Tales of Sound and Fury

Featuring

Håkon Stene
Karin Dahlberg [Roman]
Terje Tønnesen
Knut Johannessen
Torbjörn Westman
Balázs Szokolay Dongó

Ferenc Kiss
Mihaly Huszar
Lars Henrik Johansen
Mihkel Kerem
Camerata Nordica
Anonymous (17th century)
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber
John Eccles
Henry Purcell
Georg Philipp Telemann

Did you know?

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Album & Artwork

The album title, "Tales of Sound and Fury," and the project itself were inspired by French philosopher Michel Foucault's book "History of Madness."

Interpretation

The performers aim to play these baroque works in a 'baroque' manner informed by their own time, seeking the essence of the music rather than replicating historical performance practices.

Composition History

Of the three works attributed to Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, only "Battalia" is definitively by him; "Sonata representativa" may be by his teacher Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, and "Sonata jucunda" is by an unknown composer.

Composer Biography

Georg Philipp Telemann, a highly productive and stylistically versatile composer, was significantly influenced by Polish folk music he encountered while serving as Kapellmeister in Żary, Poland.

Historical Context

During the 17th century, the Bethlehem Royal Hospital in London, popularly known as 'Bedlam,' became a source of entertainment, attracting visitors to observe its mentally ill inmates.

Compositional Technique

The album features three drum solos, performed on a Norwegian folk instrument called a 'slåttetromme,' which resembles a baroque drum.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Biber and Schmelzer were leading exponents of the "stylus phantasticus," a style characterized by daring harmonies, abrupt transitions, and often a combination of popular music and extra-musical sounds.