SVEIN HUNDSNES (b. 1951)
CLAVINATAS NOS. 1–7
PIANO SONATA NO. 1
DOWNTONED BEATS
LAURA MIKKOLA
‘From the early days of art music until early 20th century it has been natural for most composers to use the songs or rhythms of the day as a point of departure for some of their own music, even in a symphonic context, almost without exception. I have, throughout my career, frequently made use of such elements, combining them with contemporary or traditional developmental procedures, as either part of a symphonic development, or to found the basis for shorter movements. From a rhythmic perspective this feature is highly noticeable in the majority of the pieces and movements on this album.’ – Svein Hundsnes
Clavinata No. 1
About this Recording
Svein Hundsnes (b. 1951) is one of Norway’s most important living composers. He has written a wide-ranging body of music encompassing several vivid styles, moving seamlessly from tonal and non-tonal music to include jazz, rock and even funk.
Hundsnes’ sequence of Clavinatas – one-movement free-standing pieces with a symmetrical form that often include toccata-like vitality – embody qualities that make his music so distinctive. Often syncopated, they possess short motifs, intensity and emotional ambiguity. Piano Sonata No. 1 and Downtoned Beats reflect his delight in drama and dance grooves.
TOTAL TIME: 64:57
LAURA MIKKOLA
Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola studied at the Sibelius Academy, the Curtis Institute of Music and Indiana University Bloomington with Tapani Valsta, Menahem Pressler, Gary Graffman and Ferenc Rados. She has been the recipient of many awards including Second Prize and the Public’s Prize at the 1995 Queen Elisabeth Competition. Mikkola has worked with eminent conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leif Segerstam, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Hannu Lintu, and has performed internationally, including at prestigious venues such as the Herkulessaal, Munich; Suntory Hall, Tokyo; the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles; the Tonhalle, Zurich and Carnegie Hall, New York. Since 2003 Mikkola has been the artistic director of the Iitti Music Festival in Finland.
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