Arne Nordheim is widely regarded as one of the most
important Norwegian composers of his area. Born in 1931in
Larvik, situated south of Oslo. Nordheim joined the
Conservatory of Music in Oslo In 1949, but soon found
the conservative approach to music too restrictive.
His exposure to the work of Mahler in particular proved
pivotal in Nordheim’s career. He spent most of
his formative years attending rehearsals of the Oslo
Philharmonic Orchestra, then one of the only formations
to venture into more experimental territories, finally
leaving the Conservatory in 1952. He continued to study
music scores and contemporary recordings with a handful
of fellow students, moving for a while to Copenhagen,
where he was introduced to the music of Béla
Bartók by Danish composer Vagn Holmboe, and Paris,
where he first experienced electronic music when exposed
to the musique concrète movement.
Intentionally breaking away from conformist Norwegian
composers, Nordheim first got noticed in 1956 with his
piece entitled Aftonland (Evening Land),
achieving international recognition four years later
with Canzona, as avant-garde music started
to become more popular in Norway. Since, he has become
one of the most active contemporary composers of his
generation. Now a national figure in his homeland, Nordheim
has been extremely influential in the development of
the Scandinavian electronic music movement.
In 1998, the excellent Oslo-based label Rune Grammofon
released Electric, an album containing a series
of previously unreleased compositions, recorded between
1967 and 1972 while Nordheim was working at the Studio
Eksperymentalne at the Polish Radio in Warsaw. The five
tracks consequently formed the basis of a collaborative
piece of work by Norwegian musicians Geir Jenssen, aka
Biosphere, and Deathprod,
better known for being part of alt rock band Motopshycho
and experimental jazz formation Supersilent.
Both Electric and Nordheim Transformed
received critical acclaim, bringing Nordheim’s
work to the attention of a whole new generation. Five
years later, Rune Grammofon celebrate their thirtieth
release by publishing a further twelve previously unreleased
compositions recorded in Warsaw. Considering that these
tracks were recorded over thirty years ago on rudimentary
equipment, Dodeka proves to be an intense and
magnificent piece of work. If the context of this record
is definitely experimental, the resulting pieces are
beautiful and incredibly versatile. Exploring a wide
range of sound formations to create pretty moving pieces,
Nordheim transcends here the rather static and inexpressive
nature of early electronic recordings and produces vibrant
constructions. Close to the work of the musique concrète
movement, yet offering a more accessible take on minimal
structures, Dodeka proves an intriguing journey
into abstract music. These twelve pieces convey surprisingly
emotional imageries as Nordheim uses a variety of tones,
from sombre basses to luxurious high pitched sounds,
to reveal the human nature behind the work. In turn
dark and austere or light and jovial, with no external
element to affect its progression, Dodeka constantly
mutates, almost imperceptibly, from one edge of the
emotional spectrum to the other without impacting on
the delicate balance of these impeccable structures,
all based on similar soundscapes, yet all varying greatly
in atmosphere.
Perhaps not one of his most accessible pieces of work,
Dodeka remains an important testimony of Arne
Nordheim’s imprint on the current Scandinavian
electronic movement. While recorded over thirty years
ago, these twelve tracks do not appear the least out-dated.
Nordheim’s visionary compositions have stood the
test of time, and are now available for all to appreciate.
4.6/5 |
