Pehr Henrik Nordgren - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Pehr Henrik Nordgren was a Finnish composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

Life

Pehr Henrik Nordgren received composition lessons starting from 1958 in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

and studied musicology at the university from 1962 to 1967, as well as receiving private tuition from Joonas Kokkonen

Joonas Kokkonen

Joonas Kokkonen was a Finnish composer. He was one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius; his opera The Last Temptations has received over 500 performances worldwide, and is considered by many to be Finland's most distinguished national opera.-...

from 1965 to 1969. At the Tokyo University of the Arts, he supplemented his composition studies from 1970 to 1973 with Yoshio Hasegawa and became acquainted with traditional Japanese music, which soon became an influence in his works.

In 1973, he married Shinobu Suzuki in Tokyo, and returned to Finland where he established himself in Kaustinen

Kaustinen

Kaustinen is a municipality of Finland.It is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...

, a small place in Ostrobothnia

Ostrobothnia (region)

Ostrobothnia is a region of Finland. It is located in Western Finland. It borders the regions Central Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia, and Satakunta and is one of the four regions making up the historical province of Ostrobothnia....

, as a freelance composer. Kaustinen is the center of folk music

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

in Finland; folk music festivals take place all summer long with travellers coming from around the world. Thus Nordgren concerned himself now with the music of his country. On the other hand, he intensively began co-operation with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra and its leader Juha Kangas, which led to an abundance of orchestral works.

Nordgren's style proceeds from the twelve tone technique as well as the cluster technology Ligetis, refers however many further elements and can altogether than pluralistisch being designated. Apart from the meeting with the traditional Japanese music (e.g. in the Kwaidan Ballads for piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

) and the employment of its instruments into its compositions the Finnish people music with their instruments, particularly the kantele

Kantele

A kantele or kannel is a traditional plucked string instrument of the zither family native to Finland, Estonia, and Karelia. It is related to the Russian gusli, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kanklės. Together these instruments make up the family known as Baltic psalteries...

, plays a large role. In the center of Nordgren's œuvre are located however the works for strings; whether in concertos, works for string orchestra (e.g. Portraits of Country Fiddlers, one of his most often performed orchestral works), string quartets or sonatas.

Opera

Den svarte munken (The Black Monk), Chamber Opera in 8 scenes, Op. 52 (1981, 2005)
Alex, Television Opera, Op. 56 (1982–1983)

Orchestra

Euphonie I , Op. 1 (1966)
Épiphrase, Op. 4 (1967)
Euphonie II, Op. 5 (1967)
Minore, Op. 6 (1968)
Koko maailma valittanee (The Whole World Will Lament) for strings orchestra, Op. 26b (1966, revised 1974)
The Turning Point, Op. 16 (1972)
Symphony No. 1, Op. 20 (1974)
Euphonie III, Op. 24 (1975)
Pelimannimuotokuvia (Portraits of Country Fiddlers) for string orchestra, Op. 26 (1976)
Summer Music , Op. 34 (1977)
Häjyt (The Evil Braggarts), Music for the television play, Op. 38 (1977)
Tuolla mun heilani asuskeloo (Yonder Lives My Sweet Love) for string orchestra, Op. 40 (1977)
Symphony for Strings, Op. 43 (1978)
Concerto for Strings, Op. 54 (1982)
Jumala on kauneus (God Is Beauty), Music for the television play, Op. 64 (1984)
Elegia Vilho Lammelle (Elegie for Vilho Lampi), Op. 65 (1984)
Transe-Choral for 15 strings, Op. 67 (1985)
Symphony No. 2, Op. 74 (1989)
Cronaca for string orchestra, Op. 79 (1991)
Streams for chamber orchestra, Op. 80 (1991)
Symphony No. 3, Op. 88 (1993)
Equilibrium for 19 strings, Op. 94 (1995)
Chamber Symphony, Op. 97 (1996)
Symphony No. 4, Op. 98 (1997)
Yamagata Rhapsody, Op. 99 (1997)
Kallioon piirretty (Rock Score) for string orchestra, Op. 100 (1997)
Symphony No. 5, Op. 103 (1998)
Symphony No. 6 Interdependence for soprano, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 107 (1999–2000)
Solemnity-Euphony for 19 strings, Op. 118 (2002)
Symphony No. 7, Op. 124 (2003)
Kuvia maaseudun menneisyydestä (Pictures of the Country's Past; Pictures of Rural Past), Free Adaptations of Finnish Folk Tunes for string orchestra and harp, Op. 139 (2006)
Symphony No. 8, Op. 140 (2006)

Large chamber ensemble

Nachtwache (Night Watch), Suite for the Music to a Radio Play for 3 clarinets, horn, percussion (5 players), piano, harp, violin, viola and cello, Op. 3 (1967)
Neljä kuolemankuvaa (Four Pictures of Death) for chamber ensemble, Op. 8 (1968)
Euphonie IV for big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...

, Op. 51 (1981)
Fate-Nostalgia for clarinet, violin, piano and 12 cellos, Op. 72 (1989)
Programme Music for flute (piccolo and alto flute), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass, Op. 76 (1990)

Concertante

Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 10 (1969)
Viola Concerto No. 1, Op. 12 (1970)
Concerto for clarinet, folk instruments and small orchestra, Op. 14 (1970)
Autumnal Concerto for traditional Japanese instruments (shakuhachi
Shakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...

, shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...

, koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...

, jūshichi-gen) and orchestra, Op. 18 (1974)
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23 (1975)
Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 33 (1977)
Viola Concerto No. 2, Op. 48 (1979)
Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 50 (1980)
Violin Concerto No. 3, Op. 53 (1981)
Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 62 (1984)
Concerto No. 1 for kantele
Kantele
A kantele or kannel is a traditional plucked string instrument of the zither family native to Finland, Estonia, and Karelia. It is related to the Russian gusli, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kanklės. Together these instruments make up the family known as Baltic psalteries...

and small orchestra, Op. 66 (1985)
Viola Concerto No. 3, Op. 68 (1986)
Hate-Love for cello and string orchestra, Op. 71 (1987)
Phantasme for alto saxophone and orchestra, Op. 81 (1992)
Cello Concerto No. 3, Op. 82 (1992)
Concerto for viola, double bass and chamber orchestra, Op. 87 (1993)
Cello Concerto No. 4, Op. 89 (1994)
Violin Concerto No. 4, Op. 90 (1994)
Concerto for alto saxophone and string orchestra, Op. 92 (1995)
Concerto for trumpet and string orchestra, Op. 93 (1995)
Concerto for horn and string orchestra, Op. 95 (1996)
Trombone Concerto, Op. 102 (1998)
Concerto No. 2 for kantele and orchestra, Op. 106 (1999)
Concerto for saxophone quartet and string orchestra with gong, Op. 108 (2000)
Concerto for oboe and string orchestra, Op. 116 (2001)
Concerto No. 2 for piano, string orchestra and percussion, Op. 112 (2001)
Concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra, Op. 126 (2003–2005)
Concerto for piano left hand and chamber orchestra, Op. 129 (2004)
Concerto for accordion and orchestra, Op. 133 (2005)
Concerto No. 5 for cello and orchestra, Op. 135 (2005)
Concerto for organ and chamber orchestra, Op. 143 (2007)

Chamber and instrumental music

String Quartet No. 1, Op. 2 (1967)
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 7 (1968)
Sonatina per sestetto for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion, Op. 9 (1969)
Kolme maanitusta (Three Enticements), Woodwind Quintet No. 1, Op. 11 (1970)
Ritornello for violin and piano, Op. 13 (1970)
Quartet No. 1 for Traditional Japanese Instruments for shakuhachi, shamisen, koto and jūshichi-gen, Op. 19 (1974)
As in a Dream for cello and piano, Op. 21 (1974)
Woodwind Quintet No. 2, Op. 22 (1975)
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 27 (1976)
Butterflies for guitar solo, Op. 39 (1977)
In Patches for accordion solo, Op. 41 (1978)
Quartet No. 2 for Traditional Japanese Instruments "Seita" for shakuhachi, 2 kotos and jūshichi-gen, Op. 42 (1978)
Piano Quintet, Op. 44 (1978)
A Late Pastorale for horn and string quintet (2 violins, viola, cello and double bass), Op. 47 (1979)
Piano Trio, Op. 49 (1980)
Equivocations for kantele
Kantele
A kantele or kannel is a traditional plucked string instrument of the zither family native to Finland, Estonia, and Karelia. It is related to the Russian gusli, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kanklės. Together these instruments make up the family known as Baltic psalteries...

and string trio, Op. 55 (1981)
String Quartet No. 4, Op. 60 (1983)
Epilogue for cello and piano, Op. 61 (1983)
String Quartet No. 5, Op. 69 (1986)
String Quartet No. 6, Op. 73 (1989)
Going On for double bass and percussion, Op. 77 (1991)
Sonata for solo cello, Op. 83 (1992)
Sculpture-Fanfare for 3 trumpets and 3 trombones, Op. 84 (1992)
String Quartet No. 7, Op. 85 (1992)
Sonata for violin and piano, Op. 86 (1992)
Distance-Dream for cello and accordion, Op. 101 (1997)
Pieni mollipolska (Little Polka in a Minor Key) for 2 violins and accompaniment (1997)
Sonata for solo violin, Op. 104 (1999)
String Quartet No. 8, Op. 105 (1999)
Zest for saxophone, cello and piano, Op. 109 (1999)
String Quintet for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos, Op. 110 (2000)
Tuulimyllyfantasia (Wind Mill Fantasy) for 3 accordions, Op. 113 (2001)
Quintet for guitar and string quartet, Op. 119 (2003)
Quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, Op. 121 (2003)
Come da lontano for guitar solo, Op. 122 (2003)
String Quartet No. 9, Op. 125 (2004)
Klippgrund (Reefs) for cello and guitar, Op. 128 (2004)
A Viking in Kaustinen, Polka for 2 violins and double bass, Op. 131 (2004)
Spellbound Tones for horn, guitar and cello (all playing additional percussion instruments), Op. 132 (2005)
String Quartet No. 10, Op. 142 (2007)
String Quartet No. 11, Op. 144 (2008)

Piano

Kymmenen ballaadia japanilaisiin kauhutarinoihin (Kwaidan-balladit) (10 Ballads after Japanese Ghost Stories or "Kwaidan"
Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
, often shortened to Kwaidan, is a book by Lafcadio Hearn that features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects...

by Lafcadio Hearn
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...

; 小泉八雲の怪談によるバラード) (1972–1977)

Miminashi-Hōichi (耳なし芳一; Hōichi the Earless), Op. 17 (1972)
Mugen-kane (無間鐘), Op. 28 (1976)
Mujina (むじな), Op. 30 (1976)
O-tei (お貞), Op. 29 (1976)
Oshidori (おしどり), Op. 25 (1976)
Rokuro-kubi (ろくろ首), Op. 32 (1976)
Yuki-onna (雪女), Op. 31 (1976)
Akinosuke-no-yume (安芸之助の夢; The Dream of Akinosuke), Op. 35 (1977)
Jyūroku-zakura (十六ざくら), Op. 36 (1977)
Jikininki (食人鬼), Op. 37 (1977)
- Kwaidan II, Three Ballads after Japanese Ghost Stories for piano left hand, Op. 127 (2004)

Vocal

Lávllaráidu Nils-Aslak Valkeapää divttai'e (Song Cycle to Poems by Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, known as Áillohaš in the Northern Sami language was a Finnish Sami writer, musician and artist. He was born in Enontekiö in Lapland province, Finland. He lived most of his life in Käsivarsi, close to the border of Sweden, and also in Skibotn in Norway...

) for baritone (originally alto), cello and piano, Op. 45 (1978)
Fyra sånger till dikter av Edith Södergran (Four Songs to Poems by Edith Södergran
Edith Södergran
Edith Irene Södergran was a Swedish-speaking Finnish poet. She was one of the first modernists within Swedish-language literature and her influences came from French Symbolism, German expressionism and Russian futurism. At the age of 24 she released her first collection of poetry entitled Dikter...

) for soprano and piano, Op. 58 (1982)
Nacht der Nächte (Night of Nights) for 2 sopranos, violin, cello and piano, Op. 114 (2000)
Ei ne kaikki kuollehia (Not Everyone Dead) for soprano and piano, Op. 115 (2001)
Sångcykel till dikter av Edith Södergran (Song Cycle to Poems by Edith Södergran) for mezzo-soprano, string orchestra and harp, Op. 123 (2003)
Kuun lapset (Children of the Moon) for baritone, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2005)
Seven Poems from the Collection Ogura Hyakunin Isshu
Hyakunin Isshu
is a traditional anthology style of compiling Japanese waka poetry where each contributor writes one poem for the anthology. Literally, it translates to "one hundred people, one poem [each]"...

for mezzo-soprano and guitar, Op. 137 (2006)

Choral

Agnus Dei for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 15 (1971)
Maan alistaminen (The Subjection of Earth) for mixed choir (1973)
Väinämöisen rukous (Väinämöinen's Prayer) for mixed choir (1973)
Kuninkaan kämmenellä (In the Palm of the King's Hand), Cantata for soprano, baritone, male choir, children's choir and orchestra, Op. 46 (1979)
Taivaanvalot (The Lights of Heaven) for soprano, tenor, mixed choir, children's choir, folk instruments and string orchestra, Op. 63 (1985)
Perpetuum mobile for male choir, Op. 75 (1989)
Beaivi, áhčážan (The Sun, My Father) for 3 mezzo-sopranos, tenor, bass, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 70 (1990)
Odotus (Awaiting) for male choir, Op. 78 (1991)
Laulu köyhyydestä (Dialogue on Poverty) for mixed choir, Op. 96 (1996)
Symphony No. 6 Interdependence for soprano, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 107 (1999–2000)
Te Deum for soprano, bass, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 111 (2000)
Tuuri, Dramatic Ballade for tenor, bass, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 117 (2002–2003)
Amor Desesperada, 4 Pieces after Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....

's 20 Poemas de amor, y una canción desesperada for soprano, baritone, koto, shakuhachi and double bass, Op. 120 (2003)
De sole et luna for mixed choir and string orchestra, Op. 138 (2006)

External links

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