Harald Saeverud - Complete Piano Music Vol.2

Harald SAEVERUD (1897-1992)

Complete Piano Music Vol.2

Einar Steen-Nokleberg

Released May 2002 

Reccorded at:St. Martin's Church, East Woodhay, Hampshire, UK

Harald Sæverud's (1897-1992) musical language is nothing if not distinctive. Indeed, throughout Steen-Nøkleberg series of his complete piano music we encounter a remarkably inventive and immediately recognizable voice. It is steeped in Norwegian Folk music, but cast in a highly dissonant, harmonically spiky language - Bartok come to mind of course, but Sæverud's approach doesn't really sound very much like Bartok either. Sæverud's music is inspired by nature, but it eschews the spectactular or lush and finds his inspiration in the half-heard, almost supernatural sounds of the owl-wings flapping unseen at midnight (his own words), the slight rustle of the wind in the reeds on the marshes or the tone-colors brought forth by the brook running through a rocky forest-bottom - that is, usually not even in the phenomena and sceneries themselves, but man's reaction to them, the moods and realizations of one's place in the grand scheme of things they conjure (the music is, for instance, subtler than, say, Tveitt's).

The volume at hand brings us among other works the first volume of his famous (at least in Norway) Slåtter og Stev frå Siljustøl, perhaps the most obvious place to sample his piano music, and even though you'll have to look elsewhere for the most famous selections from that collection, this is still a very interesting set of pieces. The sonatinas are a little more anodyne (but still interesting), whereas the Lette stykker op. 1 are already fully characteristic. The Albumblader are cast in a more lyrical vein, and are rather stirring works. Steen-Nøkleberg is a compelling advocate of the music, and the only nitpick would be a slight tendency to round off some of the more spiky harmonies. Sound quality is fine as well. Recommended.

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OTHER VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES:

VOLUME 1