Rolf Gupta: Chiaroscuro

MIC’s Listen to Norway profile series continues with Rolf Gupta’s Chiaroscuro.

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11.03.2003 | By: Tomas Lauvland Pettersen

Rolf Gupta could be labelled a performing creator as he enjoys respect both as a composer and conductor. Apparently Chiaroscuro means “the artistic distribution of light and dark masses in a picture” and serves not only as a poetic title - it also appears to be the structural and aesthetic idea governing Gupta’s piece of Northern Impressionism. On this recording where Gupta conducts the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, we can hear the composer adding light instrumental colour to dark rumbles and mixing in fast filigree-like textures with slow moving chords. As the piece progresses, the borderline between melody and harmony is blurred: melodic motion grows from the harmonic background. The music moves in fluid motion, as if forming waves within waves – captivating the listener as the tidal wave of the climax breaks.


Rolf Gupta: Chiaroscuro (Aurora / Musikkoperatørene– ACD 5027)