Symphonies nos 2 & 4 (2001)

Both of these recordings are World Premieres and they give us a very welcome chance to try out a new composer who writes in a very tonal style, and is an excellent orchestrator. (...) Hol’s second symphony (influenced by Mendelssohn and Schubert) is a traditional sonata form movement preceded by a slow introduction. There then follows a slow movement, dark and prayerful, which makes quite an impression. We then have a presto, which is in the style of a Mendelssohnian scherzo, and this is followed by the very lively finale, quite out of character for what one might expect to come out of Holland. The fourth symphony is receiving here what seems to be its first performance. It was never published, and for this recording, the symphony was produced from the newly published score, based on the autograph. (...)Thus we come to the end of a very enjoyable disc. (musicweb-international.com)