Norway is blessed with many
churches and cathedrals. Most of our recordings are made in these
wonderfull spaces. The music captured by 2L features Norwegian composers
and performers, and an international repertoire reflected in the Nordic
athmosphere.
The traditional way to illuminate and enhance an identity is to define the borders to operate within. We have chosen a different path as the
products of 2L are developed without fences. 2L recognizes the
fundamental values of stunning musical performances and excellent sound
production. We capture these performances at their most real and
surround them with appealing packaging.
21-24.05.2009: www.pureaudio-bluray.com msm-studios and 2L performed workshops three times a day, surrounded by 5.1 B&W Nautilus 801, at High End 2009, München
10.03.2009: Music in HD surround sound Blu-ray is the first domestic format in history that unites theatre movies and music sound in equally high quality.
05.01.2009: Lindberg Lyd - A new paradigm of fidelity The surround sound recordings of Lindberg Lyd do not only transform the entire listening experience, more radically, the recording techniques that the firm has developed and perfected overturn some very basic concepts regarding how music is played and even composed.
High Resolution Downloads FLACstereo
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The Nordic Sound - 2L audiophile reference recordings
From combined musical and audiophile criteria we have compiled a collection of the most excellent and impressive recordings 2L (Lindberg Lyd) have to offer. Most tracks originate from DXD (24 BIT / 352.8 kHz), presented now in 192kHz on the Blu-ray and pure DSD on the SACD. This two-disc set contains both a Blu-ray and a hybrid SACD featuring the exact same music.
Two of the albums presented in this compilation is nominated for the GRAMMY Award "Best Surround Sound Album". Discover what the unique Nordic Sound is all about!
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Marianne Thorsen is widely known for her recording of MOZART violin concertos with TrondheimSolistene. Now she demonstrates what beauty that lies in the Violin Concerto of our classical contemporary composer Ståle Kleiberg. Göran Sjölin brings the sonic qualities of the double bass into new light, and both solo concertos are supported by a widely staged Trondheim Symphony Orchestra in an exceptional surround sound recording. If we seek a stylistic reference point for Kleiberg's music, it is perhaps not fanciful to refer to its recovery of certain qualities that we associate with northern Europe during the first half of the twentieth century. Composers as different as Sibelius, Nielsen and Vaughan Williams all established unique dialogues with central European and French modernists, but in ways that allowed for a tone of lofty idealism, even at times of frank romanticism that was unavailable to the modernists themselves. Kleiberg seems to continue and to extend dialogues of this kind. He has never been a slave to fashion, but it is striking that the neo-romanticism that is his most natural mode of expression, has once again become a part of our general culture..
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Only the full symphony orchestra can impose the true emotional dynamics of the arctic nature. FLUTE MYSTERY is a collection of five orchestral works by Norwegian composer Fred Jonny Berg. In this distinctive and dynamic surround sound recording, the Philharmonia Orchestra with Emily & Catherine Beynon as soloists on flute & harp are conducted by the legendary Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Vladimir Ashkenazy: I am very fond of Scandinavian mentality, the way people express themselves and their spiritual world. It has always been a very special treat for me to conduct and play Scandinavian music and it is a particular pleasure to introduce to the world a very talented Norwegian composer Fred Jonny Berg whose music in its own way is a genuine reflection of his world.
Berg's music is often described as melodious, accessible and dramatic, yet with a highly original quality. Berg himself tries to explain: It is really as simple as it is complicated - I breathe in what life has to offer, and breathe out what I have to offer life. I have given up trying to grasp what actually happens in the process from impression to expression. In his music Fred Jonny Berg reveals himself as a person who has experienced that life consists of light and dark, but unlike the majority of us he approaches both with a similar undaunted decisiveness; it adds an extra quality to his music: the conviction of an eyewitness.
Emily Beynon, flute / Catherine Beynon, harp
PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA / Vladimir Ashkenazy
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Enjoy this wonderful music for two pianos from two of history’s greatest composers. Mozart was without a doubt one of Grieg’s first and foremost musical inspirations. What is special about Grieg’s adaptation of the Mozart Fantasia in C minor is that he has not reworked it in the traditional manner. Grieg’s unusual achievement lies in the fact that he has retained Mozart’s text unchanged, adding an entirely new part which is to be performed together with the original. When both parts are played, they interweave and become something entirely new. The Mozart/Grieg Fantasia for two pianos in C minor is on this album surrounded by Mozart’s famous Sonata in D for two pianos and Grieg’s only original work for two pianos, the lesser known masterpiece Old Norwegian Melody with variations.
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Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Cantate RV 679, 660, 664, 678 / Concerti RV 484, 441
18th century Venice; where Hollywood meets Las Vegas; where the jet-set of Europe could conceal their identities behind masks and hurl themselves into the fake world of commedia dell'arte. Bellezza Crudel is a small selection of delightful cantatas and concertos. Vivaldi's world is one of heartfelt, musical intensity, confirming the Venetians' adoration of theatrical beauty.
Tone Wik (soprano), Barokkanerne (period instruments orchestra),
Per Hannisdal (bassoon), Alexandra Opsahl (recorder)
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JOHANNES MARTENS ENSEMBLE Chamber Music by ELLIOTT CARTER - Figments and Fragments
For this album of music by Elliott Carter, on GRAMMY award-nominated Norwegian label 2L, cellist Johannes Martens has assembled some of Norway's foremost young musicians. Tracing Carter's development through some of his most creative periods, these works - from the beautiful 1946 Elegy and the celebrated Cello Sonata from 1948 through to newer pieces for solo instruments, duo, trio and string quartet - constitute nearly a cross-section of musical evolution in the 20th century's second half.
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The Engegård Quartet made their first appearance at the 2006 Lofoten International Music Festival. Inspired by the midnight sun, their musical landscape ranges from glowing core energy to the gentle lyrical sound of Norwegian nature. Edvard Grieg and Leif Solberg are natural choices for this Scandinavian quartet, complimented by the music of Joseph Haydn reflected in a Nordic atmosphere. The strong musical nerve is emphasized by an intense sound production by Lindberg Lyd.
The tradition of pairing trumpet and organ goes back a long way; it is,
however, only in recent years that Norwegian composers have found the
inspiration to write concert music for this combination of instruments. In
addition to the fanfares and festivity often associated with the trumpet,
today’s composers also exploit the instrument’s potential for expressing
tender, meditative moods.
Music by Kjell Mørk Karlsen, Jon Laukvik, Ketil Vea and Egil Hovland.
Jan Fredrik Christiansen / Terje Winge
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Ellen Sejersted Bødtker - Hildegunn Riise/ Oslo Kammersolister / Grex Vocalis
"SONaR is a sound signal sent out to create an echo from whatever it may encounter and thus reveal the unknown. I think we all send our symbolic sonars into physical and spiritual space, in a constant search for meaning. At least I do. And my life and music represent both this child's sonars and the universe's ever-unfolding answer." - Magnar Åm
"The music is insistent, powerful and existential, bringing out the dramatic qualities of the instrument. In the cadenza the electric harp with all its effects carries on a dialogue with its acoustic counterpart, as if the new and the ancient world were melting together; a Mongolian shepherd's song winds its way between the strings." - Ellen Sejersted Bødtker
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The divertimento as a musical genre dates back to the nineteenth century. Divertimenti were composed for various social occasions and were intended to be light, uncomplicated and cheerful. Such pieces were often scored for small string ensemble. Over the years this effortless, elegant form has appeared in many different musical styles and, to a large extent, set the standard for the virtuosic chamber music we know today. A number of the most prominent composers of our age have engaged with this most fascinating musical style and have contributed to its further refinement as a chamber-symphonic showpiece.
Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony Grazyna Bacewicz Concerto for String Orchestra Terje Bjørklund Carmina Béla BartókDivertimento for Strings
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Lindberg Lyd: A new paradigm of fidelity: The surround sound recordings of Lindberg Lyd do not only transform the entire listening experience, more radically, the recording techniques that the firm has developed and perfected overturn some very basic concepts regarding how music is played and even composed. MEN interview
The First and Second Viennese Schools and their associated cultural environments constitute a fascinating, enigmatic musical terrain of strong mutual relationships. This recording seeks to explore points of tension between the two epochs by contrasting four central compositions – masterpieces which constantly inform our perception of what music is and what music can be. Two canons, mirrored in their own reflection.
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonate Nr. 32 c-moll, op. 111
Arnold Schönberg: Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, op. 19
Anton Webern: Vier Stücke für Geige und Klavier, op. 7
Alban Berg: Sonate für Klavier, op. 1.
Tor Espen AspaasPIANO
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This reflective, tuneful album is a collection of beautiful piano music written and performed by Ola Gjeilo. His music is a blend of jazz, classical and popular music influences, married in a unique and passionate style. The evocative melodies and harmonies of Stone Rose are sure to captivate listeners from the first hearing.
Many of the tracks are expressions of Ola's deep love for New York City, where he lives and maintains his highly successful career as a composer and pianist. Also featured on the album are elite American and Norwegian musicians Johannes Martens (cello), Tom Barber (flugelhorn) and David Coucheron (violin).
Stone Rose is Ola's first solo album, eagerly awaited across the world by audiences who have fallen in love with his expressive compositions and serenely beautiful playing.
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Violinist Stig Nilsson presents a selection of six contemporary Norwegian works from his extensive
repertoire. Throughout his long career as concertmaster of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and as a much sought-after soloist and ensemble partner – and not least as a source of inspiration to a great many colleagues and composers – Stig Nilsson has contributed perhaps more than any other to putting Norwegian composers on the map. Numerous works have been dedicated to him over the years; some of them even for two violins. Hear him in solo performances and together with his son, Anders Kjellberg Nilsson.
Slåttetralling is the Norwegian folk singer’s way to present the instrumental music. When the dancers couldn’t find a fiddle player, they used a singer. By imitating the fiddle and using improvised nonsense “words”, the singer creates variations and a spectre of colours in the melodies. This way of using the voice is based on tradition documented in old archive
recordings. The tunes have also been passed on orally in personal encounters from generation to generation. Berit Opheim Versto brings the tradition to life in a modern soundscape.
Berit Opheim Versto from Voss is one of Norway's foremost folk singers. She is a very versatile
singer, frequently performing across genre boundaries, drawing inspiration from such diverse areas as traditional music, early music, improvisation and contemporary music.
This album is also available as HiRes download
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Edvard Grieg's vocal output is rich, wide-ranging - and heterogeneous.
He seems to have felt equally at home in any kind of writing technique, his oeuvre consisting of anything from small children's songs and burlesque folkloristic compositions on anonymous texts to grand-scale religious works and dramatic song cycles based on poetry by internationally outstanding Norwegian poets.
GREX VOCALIS conducted by Carl Høgset takes us on a journey to Grieg's musical treasures. With Magnus Staveland as tenor soloist we venture into the Heav'n with Four Hymns after having explored the joys and sorrows of life in Children’s Songs and Album for Male Voices. En route we are also presented the evergreen songs Last Spring and Ave, Maris Stella.
The composer Morten Gaathaug's music evokes images of all the many facets of Nature and Life. He is inspired by the exuberant magic of birds and has created a fascinating musical language of what normally would be considered natural contradictions: strains of romantics as well as modernism, clear-cut motifs and witty melodies are allowed to co-exist in this intriguing musical landscape. Chamber Music has a special position in Morten Gaathaug's musical universe - join in for a treat of great works for small ensembles.
ENSEMBLE BJØRVIKA / Tore Dingstad
Per Andreas Tønder / Ellen Ugelvik
String Quartet no. 2
Six Songs to Poems by Jens Bjørneboe
Quintet for Piano and Strings
Gregorian chant, in its all-embracing spirituality and poetry, appeals
to the deeper levels of the human heart. Monks in the Middle Ages
composed and performed this music as an integrated part of their daily
occupation with Sacred Scripture. Throughout the centuries Gregorian
chant has enriched and deepened the liturgy of the church, and has
been a source of inspiration in every period of European music history.
Under the leadership of Alexander M. Schweitzer Consortium Vocale
presents chants from the five Sundays of Lent, Palm Sunday and Good
Friday, recorded in the medieval church at Ringsaker in Norway.
EXAUDIAM EUM - Gregorian Chant for Lent and Holy Week
JULEMESSE - Missa in nativitate Domini is a new and exiting celebration of Christmas, and definitely Sølvguttene's most unique Christmas album to date. The album is a Christmas Mass, with all its regular parts, in addition to traditional Christmas carols. What makes this recording special is that we have chosen to sing chants from various composers, while it's normal to sing a whole mass from the same composer. We wanted to reveal how different composers from different periods of time have interpreted the same words. The music covers a range of over 1000 years, from Benedictus which is from the 10th century to Kjell Mørk Karlsen's and Wolfgang Plagge's compositions from our time.
This recording was made during my recent Norwegian tour and represents my most personal repertoire programme to date. It has been a great pleasure, and very refreshing, to get the opportunity to put together a repertoire of music which simply means a great deal to me, and which I was extremely eager to perform on stage. The Czech Republic, Norway and Russia form a European triangle. Each country displays its own unique style, but they have one thing in common: a heavy folkloristic influence, especially during the romantic era. Besides the fact that I am half Czech, this may well be what attracts me so strongly to the music of these three countries. I find their music highly expressive and heartfelt.
Steffen Horn - KONSERT Dusik, Rachmaninov, Grieg and Prokofiev
Klaviersonaten von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) mit frei hinzukomponierter Begleitung eines zweiten Klaviers von Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Mozart was without a doubt one of Edvard Grieg's favourite composers. When his mother gave lessons or entertained family and friends for an evening of music, it was the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which made the greatest impression on him. During the winter of 1876/77 he arranged four of Mozart's nineteen piano sonatas for two pianos by adding his own, newlsy composed part. What is special about Grieg's adaptations of the Mozart sonatas is that he has not reworked them in the traditional - and perhaps derogatory - manner. Grieg's unusual achievement lies in the fact that he has retained Mozart's text unchanged, adding an entirely new part which can be performed together with the original. When both parts are played, they interweave and become something entirely new. Two different musical styles meet in dialogue, ending up in a symbiosis of colour and texture. Mozart's music expands in time and space. Grieg's additional piano part is a romantic's respectful embrace, a romantic commentary; Mozart in romantic guise.
This album is also available as HiRes download
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Since 1960 the composer Arne Nordheim has enchanted both musicians and audience with a unique soundscape. His music may be considered a source to the later Nordic Sound of electronica. Today's DJs might not willingly announce "Grandfather taught me this", but that's actually the case!
CIKADA DUO is Kenneth Karlsson (piano/synthesizer) and Bjørn Rabben (percussion). They are joined by Åke Parmerud (elektronics) and Elisabeth Holmertz (soprano) in this production of Arne Nordheim's music.
Take the stand within the percussion and let yourself be embraced by electronica, vocal and synthesizers in an extreme surround sound recording, as originally intended by the composer.
With this recording we wish to present a fresh version of the most elegant violin concertos in the history of music. While respecting the origin and tradition of this music, we have sought a new and dynamic musical experience rooted in our present time. To us, Mozart is as solid as rock, as soft as snow, and as clear as ice; this recording embraces the listener in a sonic world that invites to participate actively in the experience, in close and mutual interaction with the soloist and the orchestra. Only in this way can we genuinely express our love of Mozart's music. Marianne Thorsen / TrondheimSolistene
MOZART Violin Concertos
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Beginning in
the music circles of the aristocracy
of the 19th century, music for 4 pianists has been highly
popular.It is well known that Chopin and Liszt used to
perform together with colleagues music for eight hands,
as they did, for example, in 1838 in Rouen playing such a
transcription of Beethoven’s 8th symphony. Since that time,
numerous ambitious and brilliant original compositions for
four pianists have been created of which the Norwegian
works by Bjørn Kruse, Trygve Madsen and Wolfgang Plagge
are among the most outstanding. The Aurora Quartett is
a renowned international ensemble of pianists that is
dedicated especially to the performance of music for
four pianists.
Sigurd Islandsmoen’s REQUIEM for soloists, choir and orchestra is a unique flower in the Norwegian music flora. Throughout the 1940s and 50s the work enjoyed huge success both in Norway and abroad thanks to its beautiful and accessible latin and folk music based musical language. And then, mysteriously, the music disappeared and the work was buried in the dust of oblivion for several decades. But now it has been revived and restored to its former glory, a source of inspiration to future generations.
Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra The Norwegian Soloists' Choir
conducted by Terje Boye Hansen
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Trombone concertos by Plagge, Hovland, Amdahl and Aagaard-Nilsen
"I found! I found!" says Askeladden, the hero of countless Norwegian folk tales as he picks up numerous strange and seemingly worthless objects from the road, objects everybody else would go by without noticing. Askeladden possesses this uncanny creative intuition which outwits any sinister force, and helps him in his quest to achieve his aims - most frequently being marrying the Princess and ruling half the Kingdom. The Askeladden creativity has been the underlying power source when one of Norway’s most prominent trombonists, PK Svensen, gives away four Norwegian treats for trombone with Malmö Symfoniorkester
Richard Strauss' first and only sonata for violin and piano and George Enescu's third, the former as radiant, heroic and sublime as the latter is dark, melancholy and feverish; it is in their transcendent qualities that the two sonatas are related. Both works signify an important milestone in their respective creators' development as composers; they also constitute milestones in our own development as instrumentalists, both individually and as a duo.
24 PRELUDES & FUGUES [Trygve Madsen]
Jens Harald Bratlie PIANO
TRYGVE MADSEN's music is friendly, full of humour, beautiful, elegant and
capable of establishing a direkt link to the listeners heart!
What is new in Trygve Madsen's Preludes & Fugues compared with
Shostakovich's? Apart from the indefinable element of musical personality
Madsen's music is influenced by twentieth century jazz and evergreens as
much as it is by Bach.
The Inspiration of the Moment is of fundamental significance
to any type of connection between human beings, in music as well as in
speech. All tracks on this cd are results of spontaneously improvised
variations over Christmas’ most beloved songs and tunes.
Volume II of the 2L Wieniawski CD series
features some sensational works: The legendary Polish violin virtuoso and
composer Henryk Wieniawski also had an equally gifted brother, Josef.
Together they composed astonishing music, recorded here on CD for the first
time ever. Also meet the urbane as well as the exotic Henryk Wieniawski in
well-known and unknown original settings, brilliantly performed by the
Wieniawski specialist duo Janowski/Plagge.
Immortal NYSTEDT
[1915 –
]
– Surrounded by the Wonders of CreationEnsemble 96
cond.
Øystein Fevang
The beginning of the universe
and the drama at Golgatha; medieval music and German baroque; the writings
of Søren Kierkegaard – and a child’s baptism in Oslo in 1987. Knut Nystedt
draws his inspiration from all ages, creating his monumental choral art with
a Christian perspective and wide, humanistic appeal.
BÉLA BARTÓK
SONATA for solo violin
SONATA 2 for violin and piano
CONTRASTS for violin, clarinet and piano
Bartók's music receives red-blooded, totally committed
performances by three of Scandinavia's most gifted musicians on a disc ranging
from the striking modernism of the Second Violin Sonata, via the jazz flirtation
of Contrasts to the magisterial Bach homage of the Sonata for Solo Violin.
Annar Follesø
violin
Björn Nyman
clarinet
Christian Ihle Hadland
piano
Sigurd Lie is best known for his gem of a song, Sne (Snow). But what of the
rest of his output, does that merit attention? Indeed it does; Sigurd Lie’s
music sounds fresh and highly original, a continuing enrichment of our
musical world – when we are given the opportunity to hear it.
MAGNUM MYSTERIUMGrex Vocalis
conducted by
Carl Høgset
Regardless of how one might choose to celebrate Christmas
today, we believe that this music can contribute atmosphere, light and hope
at the darkest time of the year.
Grex Vocalis have brought together some of the most beautiful Christmas
music for a cappella choir.
CEROSFrøydis Ree Wekre – few instrumentalists have like her achieved to
put Norway on the musical World map. Trough a long and distinguished career
as one of the world’s leading horn players, as a professor and celebrated
cultural personality; her work has been of tremendous value to the art of
horn playing and its repertoire of contemporary music. Her distinctive tone
and communicative abilities have captured audiences and composers all over
the world.
Works by Madsen, Berge, Plagge,
Kvandal and Clearfield
Frøydis Ree Wekre
horn
Tor Espen Aspaas
piano
Atle Sponberg
violin
Lisa Ford
horn
Jan-Olav Martinsen
horn
Andrea Clearfield
piano
Wolfgang Plagge
piano
BNB - ein song frå dei
utsungne stunderAre you prepared to let
yourself be touched — to face a real timeout?
Do you dare to listen — inside yourself, and discover something beautiful —
something you have been longing for without knowing it? Then this recording
is for you — life will turn out different after BNB...
Berit Opheim vocal Nils Økland fiddle and
hardangerfiddle Bjørn Kjellemyr double bass
Drufiacc®
– extracted from
rhythms of blues and Nordic tunes
with a classical scentFLUKT
Sturla Eide fiddle / hardangerfiddle
Øivind Farmen accordion
Håvard Sterten
percussion
WARNING Drums, fiddle and accordion
may cause severe addiction!
Piano Music
between Romantic and Impressionism — performed by the superb sonority artist
Steffen Horn — a sustained journey in time and space. From the great visions
of Chopin in his Ballade no.4 through the caressing waves of Faure’s
Barcarolles to the
exotic world of Debussy’s Estampes; Steffen Horn leads his listeners through
some of the most beautiful landscapes Music has to offer.
Sergei Prokofiev created his vivid music in
a century marred by war and death. The two piano sonatas on this recording
were written during two world wars; still they radiate belief in life as a
creative power. Pianist Steffen Horn here gives a compelling account of
historical events.
The Horn has always been one of the
brass instrument family’s most fascinating members due to its sweet, yet
full timbre. For centuries it has seen service as a signal horn, a post
horn and as a musical instrument, but the development of the Valve Horn
during the 1st half of the 19th century really placed the Horn in the
forefront among solo instruments. Robert Schumann was among the first to
acknowledge the full potential of the new instrument, and on this
recording he and four colleagues speak to us with the electrifying and
calling voice of the Horn.
Dolcissimo sospiro is baroque in the use of
"clair obscur", a technique
also employed in painting and sculpture of the early baroque era. Love and
joy are juxtaposed with pain and death, and the "sweetest sighs" of the
title are ones of hope and despair.
We are in early 17th century Italy. Composers such as Caccini,
Monteverdi, Merula and d'India have all written music to the poetry of,
among others, Ottavio Rinuccini. And Ron Ford's composition Rinuccini
connects it with our time.
Bruno
Walter was Gustav Mahler’s earliest, closest and — many would say — most
authentic interpreter. This recording opens the door into another, unknown
world — that of Walter’s own creative life as a composer, revealing at
once his indebtedness to Mahler, but at the same time his own powerful and
distinctive voice, too long hidden in the shadow of his mentor.
As the notes
from Sturla Eide’s fiddle and Andreas Aase’s guitar soar towards
the ceiling of the Sofienberg church in Oslo, different thoughts and
emotions are unleashed.
Every single melody in Norwegian traditional music
is saturated by rhythm, simply because the tunes had to be danceable by
themselves a long time ago - the melody is in the rhythm, the rhythm is in
the melody. So when Andreas’ guitar and occasional bouzouki is added to Sturla’s fiddle and hardanger fiddle playing, it is done in a thoughtful
and gentle way.
The influence of the theater on the life of composer,
violinist and conductor Johan Halvorsen (1864–1935) dates as far back as
his youth. During his time as musical director for Norway's two most
important theatrical stages he composed music for over thirty different
plays.
The unusually visual nature of his music left so strong an
imprint upon his contemporaries, that he was presented with a violin of
exceptional quality and value by a Russian patron. On this recording, two of
Norway's foremost musicians allow us to become acquainted with Johan Halvorsen's chamber music – on the composer’s own instrument.
The ensemble "Over Stok og Steen" (over
hill and dale) have specialized in folk music from Hedemarken, the
flatland villages east of the lake Mjøsa. The musical traditions of this
region are wide-ranging in their history, form, and expression, something
we have wished to take into account on the present recording. You will
hear minuets from the 18th century, the peasant's polka, the farmer's
fandango and the ballad singer's wistful love songs. With all respect for
the folk music traditions of Hedemarken, we have adapted the melodies in
our own way. The recording is an homage to composers, village fiddlers,
ballad singers, farmers and peasants
— to all and sundry!
… in circles — These compositions circle each other like planets in a binary star system and form an
aesthetic as well as an epic union: one gives where the other takes, one
is tacit where the other speaks. In fact, all the inner and outer
processes are distinguished by contrasts. The tension between the old and
the new is additionally re-inforced through the use of extremely archaic
as well as modernistic instrumental means. Composer Wolfgang Plagge here
takes on the challenge of treading two apparently very dissimilar circles
– only to discover that they are tightly connected, like links in a chain. Annar Follesø violin
– Helge Kjekshus piano
GLOW – For centuries, Norway's dark winter
days and luminous summer nights have inspired the diverse forms of
creativity of its folk artists. Troll lore and nature mysticism spring
from the interplay of light and darkness on the fertile imagination, and
light in its many manifestations has always been a central element of
Norwegian painting and music.
An intense dark glow permeates the music presented on this CD by two
distinguished artists. In their tightly arranged renderings the vigor and
poetic feeling of the folk music tradition is fused with a bold and
skillful use of polyphonic texture, bearing witness to the power inherent
in a living tradition.
This CD presents interpretations of
Norwegian folk tunes in the manner of the legendary fiddle player Halldor
Meland (1884–1972), performed by three of Norway's most accomplished
soloists on the hardanger fiddle. As an ensemble, the members of trio HARDANGER draw a kind of energy from one another that infuses their
playing with new vitality. But above all they stand forth as soloists,
with a spontaneity, vigor and inner verve that lives on inside the
listener. All three have been inspired here by the dynamic, boundless and
uncompromising spirit of the older master.
In between the worlds of
folklore and classical, where pulsating energetic monody meets the
polyphonic, polytonal and rhythmically intricate melody we encounter the
Norwegian group “Majorstuen”. This young and creative ensemble
succeeds in utilising the totality of artistic ingredients within the
Norwegian musical heritage, thus producing breathtaking new perspectives.
We get it all: From melancholic inspired fiddle-tunes, good-natured folk
dance parodies to astonishingly pointed and vital new compositions.
Folkloristic traditions
are based on the transmission of music from generation to generation. But
this does not at all imply that folk music has to be static and forever
unchangeable
–
musicians like Knut Kjøk and Dag Gården lend the term Tradition
itself an entirely new meaning, as they pay equally respect to creativity
and fantasy as well as re-creation and faithfulness to their musical
sources. As a result an extraordinarily sincere, honest and fascinating
music emerges; right through candid, truly original and refreshingly new –
from people to people!
More than 700 years lay
between text and music in this version of the Norse epic poem ”Liknarbraut”.
An anonymous skald wrote down his innermost thoughts about the Cross in a
strong and sonorous ”dråpa”, entirely in the tradition of the
pre-Christian Viking skalds. The poem is full of fascinating and mythical
images that speak with an astonishing amount of authority to modern man as
well. Wolfgang Plagge’s choral setting bridges the centuries and lends
depth to the medieval poetic thoughts. The musical expression ranges from
the faintest Pianissimo to cascades of explosive energy, and forms an
acoustic impression of Time itself – ARS NOVA part III – a
modern reflection.
The
Norwegian group ”FLUKT” (soaring) lends Music wings!
The players literally radiate true musicianship, an energetic intensity
and a spirit of sorts, which gives the listener a hard time sitting still.
Their Music resembles a good game of chess, where elements of surprise and
unconventional imaginative abilities beat the conventional and sturdy. The
inspirational sources are many; Scandinavian as well as Gaelic folk Music,
religious tunes and specially written compositions form a vital and living
totality with a strong and personal identity.
Enjoy
this soaring musical experience and fly over familiar and unknown lands!
”Forced
to live with a permanent physical disorder, born with a fiery temperament,
I had to isolate myself, live my life alone.” The musical genius that
lost his hearing never succumbed to fate. On the contrary – over and
over again he managed to adjust to the shifting phases of his life and
art. As a creative artist, Beethoven stood for constant renewal throughout
his entire career, and he never hesitated from sharing his innermost
feelings with his listeners.
The
three sonatas on this CD were created in three different phases – meet
the young, the struggling and the mature Beethoven in an intense and lucid
performance. “I will fly at fate and attack it – it will never succeed
in striking me to the ground!”
ARS NOVA – the New Art – a term commonly used to
describe European music of the
14th century A.D. During this period, Music soars to new heights of freedom and invention – still, the
medieval legacy is not being forgotten. The
Old perishes – but nourishes and feeds the New. This cosmic principle applies to every level of our
existence,
from physics and chemistry to art, literature,
history and religion. Music,
as the language of the Soul, is also bound to this eternal principle. This is especially evident in the
connection between folklore and its inspirational sources: New art forms constantly develop under the influence of older forms.
ARS NOVA part II
– The Legacy.
What happens when a massive star dies? In a
cataclysmic explosion it hurls enormous
amounts of star matter into the Universe and becomes a Nova. But this matter contains essential building
blocks for the creation of new stars and planets; so the old star contributes to the giving of new
life. When Reformation reached Norway in 1536
A.D., virtually all of the ancient Gregorian
tradition was annihilated. Still Norwegian music of today, folk music as well as work of art, contains
lots of traces from the influence of medieval music. Discover what
happens when the Middle Ages speak through the heart of a contemporary
composer
– ARS NOVA.
The magic of a true Norwegian "spellemann"
(fiddler) has seldom been presented
in a more convincing way. Tron Steffen Westberg throws the spell of
generations on every listener who dares to come close enough, and he demonstrates the rhythmical and emotional
powers of traditional Norwegian folk
music to the very limit. In old times
it sometimes happened that fiddlers could become so consumed by their
own playing that they frightened their audiences out of their wits. In such cases the fiddle had to be taken away
from the performers by force! Westberg
has got that same power in his playing, but no one should ever be allowed
to take the instrument away from him!
The magnificent steel blue of a Winter Moon
– an eerie warm light on the cold snow. This is the inspirational background for
the musicians in the young Norwegian
group "Vintermåne". A fascinating landscape based on tradition
and innovation is being
brought to life through folk music with potent elements of
jazz and pop. The specific Norwegian folk tradition of creative musical performance is here being presented to
the listener in an entirely new and fertile
light – and the old tunes evidently seem to prosper in their new
surroundings.
During a recital in Christiania in June 1876
Henryk
Wieniawski performed Grieg's
Sonata in F with Edvard Grieg himself playing the piano part. After the performance Grieg wrote to a friend:
During my concerts, the audience normally
sits around yawning and snoring, but yesterday, when I played with Mr. Wieniawski, everybody seemingly
wanted to tear down the house in ecstasy!
We hope that you will catch a fragment of the same
atmosphere when Piotr Janowski
in this recording interprets Wieniawski's own repertoire ...
The warmth of wistfulness, a smile through
tears, the veil of light rain, longing without name, alienation – musing over unanswerable questions. The age we live in calls for youthfulness, not heavy minds.Might it be that the spirit of our time is
fleeing
from itself? Is ours really an age of melancholy?
Welcome to a voyage in an acoustic
landscape – with the
contours of classical, contemporary, jazz, pop and folk music. 2L is
the exclusive and registered trade mark
of Lindberg Lyd AS
NO 976559 029 MVA