Pehr Henrik Nordgren 1944-2008

Started by vandermolen, September 26, 2010, 10:23:24 AM

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snyprrr

Quote from: vandermolen on September 25, 2015, 08:51:13 AM
Actually the CD has symphonies 3 and 5 on rather than 4 and 5. The conductor is Sakari Oramo who coincidentally I saw conduct Mahler's Third Symphony in London last night. I have ever seen him before. I had forgotten that I had started this thread, albeit confusing Nordgren with a different composer  ::).
My impressions of the music, which I enjoyed, if that is the right word are very much the same as in my initial post in this thread. It is very dark and sombre but my attention was held throughout. The 3rd Symphony has two movements for piano only and quite a 'jazzy' movement entitled 'defiance'. The music is resolutely bleak but not unapproachable. It reminded me a bit of Norgard and Petterrson. Mahler and Sibelius tend to be seen as polar opposites in their approach to the symphony but at timed Nordgren reminded me of both although his music does not sound like either. There is, I believe, a strong sense of nature in both scores. The Fifth symphony has a most haunting and moving passage after about 18 minutes which I found moving. So, the music has both an intellectual and emotional appeal as far as I am concerned.

You had me at bleak!

vandermolen

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

s these mysterious, close harmonies,... very inward,... thinking... icy,... dark green...


yea,... Nordgren... most of your Usual Suspects should find him captivating... MI??

calyptorhynchus

I have been listening to the available string quartets: 4, 5, 10, 11

I find them very good (5 has two movements, with the first an Epilogue, beat that!)

I hope Ondine plans to record 1-3, 6-9
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

calyptorhynchus

Actually I sent a message to Ondine and they told me that Alba is thinking of recording the remaining ones.

Whoo-hoo.
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

André

Quote from: vandermolen on September 25, 2015, 08:51:13 AM
Actually the CD has symphonies 3 and 5 on rather than 4 and 5. The conductor is Sakari Oramo who coincidentally I saw conduct Mahler's Third Symphony in London last night. I have ever seen him before. I had forgotten that I had started this thread, albeit confusing Nordgren with a different composer  ::).
My impressions of the music, which I enjoyed, if that is the right word are very much the same as in my initial post in this thread. It is very dark and sombre but my attention was held throughout. The 3rd Symphony has two movements for piano only and quite a 'jazzy' movement entitled 'defiance'. The music is resolutely bleak but not unapproachable. It reminded me a bit of Norgard and Petterrson. Mahler and Sibelius tend to be seen as polar opposites in their approach to the symphony but at timed Nordgren reminded me of both although his music does not sound like either. There is, I believe, a strong sense of nature in both scores. The Fifth symphony has a most haunting and moving passage after about 18 minutes which I found moving. So, the music has both an intellectual and emotional appeal as far as I am concerned.

I know I have something by Nordgren back home, but being far away at the moment, I just can't figure what. Anyhow, I have an internet connection, so I listened to the 3rd symphony on Youtube (Oramo). Powerful stuff, bleak soundscape, Pettersson-influenced (a big brownie point for that). I like the fact it doesn't swamp the listener with "statements", something I often think Norgärd does.

I'll try to find something to buy by Nordgren this year. A preliminary survey shows his discs to be pricey though.

Turner

Quote from: André on February 11, 2017, 09:49:52 PM
..... A preliminary survey shows his discs to be pricey though.

Yes, a more systematic and ultimately inexpensive Nordgren Edition would certainly be very welcome.

Rons_talking

Quote from: vandermolen on January 15, 2015, 12:23:20 PM
Have been listening to Symphony 7 (2003) having recently received this CD. It is a most extraordinary score and I have played it through several times over the last few days. To me it is a searching and visionary work, which starts out very much in the spirit of Rautavaara. It is a very dark work, with sombre episode interspersed with folk type songs which reminded me of a British sea shanty! Charles Ives also came to mind with the seemingly bizarre juxtapositions of dissonant and lyrical material. I am delighted to have discovered this remarkable score and have not even got on yet to Nordgren's last symphony, the No.8 of 2006.
[asin]B0032HKEHW[/asin]
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/pehr-henrik-nordgren-modernist-composer-who-incorporated-folk-music-into-his-work-and-relished-his-artistic-freedom-961316.html

i agree. I have noticed that Nordgren's post-Opus 100 works are more expressive in nature IMO. Symphony 7 really stands out as an outstanding work. Number 8 and the Oboe Concerto are also excellent...as are the late quartets. I'm glad I found his music on line.

kyjo

I only started paying attention to this composer recently, and I'm very glad I did! His Symphony no. 8 (2006) turned out to be a stunning find for me:



In three movements entitled Minore - Intermezzo - Maggiore, this haunting, darkly atmospheric work sounds like nothing else I've heard before (though reference points may include Pettersson, Sallinen, and Schnittke). Nordgren's orchestration, in particular his use of bells, creates a hypnotic, dream-like atmosphere with disturbing undercurrents. Most remarkable of all is the finale, where Nordgren superimposes jaunty, folk-like material with the dark atmosphere of the previous movements in a way not dissimilar to Malcolm Arnold in the finale of his 7th Symphony with the Celtic folk band. I was most captivated by this work and will certainly be seeking out more of his stuff! He was quite prolific - 5 cello concerti, no less! - and his music has been quite well-recorded (but still rarely discussed, alas).
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Scion7

All I have are the two late quartets, which I like.  I suppose it is time to delve into some other material by him.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Symphonic Addict

I've listened to all the symphonies, and as Kyle said, he also reminds me of Schnittke and Pettersson. There are some schizophrenic-like passages on them quite intriguing.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

André

I can recommend the Requiem. Not a masterpiece, but certainly worth hearing.

J

Quote from: André on October 12, 2020, 04:02:21 PM
I can recommend the Requiem. Not a masterpiece, but certainly worth hearing.

Not aware Nordgren wrote a Requiem. 

Details please, - including info about a recording.

Symphonic Addict

I couldn't find any information about a Requiem written by Nordgren. I think André meant a Requiem by Hans Eklund.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

André

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on October 13, 2020, 07:49:13 PM
I couldn't find any information about a Requiem written by Nordgren. I think André meant a Requiem by Hans Eklund.

Yes, Eklund. Sorry ! :-\

vandermolen

#75
I've come to conclusion that Pehr Henrik Nordgren is a great composer. His music is bleak and unsmiling but not without darkly moving passages. The CD 'Transient Moods' has been, almost continuously, on my CD player recently. There are moments of bizarre juxtaposition (folk-like songs followed by Charles Ives at his most discordant) but there is always an urgent need to communicate with his fellow human beings which I find both poignant and moving. I am always gripped listening to his music. The 7th Symphony is very special:
Nordgren.jpg
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Sorry about the two images of the same CD. As you see I'm still struggling with the new format.  ::)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Alex Bozman

Sadly, this CD is no longer available, but I'm grateful to Vandermolen for highlighting the 7th Symphony, this recording is online. My previous knowledge of Nordgren was through the Finlandia Meet the Composer CD and later the 3rd and 5th symphonies disk alluded to in this thread, the 1st Symphony and Clarinet Concerto cd and one with 3 concertos and strings. The 3rd Symphony was striking, with the solo piano passages being distinctive, must re-visit the 5th, while the 1st has some interesting ideas, but it's not clicked as to how it all fits together for me yet. The paired concerto with the use of folk instruments is a very attractive piece though.

Returning to Nordgen's 7th Symphony, it is an amazing piece. Great orchestration, dance elements, what sounded Russian but apparently a polka hints of other composers in particular Shostakovich and at one point a Pettersson lullaby-type melody, all cohering into a well-balanced whole. Definitely my favourite 'discovery' of 2022.   

relm1

Quote from: Alex Bozman on December 05, 2022, 12:59:50 PMSadly, this CD is no longer available, but I'm grateful to Vandermolen for highlighting the 7th Symphony, this recording is online. My previous knowledge of Nordgren was through the Finlandia Meet the Composer CD and later the 3rd and 5th symphonies disk alluded to in this thread, the 1st Symphony and Clarinet Concerto cd and one with 3 concertos and strings. The 3rd Symphony was striking, with the solo piano passages being distinctive, must re-visit the 5th, while the 1st has some interesting ideas, but it's not clicked as to how it all fits together for me yet. The paired concerto with the use of folk instruments is a very attractive piece though.

Returning to Nordgen's 7th Symphony, it is an amazing piece. Great orchestration, dance elements, what sounded Russian but apparently a polka hints of other composers in particular Shostakovich and at one point a Pettersson lullaby-type melody, all cohering into a well-balanced whole. Definitely my favourite 'discovery' of 2022.   

I have both this album of No. 7 and 8 on the transient moods album and also the excellent No. 3 and 5 on Ondine.  All are very fine, but I prefer the despairing No. 3 most.  Overall, a very fine composer well worth exploring.

vandermolen

I have the Ondine CD featuring symphonies 3 and 5 as well. I will be returning to it having been so moved and impressed by the 'Transient Moods' CD.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).