Danish composer, Pelle
Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (1932-2016) www.dacapo-records.dk/en/artist-pelle-gudmundsen-holmgreen.aspx
was born in Copenhagen, the son of the
sculptor Jørgen Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (1895-1966). He studied at the Royal
Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, with Finn Høffding, Svend Westergaard,
Bjørn Hjelmborg, and Vagn Holmboe.
His early influences were Nielsen, Bartók and Stravinsky.
Though he later looked at serialism, he soon rejected it, instead becoming a
leading figure within the new simplicity movement. Within this stylistic
framework Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s repeated ideas often lead to violent clashes
as well as moments of static beauty.
His orchestral works include such pieces as Mester Jakob (1964), Tricolore I-IV (1966-69), Symphony, Antiphony (1978), a concerto
for timpani Triptychon (1985), Concerto
Grosso for string quartet and orchestra
(1990), Cello Concerto (1996), a Violin Concerto (2002) and the piano concerto
Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre (2005) as well as fourteen string
quartets.
Gudmundsen-Holmgreen died on 26 June 2016.
Dacapo Records www.dacapo-records.dk have just issued an important release of
three of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s orchestral works played by the BBC
Symphony Orchestra www.bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra
conducted
by Thomas Dausgaard http://imgartists.com/artist/thomas_dausgaard
and including no less than two World Premiere Recordings.
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| 8.226120 |
The first of the world premiere recordings is Mirror II (1973) for orchestra; that
began life as a work for violin and electronics. In six movements, Movement I opens with mysterious hushed orchestral sounds over a quietly
pounding beat. Slowly various instrumental textures and sounds are added before
a quiet melodic idea arrives. The music slides gently upwards before a plucked string
is repeated over high strings. The orchestra gently expands with bright,
ringing percussion and brass with woodwind adding colour and texture, all over
a gentle, quiet melancholy orchestral backdrop. A clarinet weaves a theme along
with a doleful cor-anglais as various individual instruments add little ideas before
the coda is reached. We move straight into Movement
II where a violin brings a folksy theme over brass in a fast moving passage,
developing through ever changing textures as the theme is constantly repeated
throughout the orchestra, becoming ever more complex.
The music changes to spiky rhythmic intervals as Movement III arrives. These rhythmic intervals again are developed through a
myriad of ideas and textures with various instruments having a say before
moving into Movement IV where the music broadens with heavy
metallic percussion and thundering drums as the strings take the melodic line.
Brass come in over the top in descending phrases in music that is full of insistent
strength as it pushes forward. This music of great weight and power creates a
terrific excitement.
Movement V brings repeated
striking percussion to which the brass respond with raucous outburst that show
the influence of Stravinsky. A tuba tries to take the theme forward but the
percussion persist in their chopping rhythms with brass outbursts that take us
into Movement VI where a lone violin
arrives to bring a plaintive melody. The percussion still persist with the incisive
rhythm but the violin also persists with its melody. Soon the brass seems to agree and brings less
combative ideas. More strings fill out the violin melody as the music finds
more freedom, sliding round whilst percussion and brass persist. Slowly and
subtly the music reduces in dynamics until brass and sliding strings lead us
forward. Still the percussion and brass have a final say before the strings
slide us into the quiet coda.
This is a highly individual yet quite beautiful and
entrancing work.
Symphony, Antiphony
(1977) for orchestra opens with the short Symphony with percussion and piano bringing a series of chords that
move around freely. Soon the orchestra joins to take up the idea adding a
little to the tempo and developing the idea. A drum adds a beat as the music
pushes quickly forward, full of terrific colour and textural ideas to a climax
before falling to a hush.
Antiphony – I
opens with a fast moving yet quiet rhythmic idea for a solo violin. This folksy,
repeated little idea gives way to a sudden outburst of the theme from the whole
orchestra. The music is full of glowing colours and textures as it develops with,
later, a rather oriental idea for vibraphone over which raucous dissonant brass
break out. Underneath it al,l the
strings push forward the original motif, all making for a chaotic yet
brilliantly conceived passage. It is the raucous brass that takes us into Antiphony II where many instruments contribute dissonant ideas, developing a
strange, rather playful quality, a bassoon brings a rich underlay, percussion
add colour and a piano is heard tinkling. Gudmundsen-Holmgreen finds some
lovely little moments here. A celeste joins as the music grows quieter and
slower, this composer generating a lovely melody that briefly appears through
the texture before the solo violin re-appears to bring about a hushed coda.
A piano brings a ragtime theme for Antiphony III with
percussion adding to the texture as do brass before moving quickly into Antiphony IV where the orchestra with prominent brass take the melody into a
repeated, swirling idea. It is varied through moments for drums and brass, finding
a terrific energy as it pounds forward. There are passages of increasing power
and raucousness, reminding one of the music of the 1920’s style mécanique, before collapsing to allow
the piano to re-join. Yet still there are raucous orchestral interruptions before
a strident conclusion out of which the solo piano appears to take the gentle
rather tentative Antiphony V forward.
The lone piano expands the theme, a rather affecting idea
after all the noise and energy that came before. Hushed strings join before
leading into Antiphony VI which arrives
with the strings of the orchestra taking the melody forward, bringing some
beautiful passages. This composer brings his own personal slant by adding
string slides and occasional outbursts from the percussion. There are many fine
textural ideas. The music moves through
moments of exquisite detail and atmosphere, a myriad of little details, before
slowly finding a hushed coda – yet with a final intrusion from the percussion.
Incontri (2010, rev.
2011-12) for orchestra also
receives its world premiere recording here in the form of a live recording from
the 2012 BBC Proms. There is a swish of percussion before the woodwind take the
music ahead with a gentle rhythmic theme. The music rises in drama as the theme
is repeated and slowly developed, weaving some fine textures and colours and broadening
through some terrific ideas. There are varying rhythmic patterns with the strings
bringing a repeated rhythmic idea. Later the music gains a heavier tread as
brass intone a repeated motif over heavy basses. The music becomes jazzier in
style with a virtuoso passage for drums. This piece is spread around the
orchestra much like a concerto for orchestra. Individual strings weave some
fine moments before a gentle section over hushed static strings. There are
overlaid themes as the music rises to move forward powerfully, often wildly,
but eventually finding a hushed coda.
Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was a distinctive voice. These
performances from Thomas Dausgaard and the BBC Symphony Orchestra could not be
bettered. The recordings are all tip top and there are excellent booklet notes
from Andrew Mellor.
This is a stunning new release from Dacapo.
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