Geirr Tveitt: A Hundred Hardanger Tunes
MIC’s latest Listen to Norway profile is the acclaimed Naxos release Geirr Tveitt: A Hundred Hardanger Tunes.
The name Geirr Tveitt is inextricably linked with the orchestral works "A Hundred Hardanger Tunes". Tveitt (1908-1981), one of Norway’s leading composers, had his roots in a living folk tradition and supplemented this with a fondness for French Impressionism. By virtue of his intimate knowledge of tonality in Norwegian folk music, coupled with his art of instrumentation, Tveitt was able to raise the simple folk melody to the concert hall podium - without losing the inherent characteristics of the art of this folk music. As the title implies, "A Hundred Hardanger Tunes” include folk-tunes from the West-Norwegian fjord-district of Hardanger. Fascinated by the lore and history within those pieces Tveitt collected songs from this district, interpreted and arranged them, colouring the compositions with his own harmony, counterpoint and orchestration.
Geirr Tveitt: A Hundred Hardanger Tunes (Naxos – 8.555078)
