Norwegian Violin Favourites

Kraggerud:Raz So

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Cat No: 8554497

Release Date: 12 January 1999

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 636943449721

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: Norwegian Violin Favourites

Description
Norwegian ViolinFavouritesThe development of music in Norway owes much to the great violinist OleBull. Born in Bergen in 1810, he made his debut at the age of nine, takinglessons from violinists in his home-town who had themselves studied with Viottiand with Baillot, but profiting also from the folk-musicians that he heard.Failing in his proposed studies in theology in Christiania, he found instead afield for his musical gifts, as a performer and as a conductor, while learningmuch from performers on the traditional Norwegian fiddle, the hardanger fiddle.In the 1830s he moved to Paris, where he heard Paganini but aroused littleinterest himself. In Italy, however, he fared better, now employing techniqueshe had developed from his study of the hardanger, with modifications to thebridge of his instrument and the bow he used. The flatter bridge allowed moreeffective polyphonic performance, as did the curved bow he used. A return toParis brought wide acclaim and he continued to tour, now recognised as one ofthe great virtuosi of his time, at the same time drawing much attention to theculture of his own country. It was during a return to Bergen that he was ableto give encouragement to the young musician Grieg and persuade the boy'sparents to allow him a career in music. He died in 1880.Ole Bull's colourful personality made a strong impression on all who metor heard him, influencing, it is said, even Ibsen's Peer Gynt, thatreflects in its title-role something of Bull's own character. He left a quantityof music, including compositions for the violin of such difficulty that otherplayers were likely to be deterred from attempting them. He occupies a uniqueposition in Norwegian cultural history. Among his compositions Sceterjentenss?©ndag ('The Herd-Girl's Sunday') remains among the best known, a folk-songused in his 1848 fantasia for strings, Et sceterbes?©g ('A Visit to theMountain Pasture').Widely remembered by an earlier generation as the composer of Rustleof Spring, Christian Sinding was also trained as a violinist, studyingunder Schradieck at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he had composition lessonsfrom Jadassohn. He was a prolific composer, very much in the German lateRomantic tradition. His Suite im alten Stil ('Suite in the Old Style')was written in 1889 and opens with a toccata-like movement, followed by an Adagiothat has about it more of the Romantic than the Baroque. The final movementgives scope for technical display in a cadenza, the whole dominated by itsemphatic principal theme.Ole Bull's La Melancolie is a transcription of his song Iensomme stunde ('In moments of solitude') transcribed for violin and pianoby the composer and subsequently arranged for string orchestra by JohanHalvorsen, testimony to its popularity. It is here given in an arrangement forsolo violin and orchestra by Henning Kraggerud.Johan Svendsen enjoyed an early career as an orchestral violinist, afterservice in a military band as a clarinetist. Stranded in Germany in the c
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