Ingela Oien, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Ingar Bergby, BIT20 Ensemble - Janus

Janus is a creature with two faces who in Roman mythology is the god of gates and doorways, of beginnings and endings. Janus's two faces are on one head, each facing in opposite directions -- one looking into the future, the other into the past. No wonder then that composer Knut Vaage and flautist Ingela Oien have chosen Janus as the name for their album, as it represents a double portrait of their 40-year collaboration.

The pieces on the album are rather diverse, but they do share a common denominator - that of Ingela Oien, who for decades has been one of Norway's foremost flautists. You would be hard pressed to think of a more ideal collaborator for Oien than Knut Vaage, and vice versa. Her presence ensures that the connection between composer and soloist is always tangible. There is a warmth and presence to her playing, which Vaage fills with suggestions, instructions, requests, recommendations, and imperatives. She channels the material through herself, producing something which is uniquely her own, while remaining deeply rooted in Vaage's distinctive sound palette.