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- Per Nørgård
Og livets sommer sover dybt (1988)
(And life´s sweet summer sleeps below)- Edition Wilhelm Hansen Copenhagen (World)
Programme Note
OG LIVETS SOMMER SOVER DYBT (And Life´s sweet summer sleeps below) – for 8 celli (1988).
When in 1975 I had finished composing my 3rd Symphony (begun in 1973), I wrote three simple melodies for two psalm texts by Ole Sarvig “The Year” and “Choral Hymn”. One of these was later included in the Danish Hymnbook under the title “Året – Som året går” (The Year – The passing year).
These three “Sarvig tunes” were derived from the same material as the second movement of the 3rd Symphony and could be harmonized together in several different tempo relationships at the same time - like fractals – which inspired me to write several choral and instrumental works in the following decade based on these melodies: “Frost Psalm”, “Winter Cantata”, “Cantica”, “Cycles”. The piece is related to “Now all the earth is white with snow” for eight part tuba ensemble and choir ad lib. (1976), based on the mentioned “Sarvig-melodies”, both – deep sounding – works coloured by the Nordic and mythic poem by Sarvig, the beginning of which goes:
The passing year will pass its deep. So shall our mind reach winter´s sleep.
And life´s sweet summer sleeps below. In deep oblivion under snow.
“And life´s sweet summer sleeps” – with the subtitle ´Dream Melodies for 8 celli´ - lasts 8-9 minutes, and was composed for Hans Erik Deckert´s Cello Ensemble, Denmark.
Per Nørgård
When in 1975 I had finished composing my 3rd Symphony (begun in 1973), I wrote three simple melodies for two psalm texts by Ole Sarvig “The Year” and “Choral Hymn”. One of these was later included in the Danish Hymnbook under the title “Året – Som året går” (The Year – The passing year).
These three “Sarvig tunes” were derived from the same material as the second movement of the 3rd Symphony and could be harmonized together in several different tempo relationships at the same time - like fractals – which inspired me to write several choral and instrumental works in the following decade based on these melodies: “Frost Psalm”, “Winter Cantata”, “Cantica”, “Cycles”. The piece is related to “Now all the earth is white with snow” for eight part tuba ensemble and choir ad lib. (1976), based on the mentioned “Sarvig-melodies”, both – deep sounding – works coloured by the Nordic and mythic poem by Sarvig, the beginning of which goes:
The passing year will pass its deep. So shall our mind reach winter´s sleep.
And life´s sweet summer sleeps below. In deep oblivion under snow.
“And life´s sweet summer sleeps” – with the subtitle ´Dream Melodies for 8 celli´ - lasts 8-9 minutes, and was composed for Hans Erik Deckert´s Cello Ensemble, Denmark.
Per Nørgård