Tveitt's Nordic Tower

[Biffo]

Found this thread after being redirected from the Scandinavian composer's site. It hasn't had much activity recently but as a belated reply to those looking for more  Tveitt this is an interesting disc of chamber works - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geirr-Tveitt-Travel-Premier-Recording/dp/B0058OA9HM/ref=sr_1_12?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1509195842&sr=1-12&keywords=tveitt

[vandermolen]

This is indeed a fine CD as both works are very poetic and magical in places:
[asin]B00006GO45[/asin]

[vandermolen]

I especially like the Variations on a Folksong from Hardanger. My favourite work by Tveitt so far.

[Symphonic Addict]

Few activity on this thread for an original and great composer. Anyway, today I discovered his Harp Concerto No. 2 on the disc above and I must say it struck me largely. A lyrical, turbulent and eventually moving work. One of the best works in the genre IMO.

[kyjo]

Few activity on this thread for an original and great composer. Anyway, today I discovered his Harp Concerto No. 2 on the disc above and I must say it struck me largely. A lyrical, turbulent and eventually moving work. One of the best works in the genre IMO.

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, Cesar. For some reason, Tveitt is a composer I often forget about, but when I do listen to his music I find it deeply individual and compelling. Recently, I listened to his Piano Concerto no. 5 (Naxos recording), which opens with a strikingly anarchic upward gesture, but soon settles down into Tveitt's characteristic rugged yet melodic folksy style. There are moments of poignant lyricism in the slow movement (poetically titled Danse aux campanules bleus/Dance of the blue bellflowers) and the finale is infectiously upbeat and uplifting. I haven't heard the Harp Concerto no. 2, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it as I've never heard a weak work by this composer.

[Alex Bozman]

Few activity on this thread for an original and great composer. Anyway, today I discovered his Harp Concerto No. 2 on the disc above and I must say it struck me largely. A lyrical, turbulent and eventually moving work. One of the best works in the genre IMO.

I've got this cd and haven't listened to it for a while. The Harp Concerto no 2 is a quirky piece, recall the harp doesn't have a prominent role in the early phase but becomes more prominent in a strangely compelling work. Though don't know that many other 20/21st century Harp Concertos, the William Mathias is the other one than stands out.

Kyjo reminds me that I need to dig out the Tveitt Naxos Piano Concerto/Folktune Suites cds, bought around the time of a change of address and buried somewhere. One day  will get round to organising my music properly... 

[kyjo]

Though don't know that many other 20/21st century Harp Concertos, the William Mathias is the other one that stands out.

Indeed, the Mathias is a remarkable work. There are also excellent ones by Alwyn (Lyra Angelica), Dohnányi (Concertino), Ginastera, Glière, Jongen, and Tailleferre (Concertino). 

[Symphonic Addict]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, Cesar. For some reason, Tveitt is a composer I often forget about, but when I do listen to his music I find it deeply individual and compelling. Recently, I listened to his Piano Concerto no. 5 (Naxos recording), which opens with a strikingly anarchic upward gesture, but soon settles down into Tveitt's characteristic rugged yet melodic folksy style. There are moments of poignant lyricism in the slow movement (poetically titled Danse aux campanules bleus/Dance of the blue bellflowers) and the finale is infectiously upbeat and uplifting. I haven't heard the Harp Concerto no. 2, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it as I've never heard a weak work by this composer.

Yes, his PCs are a source of good music indeed. I guess you know the Variations on a Folksong from Hardanger for two pianos and orchestra. A truly magical work. The Harp Concerto No. 2 is really great too. You could like it.

[Symphonic Addict]

I've got this cd and haven't listened to it for a while. The Harp Concerto no 2 is a quirky piece, recall the harp doesn't have a prominent role in the early phase but becomes more prominent in a strangely compelling work. Though don't know that many other 20/21st century Harp Concertos, the William Mathias is the other one than stands out.

Precisely. As I posted in WAYL2N thread, in the 1st movement the harp has less participation, that movement is more given to the orchestra in a powerful funeral march. In the other movements the solo instrument has more prominence, above all in the utterly poignant Memorias dolorosas. That is a formidable movement.

I had forgot the Mathias. Another splendid work.

[kyjo]

Yes, his PCs are a source of good music indeed. I guess you know the Variations on a Folksong from Hardanger for two pianos and orchestra. A truly magical work. The Harp Concerto No. 2 is really great too. You could like it.

Indeed, I do know the Variations. A superb and substantial work. One can only hope that more works of his that were thought to have been lost in the tragic barn fire can be discovered/reconstructed in the future!

[Mirror Image]

This remains, for me, my favorite Tveitt recording:



I'm know I mentioned this recording before, but it's definitely one of those albums I'd bring to the desert island. Yes, it's that good.

[Biffo]

This remains, for me, my favorite Tveitt recording:



I'm know I've mentioned this recording before, but it's definitely one of those albums I'd bring to the desert island. Yes, it's that good.

I liked the cover of this so much that I bought a full-sized copy of it and had it framed. The disc is excellent too.

[Mirror Image]

I liked the cover of this so much that I bought a full-sized copy of it and had it framed. The disc is excellent too.

I loved the cover as well. Theodor Kittelsen has done a lot of fantastic artwork. I think the tone poem Nykken rivals any of Sibelius' own in the genre. That is how strongly I feel about that work.

[Symphonic Addict]

https://www.youtube.com/v/VuX9UOvYDBE

It's impressive to find out how many rare and interesting recordings of obscure stuff there are on YouTube, and this is one of them. A symphony by Tveitt that cries out for a proper recording. However, it's decent enough to enjoy it.

I'm hearing it right now. This is a dramatic and felt piece of evident gravitas. I'm enjoying it very much.

[Brian]

Spent a couple of workdays this week relistening to various works by Tveitt. Judging from my listening log, I listen to all the Tveitt pieces once every 2-3 years and then set them all aside, reread a piece about him here on GMG or from Hurwitz or elsewhere, forget which ones I like or don't like, and listen to them all over again. Maybe this time if I take notes I will have a chance of remembering better. 

Unfortunately, though, I waited until now to read this thread. Spent Tuesday and Thursday mostly listening to the BIS series of piano concertos, not the Gimse-led Naxos series. Austbo is a great pianist in a lot of repertoire (Grieg, Janacek) and Sveinung Bjelland has a nice Scarlatti-Mendelssohn album out there, so I'm surprised to see lescamil's comments here. But (s)he is probably right, because the concertos mostly left me uninterested. No. 1 is cool sounding, unmemorable, very short, so short in fact that I thought there was maybe a new section in the first movement, looked, and realized it was the second movement. No. 4 is definitely in a very different musical language and is a piece I'll revisit next week on the Naxos recordings to see if that helps engage me more, along with the Variations for two pianos and orchestra. No. 5 was extremely big, probably too long, very virtuoso and show-off, with some folk elements. The Variations are surprisingly long, and while the moment-to-moment writing seemed colorful and fun, overall the piece was totally chaotic and the tune itself is so elusive, or forgettable, or perhaps so vaguely stated that the piece seemed totally unstructured and random to me.

I liked best the Hardanger Folk Tune arrangements, which are witty and colorful and unusually orchestrated, but will try the Naxos versions of those too, just in case. Also will try the piano originals; this afternoon, listening to Grieg's Lyric Suite (orchestrations of four Lyric Pieces), I thought "wow, the piano versions are way better," and wondered if that was true of Tveitt also.

The Sun God Symphony is built on repetitions of very simple materials into louder and louder climaxes, kind of like a Norse mythology Bolero or Janacek, but not nearly as fun as either of those, to me. The finale builds to a huge climax and then the French horns wail on a few extra seconds at the end for a very strange ending.

So yeah. Will try again on Concerto 4 and the Variations with the Naxos disc, dip into the Naxos folk tune suites, and try the disc Mirror Image raves about above. But so far, have not found anything to truly love or get enthusiastic about. Maybe I'm disappointed because the description of his music sounds exactly like something I'd be super enthusiastic and crazy and thrilled about, rather than just thinking it's kinda pleasant.

[Irons]

How weird! Tveitt is a name unknown to me. Yesterday I came across a CD at Oxfam which stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the Beethoven and Mozart greatest hits et al. For this alone I purchased. The very same day Brian revived the Tveitt thread that I had no idea, as the composer himself, existed. I will not attempt to work out the time of Brian's post and my purchase as that is entering scary territory.

[vandermolen]

How weird! Tveitt is a name unknown to me. Yesterday I came across a CD at Oxfam which stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the Beethoven and Mozart greatest hits et al. For this alone I purchased. The very same day Brian revived the Tveitt thread that I had no idea, as the composer himself, existed. I will not attempt to work out the time of Brian's post and my purchase as that is entering scary territory.

That's a fine CD Lol - I suspect that you'll enjoy it.

[Symphonic Addict]

That's a fine CD Lol - I suspect that you'll enjoy it.

+1

One of my favorite discs devoted to his music.

[Irons]

That's a fine CD Lol - I suspect that you'll enjoy it.

+1

One of my favorite discs devoted to his music.

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing it.

[Mirror Image]

Spent a couple of workdays this week relistening to various works by Tveitt. Judging from my listening log, I listen to all the Tveitt pieces once every 2-3 years and then set them all aside, reread a piece about him here on GMG or from Hurwitz or elsewhere, forget which ones I like or don't like, and listen to them all over again. Maybe this time if I take notes I will have a chance of remembering better. 

Unfortunately, though, I waited until now to read this thread. Spent Tuesday and Thursday mostly listening to the BIS series of piano concertos, not the Gimse-led Naxos series. Austbo is a great pianist in a lot of repertoire (Grieg, Janacek) and Sveinung Bjelland has a nice Scarlatti-Mendelssohn album out there, so I'm surprised to see lescamil's comments here. But (s)he is probably right, because the concertos mostly left me uninterested. No. 1 is cool sounding, unmemorable, very short, so short in fact that I thought there was maybe a new section in the first movement, looked, and realized it was the second movement. No. 4 is definitely in a very different musical language and is a piece I'll revisit next week on the Naxos recordings to see if that helps engage me more, along with the Variations for two pianos and orchestra. No. 5 was extremely big, probably too long, very virtuoso and show-off, with some folk elements. The Variations are surprisingly long, and while the moment-to-moment writing seemed colorful and fun, overall the piece was totally chaotic and the tune itself is so elusive, or forgettable, or perhaps so vaguely stated that the piece seemed totally unstructured and random to me.

I liked best the Hardanger Folk Tune arrangements, which are witty and colorful and unusually orchestrated, but will try the Naxos versions of those too, just in case. Also will try the piano originals; this afternoon, listening to Grieg's Lyric Suite (orchestrations of four Lyric Pieces), I thought "wow, the piano versions are way better," and wondered if that was true of Tveitt also.

The Sun God Symphony is built on repetitions of very simple materials into louder and louder climaxes, kind of like a Norse mythology Bolero or Janacek, but not nearly as fun as either of those, to me. The finale builds to a huge climax and then the French horns wail on a few extra seconds at the end for a very strange ending.

So yeah. Will try again on Concerto 4 and the Variations with the Naxos disc, dip into the Naxos folk tune suites, and try the disc Mirror Image raves about above. But so far, have not found anything to truly love or get enthusiastic about. Maybe I'm disappointed because the description of his music sounds exactly like something I'd be super enthusiastic and crazy and thrilled about, rather than just thinking it's kinda pleasant.

I have had a similar issue as you, Brian. His music just goes in one ear and out the other for me --- nothing really sticks out. So much of it seems to be so atmospheric, but there's no emotional drive within the music that catches my imagination. Like you, the description of Tveitt's music sounds like something I'd go for, but I've been quite disappointed with so much of what I've heard from this composer. The Hardanger Fiddle Concertos (plus Nykken) BIS disc is still the best thing I've heard, so I'll definitely be interested in reading your impressions of this recording once you've heard it.