Nørgård's Niche

[Daverz]

[Mirror Image Mode]
Really?
[/Mirror Image Mode]

I may have commented somewhere back there in the 16 pages, but I just can't seem to connect with this composer.  He seems to have a good ear for sonority, but otherwise I can't seem to connect with any of his music.  I'm willing to give him more chances.

I have a couple Chandos discs (Symphony 2 and Sinfonia Austera, Symphonies 4 & 5) and a Da Capo disc (Symphony 3 and Twilight).  I've also heard the Oramo disc with Symphony No. 8, which strikes me as pleasant noodling.

[CRCulver]

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.

The composer has been in declining health for a few years now, and his last truly new work (as opposed to a re-arranging of an earlier work) was in 2013. I wouldn't get my hopes up for a Ninth.

[Madiel]

The composer has been in declining health for a few years now, and his last truly new work (as opposed to a re-arranging of an earlier work) was in 2013. I wouldn't get my hopes up for a Ninth.

I was wondering. Because I have a copy of a worklist* that was initially completed at the very end of 2012, but then says it was revised in 2015 and only describes itself as works up to 2013, which did at least raise the possibility that there hadn't been anything in the intervening couple of years.

*This is what I'm using to do a chronological exploration, at least of the things I can find recordings for.

EDIT: Oh, actually there's a web version of the same worklist I'm using. Which does have brief entries for 2014 and 2015 but exactly as you say, they are revisions and collections and the last genuinely new entry is still 2012. The latest update of the list was in November 2019.

http://www5.kb.dk/da/nb/dcm/udgivelser/norgard/vaerkliste.html

In Danish, sorry.

[relm1]

I was wondering. Because I have a copy of a worklist* that was initially completed at the very end of 2012, but then says it was revised in 2015 and only describes itself as works up to 2013, which did at least raise the possibility that there hadn't been anything in the intervening couple of years.

*This is what I'm using to do a chronological exploration, at least of the things I can find recordings for.

EDIT: Oh, actually there's a web version of the same worklist I'm using. Which does have brief entries for 2014 and 2015 but exactly as you say, they are revisions and collections and the last genuinely new entry is still 2012. The latest update of the list was in November 2019.

http://www5.kb.dk/da/nb/dcm/udgivelser/norgard/vaerkliste.html

In Danish, sorry.

Wow, that's quite a humongous work list!

[Madiel]

It is, though his way of working means that often you get several works sharing musical material.

Also, it spans over 60 years!

There's a PDF on that page as well, which has a bit more English in it (program notes for performances of works).

[MusicTurner]

I tried googling for any locally mentioned premieres of Nørgård works during the most recent bunch of years, but there were none ...  however, he might still be working on something. He is 87.

[Maestro267]

He is 87.

This could also be a reason that he's slowed down. Maybe he's done.

[Mirror Image]

This could also be a reason that he's slowed down. Maybe he's done.

Age never stopped a composer before. Cases in point, Elliott Carter and Vaughan Williams.

[Madiel]

Sibelius stopped. Much earlier. I'm sure there are others.

Anyway, in this case there's not much sign of activity in that recently updated catalogue.

[Maestro267]

Carter, RVW, Brian and the like are exceptions, not the norm.

John Corigliano (82 this year) is another composer who says he has pretty much stopped now.

[Mirror Image]

Sibelius stopped. Much earlier. I'm sure there are others.

Anyway, in this case there's not much sign of activity in that recently updated catalogue.

But my point was age didn't stop many composers. There are many examples of composers writing up to the very end. Two of which I had already sited since apparently you can't read.

[MusicTurner]

There might be something urging one to create a final, 9th Symphony, thereby inscribing you into a great row of previous composers.

We've had some Scandinavian symphonists active well into their 80s - Ib Nørholm (13), Svend Erik Tarp (10), Hilding Rosenberg (8 ), Erland von Koch (6), Rautavaara (8 ), Gunnar Bucht (16), probably others as well.

[Madiel]

But my point was age didn't stop many composers. There are many examples of composers writing up to the very end. Two of which I had already sited since apparently you can't read.

You said never. Some stop, some don't. There is no hard and fast rule about it.

[Mirror Image]

You said never. Some stop, some don't. There is no hard and fast rule about it.

Right on, way to make a mountain out of molehill. Your mom would be so proud of you. Not only that, why are you even talking to me? I thought you made it perfectly clear that I'm not the kind of person you would like to talk to?

[Mirror Image]

Carter, RVW, Brian and the like are exceptions, not the norm.

John Corigliano (82 this year) is another composer who says he has pretty much stopped now.

There is no 'norm'. I just pointed out that age isn't a factor in whether a composer quits composing or not. Let's not make a big stink about this.

[CRCulver]

I know that Nørgård has increasingly suffered from an illness that causes mobility problems, that has been publicized in recent years. I can't imagine that that would hinder him from composing, though. My question would be: is his mind still sharp? Dementia has stopped quite a few composers cold. I know that in the past we have had at least one person on this forum who knew the composer personally, so perhaps they would be willing to explain what is up.

[Madiel]

Right on, way to make a mountain out of molehill. Your mom would be so proud of you. Not only that, why are you even talking to me? I thought you made it perfectly clear that I'm not the kind of person you would like to talk to?

After this, you went back to replying to the other person who made basically the same point as me. I made a calm point. You, as usual if you don't get your way, went off the deep end.

The rest of us are not responsible for your inability to say what you mean or for it to be logical. Saying that age never stopped a composer means that NO composer ever stopped because of age. Offering a couple of names of people that carried on until death does not prove this. It's actually really obviously wrong.

Your choice to make a big deal out of other people pointing out that you said something really dumb is entirely your own.

[Mirror Image]

After this, you went back to replying to the other person who made basically the same point as me. I made a calm point. You, as usual if you don't get your way, went off the deep end.

The rest of us are not responsible for your inability to say what you mean or for it to be logical. Saying that age never stopped a composer means that NO composer ever stopped because of age. Offering a couple of names of people that carried on until death does not prove this. It's actually really obviously wrong.

Your choice to make a big deal out of other people pointing out that you said something really dumb is entirely your own.

And yet you continue to talk to me, why?

[schnittkease]

John Corigliano (82 this year) is another composer who says he has pretty much stopped now.

Isn't Corigliano still teaching (at least part-time)?

[not edward]

Cross-posting my first thoughts from WAYLTT on the new Dacapo recording:

[asin]B091W2SLS8[/asin]

A mixed bag as far as I'm concerned.

The longest work on it is a quintet (for flute, string trio and piano) written when the composer was 20. It's quirky and there's definitely personality behind it but honestly, it's not very good.

More interesting to me is the first recording of Cantica for cello and piano, a work juxtaposing some of the melodies from the 3rd symphony in multiple different (Fibonacci-based) tempi. Though the source material is simple and mostly diatonic, there are moments of complexity and tension that I think prefigure the chaotic music of Nørgård's Wolffli period that was soon to follow.

There's also what's at least the sixth recording of the solo viola sonata The Secret Melody. It's well played, but I'll stick with the bigger tone and personality of the dedicate Nobuko Imai on BIS.

Also on the disc, a couple of miniatures and a first outing on disc of the solo vocal version of Vintersalme (Signe Asmussen is excellent here).

For Nørgård completists only.