Per Nørgård (Born 1932)

composer

Per Nørgård is the most significant Danish composer after Carl Nielsen and Vagn Holmboe. With his original works, his teaching and his theoretical innovations, Per Nørgård has been the most striking Nordic musical personality for over thirty years. At a young age he became a private pupil of Vagn Holmboe, and his earliest works were in the master’s "Nordic” idiom with Sibelius as a shared guiding star. The First Symphony and the string works Constellations are the high points of this period. Nørgård’s incredibly sensitive curiosity drove him to explore the potential of Central European Modernism. But after a few years he arrived at his own serial technique, the "infinity series”, the mechanisms of which can be compared to the growth and symmetry of nature. Using this technique, Nørgård wrote some of his most important works, for example the Third Symphony.

In the 1980s Nørgård concentrated on the opposite of the harmony of the infinity series: chaos and fragmentation typify his works, inspired by the schizophrenic Swiss artist Adolf Wölfli. Most recently, in the 1990s, he has worked with sophisticated layerings of rhythms and lines, and has focused on the effects of "interference” in his quest to capture the music that otherwise escapes our ears. Per Nørgård has written works of all sizes, from operas to simple choral songs (he once heard one hummed in the local supermarket, to his great satisfaction). Even for the general public without any great interest in music, Per Nørgård is the "modern Danish composer” par excellence.

Live Dates

22 February 2010 Musicweb International

Conversations for violin and piano
"The performances, excellently recorded, are outstandingly good, and evince powerful commitment for the repertoire."
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01 July 2009 Gramophone

Per Nørgård: Seadrift
"Substantial works ... Bente Vist is the radiant soprano ... Dacapo’s sound is first-rate."
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17 June 2009 Classics Today

Per Nørgård: Symphonies 3 & 7
"If you're looking for some really good contemporary music ... then this powerfully engineered production offers a perfect opportunity to satisfy your craving."
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Image: Helle Rahbæk

Discography

	Hymn to the Sun - Works for a cappella choir Danish National Vocal Ensemble CD 8.226051 - Released: Oct 2010
	Der göttliche Tivoli Per Nørgård SACD 6.220572-73 (2010) A marvellous portrayal of Swizz artist Adolf Wölfli and a key-work in Nordic music drama
	A Light Hour Per Nørgård CD 8.226100 (2010) A world wide percussion journey brilliantly realized by Gert Mortensen and his ensemble Percurama
	Conversations for violin and piano Koppel, Nørgård, Ruders, Rosing-Schow, Nordentoft CD 8.226519 (2009) One hour of short youthful and charming pieces by five important post-war composers
	Piano Works Per Nørgård CD 8.226089 (2009) Animals, friends and The Beatles appear on this collection of Nørgård’s imaginative piano music
	Seadrift Per Nørgård CD 8.226067 (2009) Three celestial, dazzlingly beautiful works for soprano that explore the harmony of the universe
	Symphonies 3 and 7 Per Nørgård SACD 6.220547 (2009) Sensational recording of Nørgård’s 7th Symphony and his epoch-making Symphony no. 3
	String Quartets 7, 8, 9 and 10 Per Nørgård CD 8.226059 (2008) Nørgård’s latest string quartets recorded in close collaboration with four young musicians
	Secret Melodies Per Nørgård CD 8.226037 (2007) The English pianist Rolf Hind takes centre stage in works by Nørgård – and himself
	Recycled CD 8.226539 (2006) Modern recompositions of classical hits like "The Flight of the Bumble-Bee" and Monti’s "Czardas"
	The Little Mermaid; The Will-o'-the-Wisps Go to Town Bent Sørensen; Per Nørgård CD 8.226046 (2006) Two new Danish masterworks inspired by Hans Christian Andersen
	Works for Harp and ensemble Per Nørgård CD 8.226039 (2006)
	L'Homme Armé - Works for Solo Cello Morten Zeuthen CD 8.226007 (2005)
	Circles CD 8.226517 (2005) Music for trumpet and trombone by Per Nørgård, Peter Bruun and others
	Mythic Morning - Choral Works II Per Nørgård SACD 6.220510 (2005) Virtuoso choral works – a beautiful, seductive introduction to Nørgård’s universe
	Passage - Danish Piano Trios Trio Ondine CD 8.226009 (2005)
	Nuit des Hommes Per Nørgård CD 8.226011 (2004)
	Breath and Wings Jens Schou CD 8.226507 (2004) Improvisation music and new works for clarinet
	Six Works for Saxophone and Percussion DuoDenum CD 8.226504 (2004) Brand new repertoire for the imaginative combination percussion and saxophone
	Orchestral Works Per Nørgård CD 8.226014 (2003)
	Songs Per Nørgård CD 8.224170 (2002)
	Singe die Gärten Per Nørgård CD 8.224115 (1999)
	Oboe and Piano CD 8.224043 (1996)
	Luna; Symphony No. 3; Twilight Per Nørgård CD 8.224041 (1996)
	Works for Cello Per Nørgård CD 8.224007 (1995) Five highly varied fruits of Per Nørgård’s fascination with the cello
	A Drummer's Tale, episode one Per Nørgård CD 8.224024-25 (1995)
	Siddharta Per Nørgård CD 8.224031-32 (1995)
	Wind Quintets CD 8.224001 (1994) Carl Nielsen’s masterpiece and more recent quintets by Abrahamsen, Holmboe and Nørgård
	Music for Guitar Rosing Olsen, Nørholm, Nørgård, Gerfors, Gudmundsen-Holmgreen DCCD 9316 (1993)
	Gilgamesh; Voyage Into the Golden Screen Per Nørgård DCCD 9001 (1992)
	Concertos Per Nørgård DCCD 9002 (1992)