The music of Geirr Tveitt

This is a discussion thread for the music of the Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt. You can access our Wiki page on him here, if you'd like. A few youtube links:

YouTube - Geirr Tveitt - Sun God Symphony, Mvt 3

This is the last movement of his Sun God Symphony, which is based on music from his ballet Baldurs Dreams. The music is, uh, quite sexy! The movement I'm linking to is called ''Dance in the Rain of Arrows'' or ''Dance of the Sun God'' - Danse du Dieu Soleil (I have no idea about the official name..) It's wonderful instrumentation and free form that's lead along by it instrumentation is a delight..

The composer, in speaking about this music, actually called the coda a ''veritable orgy of bitonal effects and harmonic shifts''. :mellow: See if you agree.

Prillar, Mvt 3

a much earlier work, written when he was in his early twenties. Very folkloristic and typical of his early period. I get images in my head of viking drinking games when I listen to this. :laugh: It sounds quite a bit like Hugo Alfven's music, if you've heard of him.

I'm listening to the symphony movement...this is, indeed, very sexy!

:)

Thanks for sharing!

This symphony movement is awesome.

Thanks for the link Anders, am now gonna check this guy out a little more...

Excellent... Check out concertos for piano 1# and 5#, for starters. The first one is very lyrical (Tveitt doing Chopin), and #5 makes Grieg's concerto look very.. tired by comparison. (Tveitt doing Rachmaninov.. but interesting!)

Perhaps there will be some more ''videos'' as I.. find them. Keep your eyes... peeled/open.

If only I knew the identity of this 'NorwegianMusic' bloke..

This is beautiful - thanks Letty :D

Is there anywhere I can purchase any scores of his?

Not unless you go to Stockholm, which is where his publisher resides... I don't believe the Sun God Symphony has been printed, but you can probably borrow the original manuscript for THOUSANDS OF BUCKS. :whistling:

Below, I've provided Youtube links to the Piano Concerto No. 1. Only the first two movements are available..which is a pity, as the third is such a gem. This is another youth work - Opus 1, in fact. (it should be noted that Tveitt thoroughly revised it after his studies, however)

Movement 1

Movement 2

The second satz is a stylized norwegian peasant dance. You have NO IDEA how cheesy it sounds to someone like me, who spends a lot of time exploring obscure Norwegian repertoire... (I feel the same way about the picture that accompanies the video :laugh:) Nevertheless, I fuckin' adore it - it bristles with energy and even has a little bit of subtlety.

EDIT: Here's a movement from the 4th concerto too!