Norwegian Rhapsodies – Trondheim Symphony Orchestra

Norwegian rhapsodies by Svendsen and Halvorsen

As of the late 1700s the term rhapsody came to denote a frequently improvised composition without a fixed form. We might call it “free fantasy” with a uniform content. Frans Liszt´s “Hungarian Rhapsody” should set the standard for a long line of national romantic rhapsodies over folk melodies. Johan Svendsen´s and Johan Halvorsen´s “Norwegian Rhapsodies” are among the most notable within the genre.

Trondheim Symphony Orchestra performs Halvorsen´s and Svendsen´s rhapsodies with a pathos rarely heard before in these works. Mainly based on the melodies from Lindeman´s “Ældre og nyere norske Fjeldmelodier”, Svendsen´s rhapsodies are lively in their loose structures of elegantly combined melodies. Svendsen was a rock in the Norwegian golden age of romantic music, and with the rhapsodies he made in a forceful and unsentimental way a profound contribution to a Norwegian national art music based on folk music. Halvorsen on the other hand, shows his role as Svendsen´s successor most clearly in his two rhapsodies. He followed the older master´s line in refined orchestral blends and an imaginative use of folk tunes. With their colourful orchestrations, they are among the best ever written in Norway.