Göran Fröst - Nordic Connections on CD

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To record the viola concerto by Gösta Nystroem is a dream I have nurtured for a long time. For me the slow movement is one of the most beautiful Swedish pieces for viola, full of Nordic melancholy. Ludvig Norman’s viola sonata has always been close to my heart and was an obvious choice for this album. Norman was married to the famous violinist Wilma Neruda in a stormy marriage which ended with Wilma leaving him. It was during this desperate time, facing the ruins of his marriage that he wrote the sonata for viola and piano. In 1900 a letter was sent to the Norwegian author Björnstjerne Björnson. The letter was from his good friend Edvard Grieg. Grieg, who had lived through a difficult time with a crisis in his marriage, was beginning to regain hope for life. He writes that he has recently played his violin sonatas in Denmark and that it was a great success. The violinist Grieg played with at the time was a certain Wilma Neruda. The c-minor sonata is a beloved work that has followed me through life and with its interesting connection to the Norman sonata it has a clear place as the last piece on the album. (Göran Fröst)