Fortuna

This disc brings together new works for flute and piano from Norwegian composers, performed by Norwegian players. As such, it was all new to me; I had not previously heard any of the works or the performers, and the disc proved to be a fantastic voyage of discovery. Everything about this CD was appealing, from the layout of the CD sleeve and informative programme notes, to the recorded music.(......) (....) The final track on the disc is Knut Vaage's Fortuna, a comical work with a wonderful sense of fun. The ensemble playing in the opening movement Hoccetus is particularly impressive. the second movement is a very well-written slow movement for alto flute which makes good use of the instrument's dark. The Scherzo reminded me a little of Shostakovich and sounds like it would be enormously fun to play. Switching to piccolo for the end of the movement, this is full of sparkle and mischief. This is followed by a sensuous reverie again, stylishly played with the previous movement. The piccolo returns for the extremely brief final movement, which provides a splash of quirky charm to the end of the work. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD throughout, and am grateful for the opportunity to have heard these new pieces, all which are of a very high quality, well put together and musically interesting. The standard of playing is consistently good throughout, with some wonderfully expressive moments. The duo playing between the flute and piano is excellent, and both performers are excellent ambassadors for the music they play. Highly recommended.

Carla Rees, The Journal of the British Flute Society, March 2008