Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Hermann Bäumer - Jón Leifs: Works for Voices and Orchestra (2004)

To appreciate the cantatas and oratorio movements by Icelandic composer Jón Leifs, it helps to have some acquaintance with Eddic poetry, a liking for austere harmonies and dry orchestration, a preference for very slow tempos, and a taste for stentorian singing; without these prerequisites, this CD will seem a crashing bore. Not that Leifs lacked skill, or that his subject matter is devoid of interest, but the pervasively solemn tone of his music wears thin quickly, and the long stretches of recitativo singing almost sound as if they were extracted from a dreary Nordic opera. Viking's Answer opens with some exciting fanfares in open fifths for brass and percussion, reminiscent in its bravado of Janácek's Sinfonietta; it may be the most enjoyable track for its directness and brevity. Spring-Song is also an exception for its quicker pace and more colorful scoring. But beware the bleak scenes of The Lay of Helgi the Hunding-slayer and Gróa's Spell, the tedious Landfall -- Overture, and the overlong and bombastic Iceland Cantata, which induce fatigue through their heavy moods and drab orchestration. Hermann Bäumer and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, with several solo vocalists and three choral ensembles, give serious-minded performances, though their low-intensity playing and singing are far from rousing. The sound quality is often soft and indistinct, so headphones are needed to hear everything.