This disc makes a fine showpiece for the Norwegian ensemble Borealis; although not exclusively contemporary in outlook, they are not unlike the British group Lontano, having similarly high standards of execution. Unfortunately, the booklet does not, giving no instrumentation details.
Alfred Janson (b. 1937) will be familiar to those possessing the Unicorn double-LP ''Aurora Borealis'' (1/79—nla) which included his large-scale Prelude for violin and orchestra. Tarantella (1990) is a wild striking affair, really sounding (for once) like the dance of someone poisoned by a spider. I took several hearings to warm to Ricochet (1990) by Frank Tveor Nordensten (b. 1955); the piece is a something of a mishmash stylistically although entertaining in the way its diverse elements bounce around (hence, I presume, the title).
Ragnar Soderlind (b. 1945) is the foremost Norwegian composer of his generation (his Trauermusik is featured during this year's Proms). The best work on this disc is his chamber aria A Poem of Longing (1982) which also exists in versions with piano or orchestra. For reference the chamber scoring here is: flute/piccolo, soprano saxophone, horn, percussion, piano, violin, viola and double bass. The most complex work is the longest: Antonio Bibalo's suite The Savage (1983). The booklet outlines a 'programme' concerning primitive man's perceptions of the ancient and modern worlds, but I did not find this information helpful. What is fascinating is the extraordinary resourcefulness with which Bibalo (b. 1922) handles his curiously-comprised ensemble (which includes a synthesizer). A crackingly well-performed and recorded recital.'