Symphony No. 1 in E Minor Op. 21 "Nordic" / Lament for Beowulf Op. 25

"Both the playing and recording are beyond reproach, the climactic moments growing majestically in this warm, sympathetic acoustic. As for the idyllic interludes of the Andante solenne, they're phrased with the utmost sensitivity and care, this movement ending - somewhat peremptorily - with Ivesian suddenness. That abiding generosity of spirit informs the Andante teneramente as well, Schwarz's expansive reading allowing the music to breathe most naturally. The level of invention is never in doubt, and there's not a redundant bar in sight. And what a radiant close; goodness, what open-hearted music this is, and how affectionately played."
(Recording of the Month MusicWeb April 2012)

Howard Hanson, a composer of imagination and sweep and a colourist of huge eloquence, is one of the most approachable of all twentieth century symphonists. His guiding spirit was always Sibelius, and in the Symphony No. 1 'Nordic' he used the same key as in the Finnish composer's own First Symphony. The work is haunting, rapturous and serene, beautifully orchestrated and wholly commanding. The Lament for Beowulf, written for chorus and orchestra, dates from 1925. Its dark, brooding tension reflects its poetic inspiration with indelible force. "This is confident, generous, beautifully made music, richly (and sensitively) scored. Schwarz, and his splendid Seattle orchestra do not short-change us on any of this and they are beautifully, ripely, recorded here." (Gramophone on the original Delos release)