Bruch's "Nordland" Suite

[Mark Thomas]

I've posted in the Downloads board a radio recording of Bruch's "Nordland" Suite for Orchestra. I think that this is the only recording of the work, which wasn't published until 1956, the date of the recording. The title "Nordland" was added by the publisher, Bruch having given it the more prosaic title: Suite No.2 on Swedish Folk Melodies for Orchestra. It's a significant work in five attractive movements, lasting almost 28 minutes. The first movement in particular is a substantial one: a 9½ minute Ballade.

[eschiss1]

Full orchestra, unlike some of his other Swedish works, I gather? Anyhow, looking forward to hearing it, will check soon. Thanks!

(Hrm. "Serenade for String Orchestra after Swedish Melodies--to give it its full title--a tauter reworking of his Nordland Suite written 12 years earlier." - still not sure if the Nordland Suite has been (otherwise) recorded, but the later reworking (Serenade) has (e.g. on cpo) . Mr. Fifield reports hearing (I assume from context that he was himself conducting, though that it was not recorded?) the Nordland suite - Op.79b - in Cologne in 1997 in his book on Bruch. (He assigns it 79b, which is odd as Marco Polo assigns this to the Russian Suite. Hrm.)

[eschiss1]

Ah. You mentioned that already, of course. Someone also claims this, which kind of interests...

"The second theme in the second movement of [Bruch's] op. 88 derives from the first movement of Bruch's Suite No. 2 for orchestra ("Nordland Suite", 1906, WoO)"...