Nørgård's Niche

[Madiel]

I've come to think that Norgard is like Holmboe, but distilled. Not the worst for this, of course, it's just it makes sense to me. 

Hmm. Okay. To be honest I don't hear a massive amount of similarity despite their personal connection.

[Symphonic Addict]

Hmm. Okay. To be honest I don't hear a massive amount of similarity despite their personal connection.

Don't take it literally, please! It was just a free thought that came to my mind that day. Both styles are quite different and distinctive for their own rights.

[Symphonic Addict]

Earlier I listened to the 8th SQ Night Descending like Smoke (a cool name BTW!) for the first time. Actually it's been my first acquaintance with some chamber work of this composer, and I found it so spectral, intriguing, with some hallucinating effects. Now my curiosity was piqued to investigate the other quartets.

[vers la flamme]

I have just begun listening to the music of Per Nørgård, by way of this interesting CD:



I find the two Nørgård works represented here totally fascinating. Perhaps most impressive is the solo viola sonata (here played on a violin), "The Secret Melody", in its ability to keep my attention with a single instrument, much of it droning on essentially a single note (especially the "Singing" third movement). This is clearly a highly creative, forward-thinking composer.

Where to from here? It appears he is acclaimed as a symphonist. I see someone on the first page of this thread recommended this:



... so I'll be seeking that out. Any other recommendations? It appears he has had an eclectic career with a number of stylistic changes.

This disc, another Chandos, also looks promising...:



Disregard the ugly Amazon watermarks, please!

[Iota]

Any other recommendations?

His string quartet no.10 is a very fine thing. In fact for me his finest (of what I know) .. a nice incarnation on Dacapo with the Kroger Qtet.

[vers la flamme]

His string quartet no.10 is a very fine thing. In fact for me his finest (of what I know) .. a nice incarnation on Dacapo with the Kroger Qtet.

Awesome, I found it. I'll have to check it out. The biggest hurdle to get over will be coming to terms with listening to a string quartet that shares a name with a major supermarket... but I can deal.

[vers la flamme]

Who's responsible for talking the Vienna Philharmonic into doing Nørgård? That's an astonishing feat of persuasion considering that great orchestra's reputation for extreme conservatism.

Anyone heard it?

[Madiel]

Who's responsible for talking the Vienna Philharmonic into doing Nørgård? That's an astonishing feat of persuasion considering that great orchestra's reputation for extreme conservatism.

Anyone heard it?

Yes, I have all 4 of the Da Capo discs (I think only that one is in Vienna). Da Capo sonics are magnificent these days and for this composer that's a huge bonus. I know lots of people keep recommending the older Chandos recordings but in the cases where I did a comparison I like the Da Capo set.

In terms of works generally, my gateway drug was the piano trio Spell. Also Symphony 3 is justly famous.

[vers la flamme]

Yes, I have all 4 of the Da Capo discs (I think only that one is in Vienna). Da Capo sonics are magnificent these days and for this composer that's a huge bonus. I know lots of people keep recommending the older Chandos recordings but in the cases where I did a comparison I like the Da Capo set.

In terms of works generally, my gateway drug was the piano trio Spell. Also Symphony 3 is justly famous.

Thank you for that comment! I am generally a fan of these '90s-'00s Chandos recordings, there is just something about that sound (& I feel similarly w/ Hyperion releases from around that time and a little earlier) that I really like. But I will need to look into these Dacapo releases. I had always thought Dacapo was just the Danish face of Naxos but it appears that they are somewhat more of a "luxury" label, putting out SACDs and whatnot.

So this looks promising:

[asin]B001MUJSEQ[/asin]

Featuring Dausgaard who really impressed me on the recording I have, the famous 3rd symphony, plus a fairly recent symphony from the previous decade. Covers a lot of bases. Anyway I have a lot to explore. I really should be more like you, I know you like to thoroughly stream all of the available options before making a purchase. I can be hasty to pull the trigger if something looks really good, or sounds good off of a 5 minute sample. 

Finally, I will make sure to check out the Spell trio. Thanks again for your informative post.

[Madiel]

Da Capo are definitely their own thing. You're perhaps thinking of the Nielsen symphonies that they eventually licensed to Naxos.

But a definite tendency to high quality sound and I also tend to be a sucker for their cover art...

[San Antone]

I like Nørgård a lot - but mainly his chamber music, primarily his string quartets.

[relm1]

I like Nørgård a lot - but mainly his chamber music, primarily his string quartets.

I must confess having no awareness of his string quartets.  Might you suggest a lightening approach?

[San Antone]

I must confess having no awareness of his string quartets.  Might you suggest a lightening approach?

This is the one I have:

Norgard: String Quartets 7, 8, 9 and 10



Kroger Quartet


But there is this one, quartets 1-6 by the Kontra Quartet that I don't have



The Danish String Quartet has recorded SQ #1.

[Symphonic Addict]

This is the one I have:

Norgard: String Quartets 7, 8, 9 and 10



Kroger Quartet


But there is this one, quartets 1-6 by the Kontra Quartet that I don't have



The Danish String Quartet has recorded SQ #1.

Most of these quartets have been true revelations for me. I'm very fond of them. The one I found least interesting was the No. 3 Three Miniatures. The rest of them are consistently great.

[vandermolen]

I must play my Chandos CD of Symphony 3, which I've owned for years but hardly ever played. My favourite work by Norgard of the few I know is Symphony No.1 'Austera'. I have both recordings and prefer the one on Chandos to the Vienna PO version, good as that is.

[Mirror Image]

Nørgård is a composer that baffles quite a bit, but he has written some very good music. Like many here, I do like the SQs, although I confess to not knowing them very well or as well as I probably should. He's written so much music that it's difficult truly assess his style as it does change from work to work. Of the orchestral works that I've heard, I like the 3rd and 4th symphonies. Symphony No. 4 which was inspired by 'outsider' artist, Adolf Wölfli is mesmerizing. Another work I like a lot is Fons Laetitiae for soprano and harp.

[vers la flamme]

Nørgård is a composer that baffles quite a bit, but he has written some very good music. Like many here, I do like the SQs, although I confess to not knowing them very well or as well as I probably should. He's written so much music that it's difficult truly assess his style as it does change from work to work. Of the orchestral works that I've heard, I like the 3rd and 4th symphonies. Symphony No. 4 which was inspired by 'outsider' artist, Adolf Wölfli is mesmerizing. Another work I like a lot is Fons Laetitiae for soprano and harp.

I think you're right re: the bolded point, I get a similar impression from another near-contemporary Nordic composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara. Thanks for the tip, I'll look into Symphony No.4.

I think I'm going to buy that Dausgaard disc w/ symphonies 3 & 7 on Dacapo. What I sampled sounds really good.

[Mirror Image]

I think you're right re: the bolded point, I get a similar impression from another near-contemporary Nordic composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara. Thanks for the tip, I'll look into Symphony No.4.

I think I'm going to buy that Dausgaard disc w/ symphonies 3 & 7 on Dacapo. What I sampled sounds really good.

Symphony No. 3, especially the second movement is really fantastic. I think you would enjoy it.

[Madiel]

And personally the 7th is my favourite of the later symphonies, the one I've most readily got into.

[relm1]

Does anyone have any info on a possible Symphony No. 9?  He mentioned in an interview some ideas about it a year or two ago.