An introduction to Christian Sinding's four symphonies

Naxos Classical Spotlight

What to make of Norwegian composer Christian Sinding, who is chiefly remembered only by ambitious amateur pianists for his Rustle of Spring? He was a more important figure in the music of his native Norway than this might suggest; there, in his time, he was second only to Grieg. Raymond Bisha introduces us to Sinding's four symphonies that reveal the composer not as an innovator, but as someone whose music can be readily enjoyed on its own merits. Editor, translator and journalist Jens F. Laurson suggests a context for exploring these works: “He’s not the symphonic Grieg we’ve been missing, nor a Nordic Brahms that’s been overlooked. He’s more of an amiable Stanford, Gernsheim, Raff, or perhaps Glaznuov … who wrote very pleasing works that we will not hear in the concert halls (sadly) but which will enliven our musical diet on recordings if we need to take a break from Dvořák, Brahms and Bruckner.”