Eventyr

With its images of rugged mountains, stormy fjords, and whistling wind, Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt’s atmospheric tone poem “Eolsharpa” comes to spectacular life on Eventyr, Christian Grøvlen’s imaginative, brilliantly performed album of Norwegian piano music. The colors in Sinding’s Sonate, Op. 91, a work of ultra-Romantic beauty, are equally vibrant, its blend of folk-inspired lyricism and soul-searching passion making for an intoxicating listen. The title work, Alf Hurum’s impressionist Eventyrland conjures images of dark forests, scampering trolls, and fairy princesses, while in “Ballade, Op. 24,” a set of variations on a Norwegian folk tune, Grieg takes the listener through the gamut of emotions, from deep introspection to final, blazing triumph.