For the past fifteen years the Marais Project has augmented their continuing exploration of the 600 works composed by Marin Marais with concerts and recordings of considerable diversity and innovation.
The Project’s fifth CD, SMÖRGÅSBORD! is no exception. Recently released on the Move Records label, it shares aspects of the Swedish musical tradition from pastoral hymn tune through folksong and Baroque instrumental music to 21st century composition.
A stellar cast of a male vocalist and period instrumentalists bring to life a work from Marin Marais’ oeuvre as well as the variety of Swedish music. Fine arrangements by Tommie Andersson in the Baroque guise make up an impressive thirteen of the twenty-four tracks.
The assembled artists are a fine advertisement for the local early music scene. Jennifer Eriksson on viola da gamba, Melissa Farrow on Baroque flute, Fiona Ziegler on violin, Tommie Andersson playing theorbo and classical guitar as well as tenor Pascal Herington appear with different emphasis and interest throughout.
Our introduction to Swedish musical history begins with the arrangement of an old pastoral hymn, ‘Gammal fäbodpsalm’ for instruments alone. Its single track commences the CD with much atmosphere, interlocking part-playing and poise.
Tenor Pascal Herington sings four late eighteenth-century songs by the prolific songwriter Carl Michael Bellman next. The ensemble accompaniments are arranged by Andersson. Herington sings with agile characterisation, a command of the lilting Swedish inflection and expressive ornamentation across the set.
A sonata for flute and continuo from the Swedish Baroque composer Johan Roman bring us a different style for the next five tracks. Farrow illustrates the success of this great Swedish Baroque composer’s efforts to match the compositional affects of his contemporaries in other European countries. The performance is well-shaped, interpreted with effective nuance and has seamless unison with the continuo.
Approximately at the disc’s halfway point, we hear the most modern work in an arranged form. The sublime ‘Pavane: Thoughts of a septuagenarian’ by Esbjörn Svensson works very well away from its original twenty-first century jazz-trio format. There is an even spread of the ensemble’s tone colour in this version.
The following seven tracks introduce us to the elegant ‘Suite No 2 in G minor from Pieces en Trio’ by Marais (1692). With flute and violin taking the top two parts, this is a delicious morsel indeed amongst the Swedish treats on offer at this musical buffet.
Tommie Andersson’s arrangements complete the CD. Firstly an exploration of four Swedish folk songs, fleshed out to be played by the ensemble. The folk sentiments of family and culture enjoy great depth here. There is a solid conversion of vocal parts to instruments.
The penultimate track sees tenor Pascal Herington return to sing ‘Om sommaren sköna’ (In beautiful summer). This track’s arrangement features extended music around each verse showcasing the instrumentalists. The sad, powerful lyrics emerge with even tone from a nicely phrased structure.
The CD finishes in true Marais Project style, making a well-known pop song its own. In this case, it is that classic from those Eurovision winning Swedes who were no strangers to folk music performance themselves. However this time the ‘other’ Andersson morphs the material into a Baroque-friendly Courante for his group to play.
SMÖRGÅSBORD! Is an accessible and wide-ranging treat. At all times it remains an expressive and educational aural event. Its packaging includes informative notes and clear translations, with attractive and appropriate photography for the musical atmospheres and material covered.
The longest movement or track is just short of five minutes, giving the recording good momentum. Some of the disc’s well-chosen and dynamically delivered music will instantly repeat in your head, or make you crave a repeat listening. New favourite works and arrangements abound here for us.
SMÖRGÅSBORD! ©2014 is on the Move Records label MCD512.
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