Saeverud, Harald, Alexander Dmitriev, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra - Harald Saeverud: Peer Gynt Suites 1 & 2, Op. 28 / Sinfonia Dolorosa, Op. 19 / Galdreslåtten, Op. 20 / Kjempevise- slåtten, Op. 22 - Amazon.com Music

Saeverud must have felt some trepidation being a Norwegian composer after Grieg, and faced with a commission to compose incidental music for a production of Henrik Ibsen'sPeer Gynt.He was evidently determined to distance himself as much as possible from the folksy romanticism of his 19th- century predecessor. So his music is hard-edged, wiry, and tinged with jazz. For example, "Anitra's Dance"--a delicate Oriental confection in Grieg--becomes in Saeverud's hands a wild, even erotic belly dance. If you're wondering what happened to Norwegian music after Grieg, Saeverud is a good place to begin your investigation, particularly in BIS's superb ongoing series.--David Hurwitz