Valen's Vik

[snyprrr]

Here vanderdonnell, I've saved you the bother!

All I have is that wonderful String Quartet, in which he apparently invents his own brand of 12-tone writing, quite independent of Schoenberg. The first movement mimics the play of light on a Norwegian lake at sunset very nicely in a Bergian way.

[The new erato]

in a Bergian way.

Seein he was born close to Bergen, what did you expect?

[springrite]

I have 2 or 3 Valen CDs coming in next months so I guess I will find out then!

[snyprrr]

Seein he was born close to Bergen, what did you expect?

Do you know the western harbor of Valevag, where he composed that SQ?

[The new erato]

Yes, I spent a couple of summer weeks in a cottage close by in the 80-ies.

[Dundonnell]

I am delighted to see that this thread has been started Fartein Valen certainly deserves a thread of his own.

It would be idle to pretend that Valen is one of my favourite Norwegian composers and I have, in the past, expressed certain views about his music which I will not reiterate in toto.
I possess the Simax boxed set of the four symphonies with the Bergen Philharmonic under Aldo Ceccato and the three BIS discs on which the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra under Christian Eggen couple the symphonies with the Violin and Piano Concertos and a number of short orchestral works. So...I don't ignore him   In fact I am listening as I write to the tone poems "The Churchyard by the Sea" and "La Isla de las Calmas"; both have a quiet, restrained but unmistakeable beauty. That being said...I am happy to withdraw my previous 'accusation' that the music is "dry and introverted".

Here are links to reviews of some of these discs for those who would like to read more about an important figure in Norwegian music-

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/Valen1_biscd1522.htm

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Apr09/Valen_biscd163242.htm