• Per Nørgård
  • Genkomster (Returns) (1976)
    (Returns)

  • Edition Wilhelm Hansen Copenhagen (World)

Returns was the point of departure for a later version for flute and guitar (called "Mating Dance").

  • gtr
  • 11 min

Programme Note

Returns is a work for solo guitar with a focus on rhythm, a piece in one movement divided in three sections (with energy – reflective - with energy). The melodies grow out of the changing accents in a series of dynamic developed four tone patterns, and the swinging, swaying rhythms are often based on the Golden Section (near to the relations 2:3:5:8:13 et cetera, known as the Fibonacci series), instead of the normal regular rhythms and durations of 2-4-8 (or 3-6).

The title gives a hint about the wave-like nature of the music. Like waves with its layer-upon-layer expresses an eternal return with eternal, small changes so the music develops layers-upon-layers of related motifs, themes and formal sections, making it possible for the musician to, so to speak, grow into the music.

Per Nørgård (2008)

Discography