Velkommen, torne og katastrofer

Pulsar Festival: »Orgel og strygere«

Orgel og strygere var temaet ved Pulsar Festivals andendag. © Nomeko/Shutterstock.com

Sune Anderberg. © Alexander Banck-Petersen

Jamen sikket besynderligt værk, altså, Marianna Filippis Caught in Your Chrysalis, We Grow for akkordeon, violin og cello. Så fuldt af elegant melodiøsitet og filmharmonisk fremdrift, en slags helt uskyldig komposition uden antydningen af et kritisk forhold til sin egen eksotiske skønhedssøgen. Godt, gammeldags smukt. Onde tunger vil sikkert sige, det er sådan, komponister skriver, inden konservatoriet kommer og ødelægger dem.

Så er der mere masochisme – gudskelov, var jeg ved at sige – over de udholdte orgeltoner og nøgterne bratschstrøg i Asger Valentins Orgel & bratsch, som er helt omvendt skåret ind til benet, men alligevel har plads til intim sødme i sin toakkorders tredjesats. Mådehold og ydmyghed, plads til lytteren. Jo nærmere man kommer sin egen selvstændige kunstneriske kerne, des færre toner skal der ofte til.

Åh, og så en finurlig, lille sag af Lasse Winterbottom, Pineapple for orgel, som måske ikke rigtig har nogen retning, men i det mindste har den gæstfrihed at skændes med sig selv hele vejen derhen, inden værket så beslutter sig for brat at holde op. Nå ja.

Og fint nok, for det giver plads til Matias Vestergårds … à la mémoire de … for violin, som er bedre i stand til at afgrænse et forløb. De fineste lyse toner, der afbryder sig selv og begynder forfra med et mere virtuost sigte for til sidst at ende i et lynbugtende leje fyldt med tempo og percussivitet. Inden, selvfølgelig, musikken vender opbyggeligt hjem og har lært lidt på vejen.

Koncertens sidste værk: Esben Nordborg Møllers massive Ordet for orgel, nærmest en lille symfonisk skitse med en lifligt tonerig førstesats og en andensats med langsomme, tonstunge trinvise bevægelser opad kontrasteret af et langsomt dalende fyrværkeri. Slut med at længes mod skibskatastrofer; den sikre ståldød er ankommet, og den kan altså noget.

playlist

22.10

My name is Kaspar Kaae – would you like to see my playlist?

»For me, music is about curiosity and surprises – yet it’s also something in which you can feel right at home. Music resides within us all, in a physical way that sets it apart from any other art form. To me, music is something greater than the individual – something that will always outlive the individual. The good stuff, in other words ;) «

Kaspar Kaae is an award-winning film composer, music producer, and songwriter, known for his work with bands such as CODY and Bug Chaser. He holds a Master’s degree in film composition from SDMK. He has previously been a guitarist in a number of bands on the Danish indie scene, such as CODY, Broken Twin, and Bug Chaser. The latter is releasing the album My First Crippled Love in November. He was born in 1983 on Bornholm, but has lived in Copenhagen and Berlin throughout his adult life.

playlist

21.10

My name is Francesco Rista – would you like to see my playlist?

»Music is like a black hole that sucks you in and shoots you out on the other side of the universe.«

Francesco Rista is a guitarist working across classical and electric guitar. His recordings have been reviewed by international music magazines and broadcast on BBC and RAI Radio 3. After studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and Lund University, he focused on studio recordings, exploring guitar repertoire from the Baroque and Romantic periods to contemporary music, as well as the instrument’s varied tonal possibilities. Rista is currently based in Iceland, where he teaches guitar, composes music, and collaborates with contemporary composers.

news

21.10

David Hildebrandt Receives Award From the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation

Percussionist and composer David Hildebrandt is honoured for his virtuosic work with new music and his efforts to push the boundaries of what rhythm can be.

David Hildebrandt is among the recipients of this year’s honorary awards from the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation. He receives DKK 200,000 in recognition of his uncompromising work with new music and multi-percussion, as well as his ability to challenge conventional ideas about rhythm.

playlist

20.10

My name is Henrik Marstal – would you like to see my playlist?

»Who ever said that music is ‘just’ music? To me, it is anything but that: an urge to understand and explain it all. A piece of jewelry I wear every single day. A joy that can, at times, run deep. An ever-changing imprint of millions of stitches in my heart. A longing to disappear.«

Henrik Marstal is a musician, author, and music researcher. He holds a PhD in musicology, is a senior lecturer at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and frequently appears in the media as an expert source on music. His areas of interest include contemporary music, such as electronic music. This winter, he will release both a new album with the pop group ibens and a book about Else Marie Pade, published by the British publishing house Bloomsbury.

Velkommen, torne og katastrofer

My name is Kaspar Kaae – would you like to see my playlist?

My name is Francesco Rista – would you like to see my playlist?

David Hildebrandt Receives Award From the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation

Winners of the 2026 Nordic Council Music Prize announced

My name is Henrik Marstal – would you like to see my playlist?