“… The Bergen Philharmonic plays superbly for its admirable chief conductor Edward Gardner who never puts a foot wrong.” *****

“… Edward Gardner conducts the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in a passionate Pelleas, while chamber forces most ably accompany the dazzling American soprano Sara Jakubiak in Erwartung’s solo vocal tour de force.”

“Fine performances of both works …”

Classical Album of the Week

“… The tone poem Pelleas und Melisande … predates his first stage work, Erwartung (Expectation), by only six years, yet their juxtaposition only serves to underline the composer’s continuity. The lush harmonic world of the orchestral piece offsets the drama’s pristine beauty, and Gardner’s clear-sighted vision finds shafts of light through the moonlit ‘forests’ of Schoenberg’s orchestration …”

“… Edward Gardner’s performance finds more connections than usual with the later Schoenberg – and specifically with Erwartung. He keeps the music’s sumptuousness on a tight rein, favouring tempi that are faster than most interpreters …But he makes sure the shape of the huge musical structure is never compromised, and there’s no lack of tonal weight when required from the Bergen Philharmonic, who are equally convincing when conjuring the febrile web of instrumental lines that surround the protagonist in the monodrama. Sara Jakubiak is a compelling soprano soloist too, far less histrionic and squally than some, giving a smooth contour to the vocal lines but never depriving them of dramatic intensity.” ****