Search - Geirr Tveitt, Bjarte Engeset, Royal Scottish National Orchestra :: Geirr Tveitt: A Hundred Hardanger Tunes, Suites Nos. 1 & 4

Tveitt's Masterpiece of Human Emotion and Expression

Jesse Bye | California | 06/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beauty, laughter, longing, drunken revelry - all of these and more are expressed in the wonderful music of Geirr Tveitt. The Hardanger Tunes are very interesting in this regard, having unusual titles such as "Lament for an empty brandy keg" or "Braggart's Ballad". In these songs is the essence of humanity as Tveitt saw it: nature's beauty, love's heartbreak, pain, and warmth, the drunkard's foolishness, and the world's chaos.



The music is distinctly Norwegian, making extensive use of fifths and having at times a rustic feel which paints an authentic picture of the countryside in which he grew up. But more important is the variety that he expresses: emotions such as grief and longing, jesting and drunken laughter, distant echoes of melodies, and many other tales are told here. Atonality and dischordance arise to express even more, but are used sparingly.



The conducting is excellent, conveying Tveitt's character beautifully. The orchestra responds wonderfully, leaving nothing to be desired. And the recording quality is perfect, with a good sense of space, but not too much reverberation. I don't have any other recordings to reference this with (I believe this is one of the only recordings existant now), but believe that the music is conveyed without distraction or fault.



I highly recommend this recording to any classical music-lover."

Enjoyable Cycle

Strat Man | Shelton CT | 05/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I like to try out previously unheard of composers. This CD is essentially a song cycle, though completely instrumental.



Even the "wedding suite" strikes me as a series of short compositions. Mostly has a light feel to it, but not at all sappy. Strong compostions throughout."