in brief
27.04.2021

Syv lydsøjler og en varulv

Poul Ruders: »Dream Catcher«
Bjarke Mogensen. © Nikolaj Lund
Bjarke Mogensen er solist på det nye album, hvor »Sound and Simplicity« er indspillet for første gang. © Nikolaj Lund

Det nye værk på albummet, akkordeonkoncerten Sound and Simplicity (2018), består af syv satser. Eller »lydsøjler«, som Ruders kalder dem.

Satserne har forskellige udgangspunkter, for eksempel lyder den første, »Rain«, med sit stærkt vekslende sammenspil mellem Bjarke Mogensens akkordeon og Odense Symfoniorkester som at bevæge sig igennem en by, hvor regnen rammer de forskellige overflader og skaber klange af varierende længde og intensitet.

Anden sats, »Trance«, smider al melodik og tematik over bord for over fire minutter at lade en Ges-dur bevæge sig tre oktaver op – og man keder sig aldrig. De to sidste satser, »Twilight« og »Wolf Moon«, er som taget ud af en gammel horrorfilm. I »Twilight« leger akkordeonet i hele sit register, hvor jeg flere gange reelt er i tvivl om, om lyden bliver dubbet af et orgel eller kor, selvom det ‘kun’ er orkestret, der farver klangene på subtile måder. Satsen slutter af med et varulvehyl, arrangeret for basun.

Vekselvirkningen mellem at udforske mulighederne for forskellig sound i konstellationen orkester og akkordeon, mens man holder sig til ret simple virkemidler, gør Sound and Simplicity til et virkelig vellykket værk, hvoraf hver sats tåler genlytninger.

© Paw Ager

»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.

© PR

»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.

 

© Villads Hoffmann
© Villads Hoffmann

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.

© Thor Brødreskift
© Thor Brødreskift
The 2026 Nordic Council Music Prize goes to Norwegian composers Kristine Tjøgersen and Benedicte Maurseth for Elja, a suite for the Kronos Quartet and Hardanger fiddle.
 
Rationale
© Carsten Seidel

»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.