Elementa Pro Organo

"This is a fine recording and performance. Although this is only a 5.0 channel disc, with no discrete bass channel, the low end is prodigious. The works offered are technically difficult, and Dahl is a capable organist who sails through the difficult arpeggios and dense pedal notes. The dynamic range on the disc is very high. You may find yourself adjusting levels to bring up the quiet parts, and bolting for your remote when the triple forte’s appear.

I found this disc a good listen, and a nice introduction to a composer who was not on my radar."

"Egil Hovland (1924-2013) was one of Norway's most prolific composers, and sometimes a controversial one for several reasons. Lawo Classics and organist Anders Eidsten Dahl present here a well-filled disc (76:59) of Hovland's organ music, demonstrating his musical development during a lengthy period as the organist and choir leader in Fredrikstad Church, south-west Norway, a tenure which he held from 1949 until his death.

Lawo's engineering places the organ well in the reverberant air of Bragernes Church, but close enough not to lose fine details and timbres, particularly in the colorful 'Elementa',which produces many sounds not normally found on organs. 5.0 multichannel is the best, but even then, stereo shows something of the lateral spread of the organ pipes.

All together, this program, one of few recordings of Hovland's organ works, provides a well-balanced and insightful assessment of one of Norway's most popular composers. Very well recorded and presented, with good information about the musical contexts in Norwegian and English, this is a fine contribution to the organ's discography. Highly recommended. 5-Stars for Performance, Stereo and Multichannel sonics."