Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

Started by Harry, April 13, 2007, 05:33:51 AM

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Lilas Pastia

Ludvig Irgens Jensen (1894-1969); norwegian composer. Tema con Variazioni (1925, 20:32), Oslo PO, Odd Gruner-Hegge ; Passacaglia (1927, 21:07) and Partita sinfonica (1938, 18:31), both with Oslo PO, Ole Kristian Ruud

All of the above works are of surprising stature. The composer may be practically unknown, but he is definitely of the front rank among the huge second tier. I enjoyed all the many hearings I gave these works.

Conrad Baden (1908-1989). Sinfonia espressiva (Symphony no. 6, from 1980, 16:35). Also quite good, but it doesn't grab the attention and stick to the memory as the Jensen works do. I gave it as many hearings as the others.

Jensen is highly recommended.

schweitzeralan

Quote from: vandermolen on March 31, 2009, 11:32:54 AM
Have been greatly enjoying the wartime Symphony by Ludvig Irgens Jensen, it has the most wonderful inspiriting opening.
Jensen is a superb and serious Norwegian composer, to be sure. I've listened to several of his works on the old Mercury (?) labels.  I don't recall, and I no longer have access to them. but, my question is: who is this Hurman? I'll do some digging in his life and work; I would like to hear samples before committing myself to any purchase agreements. He's been mentioned on this thread. If his music has any Sibelian, Madetojan, Klamiesque, Rautavaarian influences, fine and well. If he tends to be "overly" dissonant, or avant-garde, I'll pass. I was once quite interested in the most "advanced," experimental,  nouveau, polytonal, aesthetics. No longer I sense. I've "curled" back into listening and appreciating those  composers who share certain  musical tendencies to 20th century necromantic and/or impressionistic styles. Always interesting in discovering new works within certain guidelines or aesthetics.

The new erato

Hurum. Regarded as the Norwegian impressionist (and a painter as well, surely no coincidence) before emigrating to Hawaii.

The new erato

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on December 02, 2009, 05:29:26 PM
Ludvig Irgens Jensen (1894-1969); norwegian composer. Tema con Variazioni (1925, 20:32), Oslo PO, Odd Gruner-Hegge ; Passacaglia (1927, 21:07) and Partita sinfonica (1938, 18:31), both with Oslo PO, Ole Kristian Ruud

All of the above works are of surprising stature. The composer may be practically unknown, but he is definitely of the front rank among the huge second tier. I enjoyed all the many hearings I gave these works.

Conrad Baden (1908-1989). Sinfonia espressiva (Symphony no. 6, from 1980, 16:35). Also quite good, but it doesn't grab the attention and stick to the memory as the Jensen works do. I gave it as many hearings as the others.

Jensen is highly recommended.
I believe Jensen (commonly regarded as the strongest Norwegian composer in the period between the wars) is currently being recoed by the Trondeim symphony for Naxos.

Christo

Quote from: erato on December 04, 2009, 05:25:52 AM
I believe Jensen (commonly regarded as the strongest Norwegian composer in the period between the wars) is currently being recoed by the Trondeim symphony for Naxos.

That is very welcome news indeed. His major orchestral pieces are hardly available to the general public, and really deserve to be widely known (and played).  :)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

schweitzeralan

Quote from: erato on December 04, 2009, 05:24:22 AM
Hurum. Regarded as the Norwegian impressionist (and a painter as well, surely no coincidence) before emigrating to Hawaii.

I shall definitely explore.

Lilas Pastia

Quote from: erato on December 04, 2009, 05:25:52 AM
I believe Jensen (commonly regarded as the strongest Norwegian composer in the period between the wars) is currently being recoed by the Trondeim symphony for Naxos.

Thanks for the tip, I shall certainly keep an eye on that endeavour, as well as the symphony mentioned by Jeffrey and Alan.

schweitzeralan

Quote from: erato on December 04, 2009, 05:24:22 AM
Hurum. Regarded as the Norwegian impressionist (and a painter as well, surely no coincidence) before emigrating to Hawaii.

I'm familiar with several Norwegian composers, as the old Mercury labeled LPs included several who  were (then) contemporaries.  Among these represented, which included Jensen, was Klaus Egge. Then a young Klaus Egge revealed his Pianoi Concerto and,  his 1st Symphony, both of which suggested certain imressionistic tendencies. His later works tended to be more, abstract, more dissonant and modernist,  altjhough  not necessarily avant-garde. His later works are more modernist and expressionist.  I am looking forward to hearing the Hurum.  I just ordered two CDs from ArcivMusic.

Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich

#608
Quote from: SonicMan on April 23, 2007, 03:36:08 PMGade's Symphonies w/ Christopher Hogwood & the Danish National Radio SO - picked up 3 volumes, and listening to Vol. 1 (Symphonies Nos. 2 & 8*); also purchased Vols. 2 & 4 - will need to reserve comments until later, although the reviews read seemed to be excellent - although a little surprising for me to see 'Hog' in this repertoire?  ::)  If interested, a short bio below the pics from the Naxos web site - enjoy -  :)



MY FIRST BIG DISCOVERY OF 2010! 13 Minutes of joy.

It's track one on Vol. 3 here:
Niels Gade - Echoes of Ossian, Op. 1 - Concert Overture
This one is of exceptional beauty, melancholy and heroism. Catches you from the beginning because of a beautiful melody. If someone is interested, it's on YT, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TInni-4oCe0

Any more Gade to recommend after Op. 1? I had some loose listenings, Gade seemed to be a bit pre-Beethoven and old fashioned to me, but maybe I was wrong...

schweitzeralan

Quote from: erato on December 04, 2009, 05:24:22 AM
Hurum. Regarded as the Norwegian impressionist (and a painter as well, surely no coincidence) before emigrating to Hawaii.
Thanks to this forum I ordered a Hurum CD. Haven't listened to it yet but am looking forward to my becoming engaged in  works by a 20th century Norwegian composer unfamiliar to me.

kentel

Quote from: Wurstwasser on January 19, 2010, 08:35:03 AM


MY FIRST BIG DISCOVERY OF 2010! 13 Minutes of joy.

It's track one on Vol. 3 here:
Niels Gade - Echoes of Ossian, Op. 1 - Concert Overture
This one is of exceptional beauty, melancholy and heroism. Catches you from the beginning because of a beautiful melody. If someone is interested, it's on YT, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TInni-4oCe0

Any more Gade to recommend after Op. 1? I had some loose listenings, Gade seemed to be a bit pre-Beethoven and old fashioned to me, but maybe I was wrong...

I think that this Ossian Overture is one of the best pieces ever written by Gade. I have been disappointed by almost all the symphonies afterwards. You can also try In the Highlands and Hamlet, all these orchestral pieces are on this very good CPO cd :



My favorite symphony is the 8th (and last). The 3rd and the 4th are fine works too, but I don't like that much the others, which I find thematically rather poor, and orchestrally mendelssohnian. I think that the good Gade is not mendelssohnian (20 years after Mendelssohn),  it is dvorakian - (20 years before Dvorak).

--Gilles




Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich

#611
Thanks for your input, kentel, order the orchestral works CD at cpo.

EDIT: I wanted to write "I ordered" the CD...

kentel

Quote from: Wurstwasser on January 25, 2010, 05:42:46 AM
Thanks for your input, kentel, order the orchestral works CD at cpo.

You're welcome; actually, if you want to dig in on the Danish romantic symphonists, I would recommand JPE Hartmann's symphonies. He wrote only 2, but in a style rather close to Gade in more weberian colors. I especially love the first. The overtures are fine pieces too.









Dax

Henning Mankel.

Not the Wallander author but his grandfather (1868-1930) who wrote very pleasant piano music of a romantic, albeit unthreatening nature tinged with whole-tone chords and occasional strange harmonic progressions.

Here's one of the 24 Intermezzi op 10 (1910)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/5u0rp1

J.Z. Herrenberg

#614
Quote from: kentel on January 25, 2010, 11:19:03 AM
You're welcome; actually, if you want to dig in on the Danish romantic symphonists, I would recommand JPE Hartmann's symphonies. He wrote only 2, but in a style rather close to Gade in more weberian colors. I especially love the first. The overtures are fine pieces too.
I know Hartmann's Haakon Jarl Overture very well, courtesy of a Danish friend I once corresponded with - it struck me as very Beethovenian.


Quote from: Dax on February 21, 2010, 06:46:05 AM
Henning Mankel.

Not the Wallander author but his grandfather (1868-1930) who wrote very pleasant piano music of a romantic, albeit unthreatening nature tinged with whole-tone chords and occasional strange harmonic progressions.

Here's one of the 24 Intermezzi op 10 (1910)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/5u0rp1



I now know two Mankells... Interesting and atmospheric piece. Thanks!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Dax

In which case, see how you get on with the Sonatfantasi op 69 no 1 (1926)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mvs1o0

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Dax on February 21, 2010, 08:46:23 AM
In which case, see how you get on with the Sonatfantasi op 69 no 1 (1926)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mvs1o0


Excellent! I'll have a listen later.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

abidoful

Quote from: vandermolen on June 25, 2008, 03:51:19 PM

Madetoja: all four symphonies

actually, Leevi Madetoja has only three symphonies (he DID compose a fourth one, but it was lost when the suitcase inholding the only manuscript of the symphony was stolen while he was staying in Paris).

Christo

Quote from: abidoful on March 04, 2010, 03:44:41 AM
actually, Leevi Madetoja has only three symphonies (he DID compose a fourth one, but it was lost when the suitcase inholding the only manuscript of the symphony was stolen while he was staying in Paris).

Shocking!   :-\ Never heard the story before. Are you sure it wasn´t burnt in Ainola's green-tiled stove?  8)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

abidoful

Quote from: Christo on March 04, 2010, 04:37:22 AM
Shocking!   :-\ Never heard the story before. Are you sure it wasn´t burnt in Ainola's green-tiled stove?  8)
:D no, i dont think so- i doubt Sibelius would have gone so far,  though at a time he  had shots of envy...!