Dive into the rich tapestry of Swedish opera with Wilhelm Peterson-Berger's "Arnljot," a monumental work that showcases the composer's mastery of choral and orchestral writing. Released in 2015, this album is a testament to Peterson-Berger's unique voice in the world of classical music, offering a profound and engaging experience for both seasoned opera enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
"Arnljot" is a three-act opera that weaves a dramatic narrative through its 34 tracks, spanning over two and a half hours. The album features a stellar cast, including Sigurd Björling, Barbro Ericsson, and Margareta Bergström, who bring depth and nuance to their respective roles. The opera is a journey through love, betrayal, and redemption, set against the backdrop of medieval Scandinavian folklore.
Wilhelm Peterson-Berger's compositional style is characterized by its lyrical melodies and intricate harmonies, which are beautifully captured in this recording. The choral sections, in particular, are a highlight, demonstrating Peterson-Berger's ability to create rich, multi-layered textures that resonate with the listener. The orchestration is equally impressive, with each instrument contributing to the overall drama and atmosphere of the opera.
This album is a significant addition to the discography of Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, offering a comprehensive look at his operatic works. The high-quality recording and production values ensure that every detail of the composition is brought to life, providing an immersive listening experience. Whether you are exploring Peterson-Berger's music for the first time or revisiting his works, "Arnljot" is a compelling and rewarding listen.
2015 Caprice2015 Caprice Records
Tracks
Arnljot (Excerpts): Kommen, kvinnor!Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Barbro Ericson, Margareta Bergstrom, Sylvan Beré, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 1: Unn: ”Huld och hövisk hälsning…”Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Barbro Ericsson, Margareta Bergstrom, Sixten Ehrling, Stig Rybrant, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Unn: ”Hån, nidord ännu…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Barbro Ericsson, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 1: Sigurd: ”Gunstigt möte, fränka!”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Barbro Ericsson, Conny Soderstrom, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Gunhild: ”Vet du fader, att…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Leon Bjorker, Margareta Bergstrom, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Gunhild: ”Nej, ingen är konungalik…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Margareta Bergstrom, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Arnljot: ”Alltjämt de mäktiga fjäll sig välva..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Unn: ”Arnljot, min son, sök att …”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Barbro Ericsson, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Gudfast: ”God dag, svärfader!”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Leon Bjorker, Anders Näslund, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Östmund: ”Blot är hållet med bön till de höge,..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Leon Bjorker, Carl-Axel Hallgren, Conny Soderstrom, Sture Ingebretzen, Arne Tyren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 1: Unn: ”Arnljot, säg – är det – sant?”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Barbro Ericsson, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Gunhild: ”Arnljot!”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Margareta Bergstrom, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 1: Torar: ”Där är han ännu.”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Leon Bjorker, Carl-Axel Hallgren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 2: Vaino: ”Vems röst hör jag ropa…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Eva Prytz, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 2: Ubma: ”Vaino!”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Eva Prytz, Olle Sivall, Sixten Ehrling, Kungliga Hovkapellet
Arnljot, Act 2: Vaino: ”Äro de borta?”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Eva Prytz, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Göka-Tore: ”Vill du strid, främling, så stöt till!”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Carl-Axel Hallgren, Sven-Erik Jacobsson, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot (Excerpts): O vore var maska, jag knyterWilhelm Peterson-Berger, Eva Prytz, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Gunhild: ”Har du en dryck källfriskt vatten?”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Margareta Bergstrom, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Gunhild: ”Bor du – här?”Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Stig Rybrant, Sigurd Bjorling, Margareta Bergstrom, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Arnljot: ”Allt bittrare nederlag unnar mig ödet,..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Ubma: ”Säg! Var gömmas din faders skatter?”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Eva Prytz, Olle Sivall, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Arnljot: ”Jag var i drömmarnas land”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Arnljot: ”Gå till ditt folk!”Stig Rybrant, Sigurd Bjorling, Eva Prytz, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Ubma: ”Du listiga hynda,..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Eva Prytz, Olle Sivall, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 2: Arnljot: ”Hans hemliga konst räcker..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Eva Prytz, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Olav: ”Nåväl – då I nu skiftat håg…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Carl-Axel Hallgren, Arne Wiren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Hirdmannen: ”Till Stiklestads gård har kommit…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Arne Wiren, Sven Wallskog, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Tormod: ”Ung och båld den bruna havsörn…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Georg Svedenbrant, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 3: Arnljot: ”Hell dig, konung!”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Arne Wiren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Finn Arnesson: ”Herre, våra spejare mäla,..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Arne Wiren, Tore Persson, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Olav: ”Ej hinna vi byta många ord…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Arne Wiren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Finn Arnesson: ”Herre, bondehären rycker fram…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Arne Wiren, Tore Persson, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot (Excerpts): Är det möjligt!Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Margareta Bergstrom, Kungliga, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Sigurd: ”Vi måste finna honom,..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Conny Soderstrom, Sture Ingebretzen, Arne Tyren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Sigurd: ”Var lugn, Arnljot...”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Conny Soderstrom, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Kung Olav: ”Och nu, mina män,..”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Arne Wiren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Gunhild: ”O, skräckfulla vävnad av…”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Margareta Bergstrom, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 3: Olav: ”Vad? Är du sårad?”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Arne Wiren, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Sixten Ehrling
Arnljot, Act 3: Gunhild: ”Så bedrog jag mig ej.”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Sigurd Bjorling, Margareta Bergstrom, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Arnljot, Act 3: Sigurd: ”Är han död?”Stig Rybrant, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Margareta Bergstrom, Conny Soderstrom, Kungliga Hovkapellet, Royal Swedish Opera Chorus, Sixten Ehrling, Arne Sunnegårdh
Wilhelm Peterson-Berger is a renowned composer, particularly notable for his work in the choral genre. His music showcases a unique blend of styles, making him a standout figure in the world of classical music. With a focus on choral compositions, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger's works are a testament to his skill and artistry, offering listeners a chance to experience the beauty and complexity of his creations.