This album features world premiere recordings of several works by Per Nørgård, including the Kvintet, Op. 1, Vintersalme, and Cantica.
Composer Biography
Per Nørgård, the composer, is a professor who has received numerous awards globally, yet his music is often quiet and searching.
Compositional Technique
Nørgård's renowned 'infinity series,' discovered in 1959, involves a small motivic cell that is played repeatedly, expanding to create an endless number of new, linked cells.
Performer Biography
Soprano Signe Asmussen is a highly sought-after Danish singer, recognized for her lied performances and commitment to contemporary repertoire, earning her the Danish Composers' Society's Award for Musicians in 2014.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Nørgård's music requires listeners to approach it with openness, rewarding their receptiveness with pleasure and enhanced attentiveness.
Historical Context
Per Nørgård played a significant role in the 'new simplicity' movement in Danish music, which combined avant-garde numerical approaches with more purely musical elements.
Composition History
Per Nørgård initially studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Vagn Holmboe, using his teacher's 'motivic metamorphosis' style as a model.
