Garden of Devotion

Listening to the towering crystal voice of Lisa Larsson carrying the five magical songs about 'unrequited love' to privileged heights, underpinned by the warm strings of The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, fulfilled its stage orchestra's role with verve and apparent pleasure. Everything works fine. I'm sure that in Lisa Larsson's interpretation of these five songs will win many hearts.

No wonder. Both composer and dedicated soloist have been working together for a long time, whilst the optimum collaboration with the orchestra finds its origin from the time that Martinsson was Composer in Residence with The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, both belonging to the same cultural entity. (It may be of interest to note that under the pressure of economics, the two orchestras share everything, including the concert venue, but the strings).

Bert van der Wolf is famous for the natural quality of Northstar recordings, with just enough ambient sound to make the listener feel like having the best seat in the hall. The orchestra and soloist in front and coming from 'surround' the natural reflection of the walls, thus creating a three dimensional soundstage. However, not so in 'Kalliope'. One wonders if this part has been engineered by different people, preferring a full surround sound picture, like 2L or even Tacet. Or has it been done deliberately by van der Wolf cs. to create the Goddesses omnium presence? It took me by surprise.

Performance: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Multichannel Sonics: 4 out of 5 stars