Per Nørgård
Encyclopedia
Per Nørgård (b. July 13, 1932 in Gentofte
, Denmark
) is a Danish
composer.
at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen
, and subsequently with Nadia Boulanger
in Paris
. To begin with, he was strongly influenced by the Nordic styles of Jean Sibelius
, Carl Nielsen
and Vagn Holmboe
. In the 1960s, Nørgård began exploring the modernist techniques of central Europe, eventually developing a serial
compositional system based on the "infinity series" (Nørgård 1975), which he used in his Voyage into the Golden Screen, the Second and Third Symphonies, I Ching, and other works of the late 1960s and 70s (Mortensen [n.d.]). Later he became interested in the Swiss artist Adolf Wölfli
, who inspired many of Nørgård's works (Anon [n.d.
Nørgård has composed works in all major genres: six operas, two ballets, seven symphonies and other pieces for orchestra, several concertos, choral and vocal works, an enormous number of chamber works, ten string quartets and several solo instrumental works. These include a number of works for the guitar, mostly written for the Danish guitarist Erling Møldrup
: In Memory Of... (1978), Papalagi (1981), a series of suites called Tales from a Hand (1985–2001), Early Morn (1997–98) and Rondino Amorino (1999). One of his most important works for percussion solo is I Ching (1982) for the Danish percussionist Gert Mortensen. He has also composed music for several films, including The Red Cloak (1966), Babette's Feast
(1987), and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1993).
Nørgård is also a prolific writer. He has written many articles dealing with music not only from a technical but also a philosophical viewpoint.
Nørgård's music often features the use of the infinity series (Danish
Uendelighedsrækken) for serializing
melody, harmony, and rhythm in musical composition. The method takes its name from the endlessly self-similar nature of the resulting musical material, comparable to fractal geometry
. Mathematically, the infinity series is an integer sequence
. The first few terms of its simplest form are 0, 1, −1, 2, 1, 0, −2, 3, … .
Nørgård discovered the melodic infinity series in 1959 and it proved an inspiration for many of his works during the 1960s. However, it was not until his Voyage into the Golden Screen for small ensemble (1968)—which has been identified as the first "properly instrumental piece of spectral composition" (Anderson 2000, 14)—and Symphony No. 2 (1970) that it provided the structure for an entire work (Nørgård 1975, 9). The harmonic and rhythmic infinity series were developed in the early 1970s and the three series were first integrated in Nørgård's Symphony No. 3.
Gentofte
Gentofte Kommune is a municipality in the Capital Region of Denmark on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 68,913...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) is a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
composer.
Biography
Nørgård studied with Vagn HolmboeVagn Holmboe
Vagn Gylding Holmboe was a Danish composer and teacher who wrote largely in a neo-classical style.-Life:At the age of 16, Holmboe began formal music training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen on the recommendation of Carl Nielsen. He studied under Knud Jeppesen and Finn Høffding...
at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, and subsequently with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. To begin with, he was strongly influenced by the Nordic styles of Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
, Carl Nielsen
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
and Vagn Holmboe
Vagn Holmboe
Vagn Gylding Holmboe was a Danish composer and teacher who wrote largely in a neo-classical style.-Life:At the age of 16, Holmboe began formal music training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen on the recommendation of Carl Nielsen. He studied under Knud Jeppesen and Finn Høffding...
. In the 1960s, Nørgård began exploring the modernist techniques of central Europe, eventually developing a serial
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
compositional system based on the "infinity series" (Nørgård 1975), which he used in his Voyage into the Golden Screen, the Second and Third Symphonies, I Ching, and other works of the late 1960s and 70s (Mortensen [n.d.]). Later he became interested in the Swiss artist Adolf Wölfli
Adolf Wölfli
Adolf Wölfli was a Swiss artist who was one of the first artists to be associated with the Art Brut or outsider art label.-Early life:...
, who inspired many of Nørgård's works (Anon [n.d.
Nørgård has composed works in all major genres: six operas, two ballets, seven symphonies and other pieces for orchestra, several concertos, choral and vocal works, an enormous number of chamber works, ten string quartets and several solo instrumental works. These include a number of works for the guitar, mostly written for the Danish guitarist Erling Møldrup
Erling Møldrup
Erling Møldrup is a Danish classical guitarist best known for championing Danish guitar music from all periods.He received his initial training under Jytte Gorki Schmidt at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Århus, obtaining his diploma in 1972. He has performed around the world as a soloist,...
: In Memory Of... (1978), Papalagi (1981), a series of suites called Tales from a Hand (1985–2001), Early Morn (1997–98) and Rondino Amorino (1999). One of his most important works for percussion solo is I Ching (1982) for the Danish percussionist Gert Mortensen. He has also composed music for several films, including The Red Cloak (1966), Babette's Feast
Babette's Feast
Babette's Feast is a 1987 Danish film directed by Gabriel Axel. The film's screenplay was written by Axel based on the story by Isak Dinesen , who also wrote the story which inspired the 1985 Academy Award winning film Out of Africa...
(1987), and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1993).
Nørgård is also a prolific writer. He has written many articles dealing with music not only from a technical but also a philosophical viewpoint.
Music
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
Uendelighedsrækken) for serializing
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
melody, harmony, and rhythm in musical composition. The method takes its name from the endlessly self-similar nature of the resulting musical material, comparable to fractal geometry
Fractal
A fractal has been defined as "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity...
. Mathematically, the infinity series is an integer sequence
Integer sequence
In mathematics, an integer sequence is a sequence of integers.An integer sequence may be specified explicitly by giving a formula for its nth term, or implicitly by giving a relationship between its terms...
. The first few terms of its simplest form are 0, 1, −1, 2, 1, 0, −2, 3, … .
Nørgård discovered the melodic infinity series in 1959 and it proved an inspiration for many of his works during the 1960s. However, it was not until his Voyage into the Golden Screen for small ensemble (1968)—which has been identified as the first "properly instrumental piece of spectral composition" (Anderson 2000, 14)—and Symphony No. 2 (1970) that it provided the structure for an entire work (Nørgård 1975, 9). The harmonic and rhythmic infinity series were developed in the early 1970s and the three series were first integrated in Nørgård's Symphony No. 3.
Symphonic
- Symphony No. 1 Sinfonia austera (1953–55)
- Symphony No. 2 (1970)
- Symphony No. 3 (1972–75)
- Symphony No. 4 (1981)
- Symphony No. 5 (1990)
- Symphony No. 6 At the End of the Day (1998–99)
- Symphony No. 7 (2006)
Concerti
- Violin concerto Helle Nacht (1986–87)
- Violin Concerto No.2
- Piano concerto Concerto in due tempi (1994–95)
Selected other works
- Trio No. 1 (1955) Op.15
- Konstellationer (Constellations) (1958)
- Piano Sonata No.2 Op.20
- Voyage into the Golden Screen (1968)
- Libra (1973)
- Turn (1973)
- Siddharta (1974–79)
- Wie ein Kind (Like a Child) (1979–80)
- Drømmesange (Dream Songs) (1981)
- I Ching (1982)
- Najader (The Naiads) (1986)
- Solo Intimo Op. 8 for Solo 'Cello (1953)
Awards
- Nordic Council Music PrizeNordic Council Music PrizeThe Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer...
(1974) for his opera Gilgamesh - Sonning Award (1996; DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
)
Sources
- Anon. [n.d.] "Adolf Wölffli: Wölfli's influence". (Archived copy from 23 October 2007, from the composer's former website. Accessed 14 May 2010)
- Anderson, JulianJulian AndersonJulian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.-Biography:Anderson studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambridge University, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by Olivier Messiaen,...
. 2000. "A Provisional History of Spectral Music." Contemporary Music Review 19, no. 2 ("Spectral Music History and Techniques", edited by Joshua Fineberg): 7–22. - Mortensen, Jørgen. [n.d.] "Uendelighedsrækken" (The Infinity Series), English version. (Archived copy, accessed 14 May 2010. Formerly on the composer's website, taken off line in November 2007.)
- Nørgård, Per. 1975. "Inside a Symphony". Translated by L. K. Christensen. Numus-West 2, no. 2:4–16.
External links
- The infinity series (Archived copy, accessed 14 May 2010. Formerly at the composer's website, taken down in November 2007.)
- Plain language description of infinity series generation. (Accessed 15 May 2011)