I have been acquiring recordings of Johann Jacob Froberger's solo
harpsichord music which is masterful, usually dark, and highly expressive.
The most recent acquisition is a Norway Music disc of Canzones, Capriccios,
Toccatas, and other pieces played by H. K. Sveen.  Mr. Sveen was born in
1963 and currently teaches harpsichord and is a church organist.  He also
is a member of the ensemble "Bergen Barokk".

In the recent past, I waxed enthusiastically about Froberger harpsichord
discs from Bandine Verlet on Astree and Ludger Remy on CPO.  To my
surprise, although there are eighteen pieces on Sveen's recording, there
are no matches with Remy and only one with Verlet's disc.  That one is the
Canzon II in G minor.

Just as Verlet and Remy display significant differences in style, Sveen
and Verlet are also quite distinctive from one another in the Canzon II.
This Canzon essentially has three sections:  the first and longest is slow,
reflective, and eerie, the second picks up the pace and rhythmic vitality,
while the third is the fastest.  Verlet is the one who really conveys the
eerie atmosphere in the first section with a grand nobility and breadth of
expression.  Her second section has an exquisite vitality, and the third
section is played in a highly angular manner.  By contrast, Sveen places
priority on drive and momentum in the first section and takes a more
straight-line approach than Verlet.  His second section does not have the
lightness of Verlet's, and the third section is much smoother.  I find them
equally effective overall.  Verlet's sound is quite rich and deep; Sveen's
is more treble oriented, although a little tinkering with an equalizer and
boosting of the bass control results in a soundstage fairly similar to
Verlet's.  It's largely a matter of taste here concerning the performances
and sound.  Being a former Rock addict, I appreciate strong drive and
momentum.  I also love the expansive approach that Verlet employs.

The other selections on Sveen's recording reveal a wealth of musical
inspiration.  However, there is one little reservation.  the severe pieces
tend to be lumped together instead of interspersing among them the less
burdened music.  Of course, you can always re-program the order of tracks
and eliminate the issue.

Concerning Norway Music, that was the listed company from which I ordered
the disc.  However, there is absolutely no mention of Norway Music on the
disc or the packaging.  There is a citation for "Bergen Barokk" and the
catalog number is BBR 901.  On web sites, it's listed as Norway Music 901.

Don's Conclusions:  The H. K. Sveen disc is another fine representation
of Froberger's musical talents.  Sveen is a good performer with an
excellent grasp of Froberger's idiom and a preference for the long line and
more propulsion than Blandine Verlet.  If you tend to favor horizontal
expression, Verlet is the better choice.  If Froberger's severity might be
a problem, the 2-CD Remy set is the best selection; Remy only plays
Froberger suites and they are more optimistic than his other harpsichord
music.  I am glad to have all three and am going for more.  I'm not close
to having my fill of Froberger.

Don Satz
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