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Hillborg: Orchestral and Concertante Works, Vol. 1 on SACD

Following his critically acclaimed recording of Galina Ustvolskaya's five symphonies (BIS‑2304), conductor Christian Karlsen, together with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, now takes on the orchestral and concertante works of Anders Hillborg, Sweden's most performed living composer. This recording opens with the Piano Concerto No. 1, a hyperactive and virtuoso work filled with filigree detail, performed here by one of the leading interpreters of contemporary piano repertoire, Tamara Stefanovich. Also included is the Cello Concerto, characterised by the intimacy of it's scoring, and a direct and paired-back simplicity of expression, performed by Nicolas Altstaedt-the dedicatee of the work and one of today's most sought-after and versatile artists. Also on the programme: the Kongsgaard Variations, a meditative composition based on the arietta from Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 111, and Vaporised Tivoli, a frenzied and hallucinatory invocation of funfairs. Hillborg's music appeals to musicians and music lovers around the world thanks to it's deep expressiveness, it's irrepressible energy, and it's love of the absurd and unexpected. This recording constitutes an excellent introduction to the fascinating world of this unique composer.