Here's an easy call: these are stunning performances of music that you'd have to be either deaf or dead not to love. Yes, there are zillions of performances of the Holberg Suite out there, many of them excellent, but Ruud's version is so compelling that it simply makes you forget about any other. It has freshness and poetry in abundance, and he gets the strings of the Bergen Philharmonic to do exactly what so many string sections find all but impossible: achieve sharp rhythmic accuracy without compromising tone quality. This is most evident in the Prelude and final Rigaudon, but on a more subtle level this keenness of rhythm, allied to shapely phrasing, also helps to float the melodies of the gentler inner movements, particularly the Air, which is just gorgeous.
The remaining pieces might be termed "minor Grieg" were they not so inherently beautiful. In fact, the Two Nordic Melodies Op. 63 is a pretty substantial work, with an opening number running longer than seven minutes. In any case, it doesn't matter if you use this disc primarily for "quiet listening" so long as you also can pay attention and come away with a renewed admiration for Grieg's music. In stereo the engineering is outstanding, but in SACD surround format you can really wallow in the rich, warm sounds that Ruud draws from his players. This series has ranged from good to fabulous, and there's no question that this disc belongs firmly in the latter category. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
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