<\/p>\n
Goldberg and Topelius.<\/p>\n
\u201cMusic is always telling a story, even absolute music like the Goldberg Variations. Performance is by definition storytelling\u201d. Henning Kraggerud and the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra present Bach`s immortal Goldberg Variations in a brand-new version for chamber orchestra coupled with a new set of variations. Kraggerud wrote his Topelius Variations in 2017 following a commission from the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra in Finland. He describes his 15-minute score as inspired by Topelius\u2019s life and works; much like Edvard Grieg in his famous musical commemoration of the writer Ludvig Holberg.<\/p>\n
\u2018All the notes and pitches are Bach\u2019s\u2019, Kraggerud says. Together with Bernt Simen Lund in the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra he has arranged Bach`s Goldberg Variations all over again for chamber orchestra. In their work they`ve used Bach`s own corrections and additions from his first edition, ignoring additions of supplementary notes and the simplification of certain passages found in other arrangements.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Henning Kraggerud interprets Bach\u2019s masterpiece, juxtaposing it with his own celebration of Topelius.<\/p>\n
Zachris Topelius (1818-1898) wrote essays, poems, fairytales and children\u2019s stories but also helped forge a pictorial idea of his native Finland in the eyes of his countrymen. Kraggerud wrote his Topelius Variations in 2017 following a commission from the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra in Finland. He describes his 15-minute score as inspired by Topelius\u2019s life and works; like Edvard Grieg in his own famous musical commemoration of the writer Ludvig Holberg, Kraggerud sought to capture Topelius\u2019s time by recalling the sort of musical language that proliferated during it, seen through the filter of the intervening years.<\/p>\n
\u2018All the notes and pitches are Bach\u2019s\u2019, Kraggerud says. Together with Bernt Simen Lund in the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra he has arranged Bach`s Goldberg Variations all over again for chamber orchestra. In their work they`ve used Bach`s own corrections and additions from his first edition, ignoring additions of supplementary notes and the simplification of certain passages found in other arrangements. Kraggerud describes his decision to juxtapose Bach\u2019s Goldberg Variations with his own Topelius Variations on this recording as \u2018a little\u2026cheeky\u2019, but reflects on how one listens to Goldberg when juxtaposed with another set of variations. The variations in Topelius derives from two themes and it is the tension between these moods that drives Kraggerud`s work forward. Like Bach\u2019s Goldberg Variations \u2013 albeit not occupying the same clear, classical structure \u2013 the piece is propelled by contrast, opposition and dancing energy following a slow preamble in the form of a musical \u2018Once Upon a Time\u2019.<\/p>\n
Henning Kraggerud is a leading solo violinist who is becoming more and more relevant as a composer. This is the third release on Simax Classics where he is working with the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. The release of Between The Seasons (2017) with Vivaldi`s four seasons interspersed with Kraggerud`s own compositions received excellent acclaims. Henning is Artistic Director of the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, who under his leadership has made themselves noted as an energetic orchestra \u2013 more than happy to challenge tradition, to national and international acclaim.<\/p>\n
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\u2013 Every time I hear the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra they stand out as one of the really great ensembles around. The playing throughout is assured, the precision and the rhythmical acuity is superb and the enthusiasm is tangible. This latest disc is a feather in the cap for the orchestra, Kraggerud himself and Johann Sebastian Bach, who seems at home in whatever company. [musicweb-international.com]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":35870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[180],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-35869","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-simax-classics","7":"product_shipping_class-cddvd-shipping","8":"uni_artist_tag-arctic-philharmonic-chamber-orchestra","9":"uni_artist_tag-henning-kraggerud","10":"uni_artist_tag-johann-sebastian-bach","11":"uni_artist_tag-sean-lewis","12":"uni_main_artist_tag-henning-kraggerud","13":"uni_artist_genre-chamber-music","14":"uni_artist_genre-classical","15":"uni_artist_genre-strings","17":"first","18":"instock","19":"taxable","20":"shipping-taxable","21":"purchasable","22":"product-type-simple"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/35869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=35869"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=35869"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grappa.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=35869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}