The Gramophone Choice

Violin Sonatas – No 1 in F, Op 8; No 2 in G, Op 13; No 3 in C minor, Op 45

Henning Kraggerud vn Helge Kjekshus pf

Naxos 8 553904 (67' · DDD). Buy from Amazon

This disc gives us consistently enjoyable performances. The two young Norwegians play with idiomatic style and give the impression of expressing every aspect of the music. Their eagerness at the start of Op 8’s first Allegro sets the tone; the doloroso opening of Op 13, the delicacy and serenity of the E major section of that sonata’s middle movement, and the exciting ‘Hall of the Mountain King’ atmosphere they generate in the finale of Op 45 – these are just a few of the places where the pair ­convince us they’ve found exactly the right sound and manner of expression. Kraggerud’s account of the ‘big tune’ in the last movement of Op 45, respecting all Grieg’s marks of expression and phrasing, has real nobility.

← Grieg