Hakon Borresen - Symphony No.2 "The Sea"; Symphony No.3

Hakon BØRRESEN (1876-1954)

Symphony No. 2 The Sea (1904) [41:16]

Symphony No. 3 (1927) [34:28]

Aalborg Symphony Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes

rec. Aalborg, Denmark, 1997

Børresen, a Danish composer, sported a Norwegian name. This was down to his Norwegian grandfather who moved to Denmark in the early 1800s. Young Børresen was taught by Svendsen and travelled in Europe during the early 1900s. His violin concerto was given at one of Nikisch’s concerts. There are three symphonies to his name and all are here. His most famous work is probably the opera The Royal Guest although its reputation and Børresen's has been largely restricted to Denmark and perhaps Germany.

I knew the symphonies 2 and 3 originally from radio broadcast tapes as well (in the case of the Second Symphony) the old Danacord LPs since transferred to CD. These last two symphonies are, perhaps, in spirit, a Danish counterpart of Dvořák’s earlier symphonies up to number six. His First Symphony is from a different world altogether.

The Symphony No. 2 The Sea (1904) is written in a style not far away from Mendelssohn, Brahms and Schumann but with Tchaikovskian moments. Scandinavian marine symphonies are not uncommon. There are oceanic essays by Nystroem, Atterburg (West Coast Pictures) and Alfvén amongst others. Børresen was fascinated by the sea but vivid sea painting such as you find in Bax’s Tintagel and Nystroem’s Sinfonia del Mare are outside his grasp. This is more in the nature of Rubinstein’s Ocean Symphony.

The first movement (Surf) declares a work firmly rooted in German romantics with occasional glimpses towards the Slavs. The second (Summer) begins in chirpy Mendelssohnian spirits and has some fine romantic moments not least at Track 2 5:20. There is a lively balletic spirit here. The third movement (Tragedy) has a strong atmosphere leaning into the territory of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred. I get the impression that this could benefit from a fleeter approach to tempi; instead it leans towards steady intensity. The last movement (Cruising) has a gentle serenade nature to it at times but there is some more ‘sturm und drang’ with good work for both strings and horns. The onward coursing theme at 7:30 on track 4 is a fine inspiration. There are at least two other recordings including one on CPO and another on Danacord. The latter is a historic performance of great intensity. Perhaps a few more volts in the present recording would have helped.

The first of the four movements encompasses almost half the Symphony No. 3 (1927). It opens darkly and soon (04.00) passes through some Elgarian moments into a restful interlude. There is more complexity here but the colours and sounds seem more Børresen’s own. It is still perfectly tuneful with romantically aspiring horns at 6:40. At 7:36 a great black chasm opens up - one of the strongest moments in both discs. The movement ends with great nobility for horns and strings. Brass and strings conspire in a Schumann-like peroration. The two central movements are no longer than 8 minutes in total. The adagio is very attractive with a lovely fade by the violins to close. The third movement has the air of a graceful dance or an open-air coach-ride with Dvořákian woodland moments. The last movement has more snap and crackle about it and more dramatic depth though heaven-storming climaxes are not his style: colour, fine orchestral touches and detailing aplenty. The symphony ends in an atmosphere of joyously innocent celebration.

There is much to charm in the last two symphonies. After hearing these discs you can be forgiven for assuming that Børresen was more at home with songful serenading rather than high-tension romantics - more Gade than Sibelius. Definitely worth hearing - though not an edge-of-seat listening experience. Congratulations to the Børresen Estate, Dacapo, Marco Polo, the orchestra and Owain Arwel Hughes for making this available.

If you must go for one disc alone try the First Symphony and the Concerto. Now we must hope for a complete recording of Børresen’s Greenland opera Kaddara (1921). If it is anything like its most famous aria Ujarak’s Farewell it will be well worth hearing. If you are looking for an alternative recording of the last two symphonies then go for the CPO CD conducted by Ole Schmidt. His opera, The Royal Guest is also on Dacapo and has been reviewed here.

Rob Barnett