Nørgård's Niche

[vandermolen]

Just discovering (again!)'Sinfonia Austera'. What a fine work, rather in the spirit of some of my other favourite Scandinavian composers (although I realise that it is wrong to generalise), Holmboe, Rosenberg and Blomdahl ( especially his fine First Symphony).

[snyprrr]

Just discovering 'Sinfonia Austera'. What a fine work, rather in the spirit of some of my other favourite Scandinavian composers (although I realise that it is wrong to generalise), Holmboe, Rosenberg and Blomdahl ( especially his fine First Symphony).

who knows, maybe you'll go for the famous 3rd- totally different beast there- still very Nordic though--- will you become a convert??

Syms 4-6 might deserve a listen too... verrry intricate and awesome experiences there...

(Norgard not getting all that much love here lately?)

[vandermolen]

who knows, maybe you'll go for the famous 3rd- totally different beast there- still very Nordic though--- will you become a convert??

Syms 4-6 might deserve a listen too... verrry intricate and awesome experiences there...

(Norgard not getting all that much love here lately?)

I played the Austera again last night - such a fine work. The ending had me on the edge of my seat. Just before my New Year's resolution of trying to reduce OCD CD buying came into effect I ordered the BIS CD of the Austera and Symphony 8. I'll be interested to hear how it compares with the Segerstam recording. I have Symphony 3 on Chandos so will be listening to it soon. Interestingly I have noticed that it is often the first symphonies of more 'difficult' (for me anyway) composers which I am inclined to enjoy most, probably because they are more closely linked with earlier influences. Not only with Norgard but also with Blomdah, Egge and Simpson it is their first symphonies which I appreciate and seem to understand best. Certainly these are the ones which give me the most pleasure. So, love for Norgard from here at least!

[vandermolen]

who knows, maybe you'll go for the famous 3rd- totally different beast there- still very Nordic though--- will you become a convert??

Syms 4-6 might deserve a listen too... verrry intricate and awesome experiences there...

(Norgard not getting all that much love here lately?)

Am enjoying Symphony 3 at this moment.

[snyprrr]

Am enjoying Symphony 3 at this moment.

great- how did the choir grab you? I have to accept it... still a visionary work,.. maybe it needs a spin...

[vandermolen]

great- how did the choir grab you? I have to accept it... still a visionary work,.. maybe it needs a spin...

I need to listen to it again but the good thing is that I want to do so. It reminded me a bit of the wordless choir at the end of John Kinsella's 7th Symphony, which is a very fine work too.

[CRCulver]

Nørgård's Three Nocturnal Sketches, a double concerto for violin, viola, and chamber orchestra, was premiered earlier this month in Norway. Apparently it's based on his viola concerto Remembering Child, which Jakob Kullberg had been playing in his own cello arrangement and that must have given Nørgård the idea of exploding the viola line further into two string soloists. The piece will be performed again in Denmark this autumn.

[not edward]

Nørgård's Three Nocturnal Sketches, a double concerto for violin, viola, and chamber orchestra, was premiered earlier this month in Norway. Apparently it's based on his viola concerto Remembering Child, which Jakob Kullberg had been playing in his own cello arrangement and that must have given Nørgård the idea of exploding the viola line further into two string soloists. The piece will be performed again in Denmark this autumn.

Thanks for the update: I was wondering if this piece had been performed yet. I believe he's now working on a commission for the NYPO.

[bhodges]

Just found out that Sakari Oramo's recording of Nørgård's Symphonies 1 and 8 with the Vienna Philharmonic has won Gramophone's award in the contemporary category. Has anyone heard it? Looks pretty great...

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2015/contemporary

--Bruce

[vandermolen]

Just found out that Sakari Oramo's recording of Nørgård's Symphonies 1 and 8 with the Vienna Philharmonic has won Gramophone's award in the contemporary category. Has anyone heard it? Looks pretty great...

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2015/contemporary

--Bruce

It's terrific Bruce. I have the CD but I also like the Chandos version of Symphony 1 and 2. I have heard four symphonies by Norgard and the 'Austera' is my favourite so far - I have been listening it to a lot recently. It is a darkly expressive but approachable score.

[Mirror Image]

My favorite Norgard is still his Symphony No. 3. I have heard all of the other symphonies but this one continues to impress me the most, especially that second movement.

[lescamil]

My favorite Norgard is still his Symphony No. 3. I have heard all of the other symphonies but this one continues to impress me the most, especially that second movement.

Have to say, I agree with you for once, although I really like 6 as well. 6 is more of his mature later style and also leaves quite an impression on me.

[snyprrr]

He actually wrote : "Helle Nacht" is a very accessible work with well-nigh infinite replay value, and highly recommended." ! 

"hELLE nACHT"

Hey, I just heard this, and yes, it's very very good piece, very much to return to. It has a very "warm lights reflecting of cold snow" feel, very homey and christmassy, as COZY as any AvantGARDE piece I've ever heard. It was pretty much everything I could have asked for. Had some of the Ligeti been incorporated into it, it would have been overwhelmingly good- the Ligeti is more out there, but it gets a bit loud- the Norgard maintains the cool mood throughout! This Chandos record has been an instant classic since it came out, and it lives up to its reputation.

What's the 3rd best Modern Violin Cto?

[Joaquimhock]

"hELLE nACHT"

Hey, I just heard this, and yes, it's very very good piece, very much to return to. It has a very "warm lights reflecting of cold snow" feel, very homey and christmassy, as COZY as any AvantGARDE piece I've ever heard. It was pretty much everything I could have asked for. Had some of the Ligeti been incorporated into it, it would have been overwhelmingly good- the Ligeti is more out there, but it gets a bit loud- the Norgard maintains the cool mood throughout! This Chandos record has been an instant classic since it came out, and it lives up to its reputation.

What's the 3rd best Modern Violin Cto?

Interessingly, even if people seem to hear some Ligeti in Norgard's violin concerto, Helle Nacht has been composed before Ligeti's violin concerto...

Best modern violin concertos? Lutoslawski's Chain II, Dutilleux, Saariaho's Graal Théâtre and Dusapin's Aufgang

[bhodges]

There will be three concerts of Nørgård's chamber music at Scandinavia House here in New York on June 16, 17, and 18. The musicians involved are excellent. (On June 11, the NY Philharmonic is also doing his Symphony No. 8 as the finale of its Biennial.)

http://norgardinnewyork.org/scandinavia-house/

--Bruce

[vandermolen]

There will be three concerts of Nørgård's chamber music at Scandinavia House here in New York on June 16, 17, and 18. The musicians involved are excellent. (On June 11, the NY Philharmonic is also doing his Symphony No. 8 as the finale of its Biennial.)

http://norgardinnewyork.org/scandinavia-house/

--Bruce

Are you going Bruce? Hope so.

[bhodges]

Am definitely going to the middle one, with the Momenta Quartet in String Quartets Nos. 3, 5, 8, and 10 - incredibly, none have ever been performed in the United States - and reviewing it for The Strad. May go to the final night with the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, but am waiting for some other things to fall into place first.

A fascinating composer, for sure!

--Bruce

[vandermolen]

Am definitely going to the middle one, with the Momenta Quartet in String Quartets Nos. 3, 5, 8, and 10 - incredibly, none have ever been performed in the United States - and reviewing it for The Strad. May go to the final night with the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, but am waiting for some other things to fall into place first.

A fascinating composer, for sure!

--Bruce

Great! Hope you enjoy it/them.

[CRCulver]

There will be three concerts of Nørgård's chamber music at Scandinavia House here in New York on June 16, 17, and 18. The musicians involved are excellent. (On June 11, the NY Philharmonic is also doing his Symphony No. 8 as the finale of its Biennial.)

A press release issued when Nørgård won that prize from the NY Phil a few years ago, said that June 2016 would see the US premiere of Nørgård's Symphony No. 3 under Alan Gilbert. Has that been called off and replaced with the 8th? That would be a damn shame.

[5against4]

Nørgård fans may be interested to hear one of his most recent pieces, the Three Nocturnal Movements, which i've written about on my blog today. It's a very striking piece, a double concerto for violin and cello re-working bits of his 1986 viola concerto Remembered Child. The piece is almost exactly a year old, it was premièred on 6 June 2015 (details of the occasion here).