Accordionist Frode Haltli is held in the highest regard world wide for his innovative work over the past 10 years, including several successful albums in the ECM catalogue. On his new release Frode Haltli presents the first recording ever of the complete works for accordion by his fellow countryman and musical explorer: Arne Nordheim. Through his music he redefined what the accordion can be, evoking both the organic as well as the near-electronic soundscape that this instrument is capable of.
«If I can write a piece for aquarium?», Arne Nordheim exclaimed
This story was told by the legendary Danish accordinonist Mogens Ellegaard, after having approached Nordheim on a bad phone line in 1967. His invitation, after the initial misunderstanding had been cleared, resulted in Nordheim’s first work for accordion. All in all he wrote five pieces, all of them associated with Ellegaard. In fact Ellegaard also contributes on this recording also, as it is his playing we hear on the tape track for Dinosauros.
Open for interpretations
Haltli describes in the liner notes how he finds Nordheim’s scores very open for interpretation, particularly the original manuscripts. Together with Christian Eggen and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra he has recorded a haunting version of the Spur concerto. The trio Signals also features the phenomenal guitarist Raul Björkenheim and percussionist Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen.
Frode Haltli
Frode Haltli (b. 1975, Norway) began playing the accordion at the age of seven. His debut CD ‘Looking on Darkness’ was released on the prestigious German record label ECM in 2002. Further releases include ‘Passing Images’ where he is joined by trumpeter Arve Henriksen, viola player Garth Knox and vocalist Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje, as well as ‘Yeraz’ together with Trygve Seim. Haltli has performed as a soloist with orchestras worldwide and is equally comfortable playing on contemporary music festivals in Warsaw, Witten and Huddersfield as on major jazz, classical and world music festivals. He has established links with several composers, among them Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje, Bent Sørensen, Rolf Wallin, Atli Ingólfsson, Hans Abrahamsen, Jo Kondo and Sam Hayden.
Frode Haltli performs the Spur concerto during the 2012 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival together with the Scottish Symphony orchestra, conducted by Mathias Pintscher.
