STÅLE KLEIBERG (b.1958): David and Bathsheba.

Description: Horrifyingly expensive, thanks to 2L's insistence on making you buy a Blu-ray disc (which you almost certainly have no use for) along with the regular CD, but we offer this for those of you who loved this Norwegian composer's sensuous and neo-romantic violin and double bass concertos (08L009) and symphony The Bell Reef (01G071). Jessica Gordon's libretto uses an elevated poetic language and Kleiberg supplies a shimmering score, using a chamber-sized formation with prominent tuned percussion and harp which help achieve a pseudo-archaic, distancing effect. Four chorales (including Psalms 8 and 51) serve as pillars; the solo and duet pieces are sometimes arioso sometimes full arias. You might think of Britten or similar 20th century English oratorio in the overall effect. Texts included (it's in English!). Anna Einarsson (mezzo), Johannes Weisser (baritone), Nils Harald Sødal, Fredrik Akselberg (tenors), Lars Johansson Brissman (bass), Trondheim Symphony Orchestra Vocal Ensemble, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra; Tonu Kaljuste.