Antwerp Symphony Orchestra & Christian Lindberg - Stenhammar: Symphony No. 2 & Ett drömspel (2018) CD-Rip

Let me confess that I fell in love with this marvelous symphony back in the 1990's beginning with Stig Westerberg's masterful performance with the Stockholm Philharmonic on the Caprice label, and have subsequently purchased every new recorded performance which succeeded it. In addition and with the help of a Swedish friend of mind, I proceeded to devour as much of Stenhammar's music as I could obtain. Westerberg's frequent rival in those days of course was Neeme Järvi (and btw his recording is impressive, but is a bit too muscular in MHO for this work.)

For this symphony is above all "Romantic" in addition to being lively, often with a wistful, tender quality to its exquisite melodies, gorgeous even, if you're susceptible to those feelings. Among fellow Stenhammar fans, there seemed to be an agreement that Westerberg just owned this work, and the Stockholm Philharmonic just played their hearts out.

That was then, and what about now - 30 years later? A real challenge to Westerberg's primacy has arrived with this glorious new SACD I must admit. - I know little about conductor Christian Lindberg, and even less about the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. But they make a magnificent debut (as it were). The orchestra plays beautifully, and Lindberg conducts smartly, almost shifting gears with equal fluidity as Westerberg does regarding dynamics and feeling, He also has the advantage of BIS' superb SACD engineering which in its multi-channel mix opens up the orchestra to your ears. But great as the SACD process is, roughly thirty years before Caprice Records gave Westerberg and the Stockholm Philharmonic an extraordinary red book recording to be proud of, given the era.

Finally, Stenhammar completists may wish to take note that after Lindberg's excellent performance of the G minor Symphony, this disk has a presentation of music the composer wrote for Strinberg's "A Dream Play," which is almost unknown, (understandably, in MHO). - As for the symphony, I'll stay with Westerberg, but Lindberg is damn close!
The work is mandatory, and you'll be happy with either.