Harald Severud, the composer, experienced an intensive period of creativity during World War II, triggered by a personal war against the German occupation of Norway.
Composer Biography
Before the war, Severud earned a living as a music critic and piano teacher, and even played in a cinema orchestra, during a financially difficult period in Norway.
Composition History
Severud's Peer Gynt music was commissioned for a new, de-romanticized production of the play, as the original composer, Grieg, was felt to have obscured the play's psychological elements.
Performer Biography
Alexander Dmitriev, the conductor, is considered one of the leading Russian conductors and has been Music Director of the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra since 1977 and Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra since 1990.
Compositional Technique
Severud's Peer Gynt music features unusual instrumentation, folk-like themes that are sometimes bizarrely distorted, and bitonality with a humorous twist, as heard in "Blandet selskap" (Mixed Company) where national anthems are interwoven.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Severud's individual style, which fully blossomed in the 1930s and 1940s, is characterized by folk-like melodies, buoyant rhythms, ostinato passages, original instrumentation, and free tonal harmony.
Critical Reception
During World War II, Severud's music gained a new level of understanding among the Norwegian public and began to be performed worldwide, establishing him as a spokesman for Norwegian music.
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