Klaverkonsert Nr. 4 A-moll / Klaversonate D-moll - Etyde Fiss-dur - Vårbølger Dess-dur

Released in 1980 as part of the Norsk Kulturråds Klassikerserie, this recording was a significant effort to document the neglected works of the Norwegian composer Halfdan Cleve. Cleve, who studied under Xaver Scharwenka in Berlin, was a prominent late-romantic composer whose piano-heavy output fell into obscurity following the modernist shifts of the mid-20th century. By commissioning this record, the Norwegian Cultural Council aimed to revitalize interest in a national composer whose technical demands and lyrical intensity had been largely forgotten by the international stage.

The recording features the esteemed Norwegian pianist Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, who is widely regarded as one of the definitive interpreters of Norwegian piano music. Accompanied by The New Symphony Orchestra of London under the direction of Roy Wales, the performance of the Piano Concerto No. 4 in A minor, alongside smaller piano works like the Spring Waves, highlights Cleve’s synthesis of late-romantic virtuosity and early 20th-century impressionism. The release was received as an essential archival contribution, providing listeners with high-fidelity access to a composer whose works were otherwise largely unavailable on vinyl at the time.