Havard Clinic

On this recording, they perform a comprehensive selection of Overtures by Francis Poulenc. Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) is not an easy composer to relate to. Not the man himself perhaps – though possibly that too – but his music. It is somehow dated. Here is a composer who produced his best works, all more or less completely tonal, at a time when Arnold Schoenberg was writing twelve-tone music and Poulenc’s countrymen Oliver Messiaen (1908–1992) and Pierre Boulez (1925–2016) were into innovative rhythms, scales and techniques to lift the music out of the realm of subjective emotionalism. One of Poulenc’s most splendid works, Gloria, from 1959, was composed two years after Boulez’s third piano sonata. The two works have nothing in common other than that they both consist of notes and belong to what is called the European music tradition. What’s more, I am reasonably certain that Gloria has many more listeners than the third piano sonata of Boulez, quite simply because this melodious choral work is more accessible…

Jean Sibelius - Piano Music Vol. 2 - Håvard Gimse (2000) {Naxos 8.554808}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 187 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 149 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 20 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2000 Naxos / HNH International | 8.554808
Classical / Late Romantic / Early Modern / Piano

The Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse here includes two important sets of the piano pieces, Opp. 34 and 40, and the 6 Finnish Folk Songs, fifth of which, Fratricide, is slightly Bartókian. Sibelius’s contemporary and countryman Selim Palmgren put it perfectly when he wrote that ‘even in what for him were alien regions, [Sibelius] moves with an unfailing responsiveness to tone colour’, and Gimse brings finesse and distinction to this repertoire. This and the companion disc are first recommendations.

Jean Sibelius - Piano Music Vol. 1 - Håvard Gimse (1999) {Naxos 8.553899}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 191 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 21 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1999 Naxos / HNH International | 8.553899
Classical / Late Romantic / Early Modern / Piano

The Sonata and Impromptus are early and come from the year in which the first version of En Saga was composed. The Sonata has a genuine sense of forward movement and some of its ideas are appealing. The Op. 24 Pieces were written at various times between 1894 and 1903. The Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse has consistent tonal beauty and unfailing musicianship. He is imaginative and has the kind of natural eloquence which allows the music to speak for itself yet still makes it sound fresh and unsentimental. This is distinguished playing and a strong recommendation at any price level.

Jean Sibelius - Piano Music Vol. 3 - Håvard Gimse (2001) {Naxos 8.554814}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 170 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 142 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 16 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2001 Naxos / HNH International | 8.554814
Classical / Late Romantic / Early Modern / Piano

The Ten Pieces of Op. 58 date from 1909, the year of the String Quartet (Voces intimae). They are delightful and by no means just trivial. Each has its own sobriquet and shows real keyboard character. The final rather solemn Summer Song is memorable, as is the wistful mood of the first of the Two Rondinos, written two years later; the second sparkles most pianistically. The three Sonatinas, written together in the summer of 1912, are also full of charming ideas, giving the impressions of a composer relaxing in holiday mood. Håvard Gimse plays all this music freshly, and this Naxos disc more than bears out the promise of its companions.

Jean Sibelius - Piano Music Vol. 4 - Håvard Gimse (2003) {Naxos 8.555363}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 167 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 143 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 31 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2003 Naxos / HNH International | 8.555363
Classical / Late Romantic / Early Modern / Piano

Gimse delivers very attractive readings that are warm, poetic and user-friendly. Actually, you won't find more affectionate performances on disc…. each piece is expertly constructed with engrossing melodies and rhythms that are not soon forgotten… With little exception, these pieces are among Sibelius's most enjoyable. They flow beautifully and express human urges, regret and triumph. Sibelius also injects a delightful improvisation into a few of the works… Gimse continues to offer excellent readings with an enticing blend of warmth and mystery…These are absolute gems that retain my attention after many hearings…For those who remain interested in Sibelius piano discs, Gimse's Naxos series is a fine choice. The price tag is low, and he offers affectionate interpretations in rich and clear sound.

Jean Sibelius - Piano Music Vol. 5 - Håvard Gimse (2004) {Naxos 8.555853}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 173 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 138 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 39 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2004 Naxos | 8.555853
Classical / Late Romantic / Early Modern / Piano

All the pieces recorded here come from the 1920s, the period of the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies, and are rarities. Among the finest are the Five Sketches, which come from the very end of the decade and more among Sibelius’s last published works. They may be slight but they are highly individual and hive great finesse. The Village Church from Op. 103 has overtones of the Andante festivo for strings, and The Oarsman seems to ruminate on ideas in the Seventh Symphony. Sibelius’s piano-writing may have evoked little enthusiasm during his lifetime and it is true that, by the exalted standards he set elsewhere, it is limited in resource and scale. But pieces like In Mournful Mood and Landscape from Op. 114 are curiously haunting. So is the rest of the Op. 114 set, and its neglect has been our loss.