Norwegian composers

Started by Lethevich, January 08, 2011, 06:06:42 PM

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Ten thumbs

Here's a little list, in alphabetical order from a piano album published by Carl Warmuths, some time in the late 1800s.

Agathe Backer-Grøndahl
Christian Cappelen
Neils W. Gade
Edvard Grieg
Jvar Hallström
Asger Hamerik
Emil Hartman
Frithiof Hertzman
C.F.E. Horneman
J.A. Josephson
L.M. Lindeman
Edmund Neuport
Ludvig Norman
Ole Olsen
F.A. Reissiger
Christian Teilman
August Winding
Otto Winter-Hjelm



A day may be a destiny; for life
Lives in but little—but that little teems
With some one chance, the balance of all time:
A look—a word—and we are wholly changed.

The new erato

Hamerik and Hartman are Danish (though the two countries were united until 1814) - but the list contains several names formerly unknown to me.


DieNacht

#23
QuoteAgathe Backer-Grøndahl
Christian Cappelen
Neils W. Gade
Edvard Grieg
Jvar Hallström
Asger Hamerik
Emil Hartman
Frithiof Hertzman
C.F.E. Horneman
J.A. Josephson
L.M. Lindeman
Edmund Neuport
Ludvig Norman
Ole Olsen
F.A. Reissiger
Christian Teilman
August Winding
Otto Winter-Hjelm


If the list proclaims all the composers to be Norwegian, it is certainly from before the modern communication era.

Or perhaps it is simply clever: Norwegian-ness would probably sell better and have a more Romantic, Grieg-like aura to it, than mentioning the real nationality of the composers. Gade, Winding, Hartmann, Hamerik and Hornemann were Danish; Reissiger German; Norman, Josephson and Hallström Swedish. It must be mentioned, though, that Sweden and Norway had a degree of political union from 1814 to 1905.

Fartein Valen, Arne Nordheim and Harald Sæverud are probably the most important of the more recent Norwegian composers; Finn Arnestad, Antonio Bibalo, Klaus Egge, Geir Tveitt and Finn Mortensen among the more important, lesser known ones.  Both Valen and Sæverud have their own museums in the Fjord country near Bergen, as well as Grieg and Ole Bull. The museums also have websites.

MDL

#24
Quote from: just Jeff on January 10, 2011, 03:21:45 AM
I have several Arne Nordheim discs I plan on listening to very soon.  Considered a legend over there, yet not real well known in the US.

Ok, I posted.  These are some nice LPs, but I do have a few CDs as well.  The Decca Headline is a rather rare LP.




I've never heard Canzona or Response 1. What are they like? How does the performance of Epitaffio compare to the Decca? I wish this had been reissued on CD. Who are the performers?


Lethevich

Two recent releases:

[asin]B005BY92AE[/asin] [asin]B0058OA9HM[/asin]
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Daverz

I only have volume 2 of Papa Järvi's 3 Halvorsen volumes so far, but it is very good:



This one has the Suite ancienne, which is probably his most famous work.


vandermolen

This looks like an interesting new Naxos release:
The Passacaglia is very impressive - I don't know the Symphony.
[asin]B005CCJRS2[/asin]
"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

#29
Well, I've now received and played the new Naxos CD of music by Irgens-Jensen (1894-1969) and enjoyed it enormously. The Symphony (1942) as the blurb says 'was originally conceived [to] express the depth of his feelings about the human and natural world during the dark days of World War Two.' It lasts 44 minutes and there is a strong sense of nature throughout. I was reminded of Stenhammer's Symphony No 2, Vaughan Williams and Peterson-Berger.  The opening is majestic and quite beautiful and although I'm not sure if the rest of the Symphony quite lives up to this early promise, I have played it right through three times already with much enjoyment.  At Naxos price it is irresistible (well, for me anyway). The short 'Air' (1959) is touching and the Bachian 'Passacaglia' (1928) is a real power-house of a piece.  A strong recommendation from me.  I wish that Naxos would now record Klaus Egge's fine Symphony No1.
[asin]B005CCJRS2[/asin]
"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).

Dundonnell

And what about Egge's 3rd and 5th Symphonies, Jeffrey.....which have NEVER made it to disc?? ;D

Dundonnell

I also have just received the Irgens-Jensen disc(I thought that he was 'just' Jensen up to now :-[).

I have the Symphony in its two movement incarnation...so it will be interesting to hear the full three movements originally composed :)

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on September 13, 2011, 03:12:51 PM
And what about Egge's 3rd and 5th Symphonies, Jeffrey.....which have NEVER made it to disc?? ;D

A good point Colin, but having heard Nos 2 and 4 I think that, like our friend, Braga-Santos, he went all (sort of) Atonal  ??? Actually what I would like to see is the original LP version of Egge's First Symphony (Gruner-Hegge Oslo PO, HMV Norway) transferred to CD. However I do really like Egge's String Quartet (Naxos - well worth looking out) and his more modernistic Cello Concerto.
"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).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on September 13, 2011, 03:20:37 PM
A good point Colin, but having heard Nos 2 and 4 I think that, like our friend, Braga-Santos, he went all (sort of) Atonal  ??? Actually what I would like to see is the original LP version of Egge's First Symphony (Gruner-Hegge Oslo PO, HMV Norway) transferred to CD. However I do really like Egge's String Quartet (Naxos - well worth looking out) and his more modernistic Cello Concerto.

It HAS been, Jeffrey!

Aurora NCD-B 4936, coupled with Piano Concerto No.2 :)

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on September 13, 2011, 03:32:02 PM
It HAS been, Jeffrey!

Aurora NCD-B 4936, coupled with Piano Concerto No.2 :)

Hi Colin,

No, that's the Karsten Andersen Bergen PO version (from a Phillips LP) - it is fine but overloads at climaxes - I prefer the earlier version, which I took out of the High Street Kensington Music Library in my youth.

Jeffrey
"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).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on September 13, 2011, 03:38:03 PM
Hi Colin,

No, that's the Karsten Andersen Bergen PO version (from a Phillips LP) - it is fine but overloads at climaxes - I prefer the earlier version, which I took out of the High Street Kensington Music Library in my youth.

Jeffrey

I DO beg your pardon, Jeffrey :-[

(Reminder to self...don't rush to your shelves and assume that the cd you have is the one in question ;D)

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on September 13, 2011, 03:44:33 PM
I DO beg your pardon, Jeffrey :-[

(Reminder to self...don't rush to your shelves and assume that the cd you have is the one in question ;D)

Annoyingly I find that 'Unsung Composers' mentioned a broadcast of the earlier recording on the radio - but it is now too late to hear it  >:(
"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).

MDL

Quote from: MDL on July 09, 2011, 02:57:30 AM
I've never heard Canzona or Response 1. What are they like? How does the performance of Epitaffio compare to the Decca? I wish this had been reissued on CD. Who are the performers?

Bump. Jeff, hello?

MDL

Quote from: MDL on September 13, 2011, 11:55:09 PM
Bump. Jeff, hello?

OK, bugger off then. Look what I've just spotted:




Nordheim:
Monolith
Epitaffio per orchestra e nastro magnetico
Canzona per orchestra
Fonos - 3 memorables for trombone and orchestra
Marius Hesby (trombone)
Adieu



mc ukrneal

This is a sleepy corner of the Boards! I have been enjoying recently the Alnaes Symphonies disc. This one:


Nordheim is, err, a bit more modern! :)
Be kind to your fellow posters!!