *Sånger vid havet* (Songs by the Sea), and Sir Edward Elgar’s *Sea Pictures*, performed by mezzo-soprano Rosemarie Lang with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra under Hans-Peter Frank.

Wagner’s *Wesendonck-Lieder* were composed during a period of deep emotional turmoil, reflecting his intense relationship with Mathilde Wesendonck. Two of the songs, *Träume* and *Im Treibhaus*, contain direct musical links to *Tristan und Isolde*, making this cycle an intimate prelude to his opera’s themes of longing and transcendence.

Nystroem’s *Sånger vid havet* represents a pinnacle of Swedish art song, blending evocative poetry with impressionistic harmonies. The composer’s deep connection to the sea is evident throughout, with sweeping orchestral textures mirroring the vast, mysterious waters.

Elgar’s *Sea Pictures*, written for contralto Clara Butt, explore different facets of the sea’s beauty, power, and mystery. The cycle includes settings of texts by poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Richard Garnett, with Elgar’s sensitive orchestration complementing the rich vocal lines.

This recording captures the emotional depth and vivid imagery of these three song cycles, uniting them in a journey through love, loss, and the ever-changing sea.
 
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  Richard Wagner
  Wesendonck-Lieder (Text: Mathilde Wesendonck) 20'39
01 I. Der Engel 3'20
02 II. Stehe still 3'46
03 III. Im Treibhaus 5'52
04 IV. Schmerzen 2'31
05 V. Träume 5'10
 
 
  Gösta Nystroem
  Sånger vid havet (1941) 15'21
06 I. Ute i skären (Text: Ebba Lindqvist) 2'44
07 II. Nocturne (Text: Edith Södergran) 3'12
08 III. Havets visa (Text: Hjalmar Gullberg) 2'29
09 IV. Jag har ett hem vid havet (Text: Ragnar Jändel) 4'41
10 V. Jag väntar månen (Text: Hjalmar Gullberg) 2'15
 
 
  Sir Edward Elgar
  Sea Pictures, Op.37 21'33
11 I. Sea Slumber-Song (Text: Roden Noel) 4'55
12 II. In Haven (Capri) (Text: C. Alice Elgar) 1'29
13 III. Sabbath Morning at Sea (Text: Elizabeth Barrett Browning) 5'48
14 IV. Where Corals Lie (Text: Dr. Richard Garnett) 3'10
15 V. The Swimmer (Text: Adam Lindsay Gordon) 6'11
 
  Album total 58'57
OrchestraHelsingborg Symphony Orchestra (Helsingborg Symfoniorkester)
ViolinAlmgren, Dan
ConductorFrank, Hans-Peter
ComposerElgar, Sir Edward
Nystroem, Gösta
Wagner, Richard
Mezzo-sopranoLang, Rosemarie

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