NEW RECORDINGS

OUT NOW | VC Young Artist Violinist Johan Dalene's "Sibelius & Nielsen Violin Concertos"

March 29, 2022

2 MIN READ

Released on the BIS Records label, VC Young Artist Johan Dalene's latest Hybrid SACD was recorded with conductor John Storgårds and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Both Nordic composers featured on the SACD, Nielsen and Sibelius, were born in 1865. "One would think that their violin concertos are reminiscent of each other, but even though they were composed only 6 years apart, they have completely different tonal languages and structure," Johan explains.

"Both composers were violinists themselves and well acquainted with the instrument," he continues. "You feel it clearly and I love both concertos but for different reasons — Sibelius for his late romantic style and Nielsen with his neo-classical tone so full of surprises and unexpected harmonic twists."

"Nielsen struggled with writing his violin concerto, and the process was neither quick nor easy. His goal was to create music with substance which would provide a challenge for the soloist, as well as presenting the violin in the best possible light. He succeeded in creating a masterpiece with infinite richness of detail. There is an enormous wealth of detail here and every time I return to his music I find something new."

"Jean Sibelius' violin concerto has been a dear companion of mine for many years and it is a Concerto that I've always loved. He uses the possibilities of the violin to its very limit, as well as managing to convey the grandeur of the Scandinavian landscape in an incredibly powerful way," he concluded.

You can purchase and listen to the SACD here.

A student of Janine Jansen and Per Enoksson at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Dalene is a former major prize winner at the Menuhin, Kocian, and Cooper Competitions.

The 21-year-old also won first prize at the Carl Nielsen International Competition in 2019 and plays on a Stradivarius violin from 1736 ("Spencer Dyke"), generously on loan from the Anders Sveaas’ Charitable Foundation.

This album is Johan's second release — his previous one entitled "Nordic Rhapsody" released in 2021, won an Editor’s Choice by BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone and a Diapason d’Or.