Bentzon: Symphony No. 8; Symphonic Variations – Gothenburg-Aarhus Philharmonic, Douglas Bostock

‘Bentzon was astonishingly productive: 24 symphonies, 14 string quartets and 25 piano sonatas amongst much else. The first symphony dated from 1942; the last from 1994. Bentzon’s troubled Eighth Symphony is in four movements. The first runs to almost eighteen minutes. It instantly establishes, through a discreet drum-roll, a bleak landscape. There are Shostakovichian interjections and rolling asides. Side-drum interruptions link us tersely with Nielsen and there are resemblances to the mighty Carl… The symphony ends in whispering violin whirlwinds and recollections of the Nielsen-like blasts of energy unleashed early in the work mixed with the triumphant tramp of Vaughan Williams’ 4th symphony…

Five years before the Eighth Symphony Bentzon completed his Symphonic Variations… The music is tougher than that for the Eighth Symphony although some movements are more accessible such as the Palladian raindrop peace of Variation II… The work ends in an impressive protesting growl, a howl of the brass and those thunderous hammer-blows of the type Sibelius used to end his Fifth Symphony and Nielsen used to launch his Third…

The orchestra perform impressively and with complete professionalism. Strings have fine unanimity, body, glow and intonation while the brass, woodwind and hard-pressed percussion are magnificent. The project is a credit to the orchestra and to Douglas Bostock whose open-minded approach to unusual repertoire is invigorating and should set the pace for the many “stars” who too easily succumb to predictable orthodoxy.’

Rob Barnett, Music Web International