ALBUMS
REVIEWS OF THE ALBUM
Baut
“Illevold brings a cheeky wit to the first movement, playful sarcasm to the second, and a dark, passionate reverence to the third. A grotesque interweaving of soloist and piano accompaniment drives the music toward a feverish climax. Supported by fragmentary cells of Nordic folk song that linger in the air and drift toward the strings and into unsettled waters, the music soon reveals its constricting grip—tight and unsettling—leading both soloist and listener ever farther from shore.”
— Iwan Fox, 4barsRest.com https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd766.asp​
“Illevold is outstanding, fully showcasing her remarkable technical skills through the composer’s cleverly conceived musical parodies. She brings this music vividly to life with considerable artistry; the euphonium’s sound blends seamlessly with the piano and lively percussion effects. The second movement unfolds as a wild dance, where the musical fireworks from euphonium and accompaniment leave the listener breathless before a reflective coda.”
— Thomas Dunne, Brass Band World Magazine https://www.brassbandworld.co.uk/​
“In Jan Erik Vold’s work, the power lies in the words; in Bente Illevold’s, it lies in the beauty of sound. The rapid runs for vibraphone and soft brass bring Frank Zappa to mind. Within the current of Norwegian music, Bente Illevold represents something I deeply value—a kind of reflective lift in her playing.”
— Ola Nordal, Ballade https://www.ballade.no/kunstmusikk/ballade-klassisk-24/
REVIEWS OF THE ALBUM
Alone
Illevold proves to be a superb virtuoso. Perhaps she has placed the runs in a way that suits her instrument, but it is nonetheless impressive how she can fly from high to low, and back to high, with all sorts of different antics, depending on what the variations require. At the same time, Illevold constantly maintains direction in the complicated runs, and the movement becomes rich in contrasts through the fact that she is sometimes allowed to stop the virtuosity in favor of calm, singable and melodic meditations. Illevold thus ends the record with his unique way of shaping the euphonium sound as a song, and when it sounds like this, I can easily listen to several records of solo music for the euphonium.
Magnus Andersson, musikkritikk.no https://www.musikkritikk.no/eufonium-illevold-alene/
An entire recording with only solo euphonium! This album probably has a rather narrow catchment area, but Bente Illevolds Alene has something timeless and meditative about it that makes it an exciting release. Illevold, who stands out as an exceptional virtuoso on the instrument.
Ola Nordal, Ballade.no https://www.ballade.no/kunstmusikk/balladeklassiskl/
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Solo euphonium. Taste the word. A bit unfamiliar perhaps? Well, the euphonium is an instrument with an exceptionally beautiful sound. Bente Illevold also has the ability, via this instrument, to have a personality in her interpretations that are exceptionally nice to listen to.
Trond Eriksson, den klassiske musikkbloggen https://klassiskcd.blogspot.com/2021/12/alene-en-solistisk-kommentar.html
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"Alone" is an outstanding euphonium album and I recommend it highly. On the whole album Bente Illevold shows a fine, rich euphonium sound and displays excellent control and agility. Combined with her inherent musicality, the result is excellent!
David Werden, euphoniumist http://www.dwerden.com/forum/entry.php/816-Review-Bente-Illevold-Album-quot-Alone-quot-(Norwegian-quot-Alene-quot-)#.YdqW5P7MJD8
REVIEWS OF THE ALBUM
The sound of the deep forests
5/6
"It is fantastically well performed and the two works form a rather appealing pair, rooted in Norwegian folk music, but developed in different directions."
"Bente Illevold and Anders Kregnes Hansen play with an almost symbiotic understanding and make this a surprisingly relaxed and pleasant experience."
Guy Rickards - Klassiskmusikk.com https://www.klassiskmusikk.com/cd- reviews/ klangen-fra-de-dype-skoger/
5/6
"Here we really get to experience how good Illevold's performance on the instrument is. Her sound is fantastic and not least the interaction with the percussionist Anders Kregnes Hansen is incredibly good."
Trond Erikson - The classical music blog https://klassiskcd.blogspot.com/2020/04/den-vakre-melankolske-klangen.html
“Expression should come from our heart and head, regardless of the difficulty level of the printed page. Bente proves that point. She sails / dances through these pieces with a lovely tone at all times and with just the right expression. ”
David Werden - Dwerden.com http://www.dwerden.com/forum/entry.php/810-New-CD-from-Bente-Illevold#.YOFY8egzaUk