Music review: BBC SSO, City Halls, Glasgow

Geirr Tveitt’s Vélkomne med æra lasted only a few minutes, but as the opener to this BBC SSO concert – one of only a handful of Tveitt’s Hundred Hardanger Tunes for orchestra to survive his family house fire – it introduced us to a 20th century Norwegian composer whose recasting of authentic folk music from his homeland is every bit as exquisite and illuminating as Vaughan Williams’ treatment of traditional English song.

Consumed by a luxurious warmth, touched by subtle, shifting nuances, predominantly hushed but with impassioned undercurrents, it also allowed up and coming Norwegian conductor Tabita Berglund to make a distinctive impression on her SSO debut. The engaging glow she instantly captured, the supple warmth of the strings and the piquancy of the prominent piccolo, set a mood of calm anticipation.