Henning Sommerro: Borders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Henning Sommerro: Borders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 4, 2024

Henning Sommerro is a Norwegian composer whose name is probably largely unfamiliar to many Westerners, though his biography certainly might remind some on this side of the pond (and/or further west than Norway) of any number of legendary musicians who had youths where both classical and other more popular idioms were part and parcel of both study and performance. That variety of experience certainly comes into play in Borders, a triptych of sorts which the back cover of this release states offers "three works for soloist and orchestra and three visions (which) encounter resistance before they struggle forward to possible redemption and resolution". The result is a stylistic grab bag that may recall any number of tone poems, film scores or even music accompanying theatrical events like the often engaging soundtracks to Cirque du Soleil productions.

Song of Norway kind of hilariously tried to tell the story of Edvard Grieg, arguably one of the better remembered Norwegian composers, and if the film failed spectacularly as a biography, it at least had some really ravishing music, and there are actually parts of Borders, especially in some of Sammerro's very colorful orchestrations, that may recall the 19th century master. In this case, though, that solid orchestral sensibility is filtered through an understandably more contemporary lens, meaning that tonalities may shift and there are a number of unusual effects ranging from quasi-antiphons (helped by the fact the orchestra was recorded in the round, as shown in the fourth photo depicting the recording layout) to thunderous repeated tympani to flitting wind instruments competing with energetic strings. There are even some more odd swooping siren like effects in the brass (I suspect trombones) that may recall another "Edvard", Edgard Varèse, in at least somewhat the same way as another recently reviewed release from 2L, Lasse Thoresen: Lyden av Arktis, does, albeit in this instance in a probably more accessibly tonal way.

Henning Sommerro: Borders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While there is an AVC 1080 video component to this release, it's really just a standard menu, as can be seen in the fifth photo accompanying this review. A few "moving parts" are included, with the track titles changing and a complete tracklist also available, along with a credits pop up informational screen. You can control which audio codec you prefer via the colored buttons on your remote and so really don't need to have a monitor employed to enjoy this release.

Henning Sommerro: Borders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

2L continues to provide some of the finest engineering in high res recording that I've personally experienced, and Borders is another literal whirlwind of surround activity in all of its surround codecs, including Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. As mentioned above in the main body of the review, and as can be seen in some of the photos accompanying this review, the orchestra was laid out "in the round", and that layout is imaged to near perfection in the surround offerings on the Blu-ray disc. That approach puts the listener squarely in the middle of an enveloping array of the various orchestral sections, with featured soloists always beautifully prioritized above the main "fray" of the orchestral masses. Brass is especially resplendent throughout, but some of the more whimsical uses of things like harmonica and pan flute add considerable color. Dynamic range is extremely wide, and the entirety of the disc provides an immensely fluid listening experience with superb fidelity.

Henning Sommerro: Borders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While there is no on disc bonus content other than mShuttle availability, 2L also includes a CD and a really nicely appointed insert booklet with quite a bit of background information on all the pieces, including some of the myths that are being musically depicted.

Henning Sommerro: Borders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the three pieces on this disc at least flirt with some of the stringent, atonal qualities that were much more prevalent on the Thorsen disc linked to above, this is really a rather accessible and beautifully wrought series of movements that is often whimsical, but is also at times grandiose in a traditionally "Romantic" (capital R) way. 2L continues to provide gorgeously recorded audio Blu-rays, and this is another sterling effort from the boutique label. Recommended.