Annar Follesø and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra perform the rare work of Ole Bull. With Annar on violin leading the orchestra along a composition that has never been heard since the death of Bull himself. This album is the sequel to their 2010 rendition of Bull´s work. What could be most interestingly stated about this work is that it is taken from what was left of Bull´s manuscripts. These incomplete notes were reconstructed by Wolfgang Plagge with the help of Annar Follesø, the prior of which has an intimate knowledge of Bull´s work. Ole Bull was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. He himself was a Norwegian native who was born in Bergen. With Wolfgang Plagge, Follesø is artistic director of Sunnmøre Chamber Music Festival in western Norway. The present recording is Follesø’s fourth for the 2L label.
An exquisite sequel to Annar Follesø´s first attempt at Ole Bull
The Norwegian Radio Orchestra began in 1946 and was mainly used for radio broadcasts. Today the orchestra consists of about fifty musicians and has, over the years, assumed a wide variety of musical styles, from symphonic works and contemporary music to advanced jazz, folk music, rock and evergreens.
The conductor of the album is Eun Sun Kim. She studied at the Yonsei University in Seoul and the State University of Music and Performing arts, Stuttgart. Kim has worked as guest conductor with several of the world’s leading opera houses, and from the 2019-20 season has been engaged as principal guest conductor with Houston Grand Opera. She has also been appointed Music Director at San Francisco Opera, an appointment she will take up in the 2021-22 season.
Bull himself began playing the violin at the age of five. He was mostly influenced by French-trained violinists of the Bergen Harmonic Society as well as by Norwegian peasant fiddlers. Most of his career involved travelling through Europe and the United States playing shows. He amazed audiences with his ability to play several tones at once. Most of his compositions were built around his style of play and quirky composition.
This album is available on Pure Audio Blu-ray in Dolby Atmos and Auro 3-D to give the listener a true orchestral experience. A known favorite format of Grammy winner Morten Lindberg of 2L records. The album will be widely available this spring.
