Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's 'Konstateringer' (Statements) uses a concrete poem by Hans-Jørgen Nielsen, assigning one or two fixed notes to each word, which are maintained regardless of the word's appearance, creating a polyphony without changing the regular melody.
Compositional Technique
In the early 1960s, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen moved from complex music by composers like Stockhausen and Boulez to a simpler mode of expression, exemplified by his 1969 work 'Konstateringer' (Statements), a key work of 'the New Simplicity'.
Performer Biography
Paul Hillier, the conductor, is from Dorset, England, and has had a career as a singer, conductor, and music writer, founding the Hilliard Ensemble and Theatre of Voices.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's music is characterized by clashes of laconic observations with anarchistic provocations, childlike wonder with cynical comment, and clichés with originality.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in the DXD audio format (Digital eXtreme Definition) at 352.8 kHz / 24bit, using DPA and Neumann microphones, DAD AX24 converters/preamps, and a Pyramix DAW system.
Composer Biography
Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, born in 1932, is considered one of the most important figures in Danish music and European music generally.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gudmundsen-Holmgreen believes that to participate in broad, popular Danish songwriting, one must imitate the familiar, and that only simplicity endures.
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