− I'm very happy with what we achieved
Two CDs with four symphonies by Per Nørgård, played by the Oslo Philharmonic and conducted by John Storgårds, were released this week. − The freedom and imagination in his music is what appeals to me the most, Storgårds says.
Written by Fred-Olav Vatne
![](https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=393&q=90&w=750&s=8f0185a7d7fc14250b7aec30b4ab61b8 750w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=524&q=90&w=1000&s=d3e1a44f2066cf8f032bf01c239742a9 1000w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=655&q=90&w=1250&s=23fb26d8098f99069c51fcd86d8cf78d 1250w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=786&q=90&w=1500&s=30bec0029cd4daa570799bcc941e6fc3 1500w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=917&q=90&w=1750&s=731ba7ad751f2ebe5190ebbff549d0bf 1750w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1048&q=90&w=2000&s=8cd6ae8454314bd466c241eb8fd505c9 2000w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1179&q=90&w=2250&s=54d4b5c600c76f8cda1ba3bb3f9e5d58 2250w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1258&q=90&w=2400&s=968b3947146d0e614a059d376bd1efcb 2400w)
John Storgårds conducts the Oslo Philharmonic in a new recording of Per Nørgård's symphonies. (Photo: Fred-Olav Vatne/Oslo-Filharmonien)
The two CDs with Nørgård's second, fourth, fifth and sixth symphonies, which were released by the record label Dacapo Records this week, were recorded in Oslo Concert Hall and the Opera House in Oslo.
− Those were two incredibly intense weeks, John Storgårds says.
− Nørgård's symphonies are very complicated music to play. Playing all four in two weeks was very challenging, but with a top orchestra like this, it is possible! As I now hear the result, I'm very happy with what we achieved. Not only is the playing very accurate, the entire orchestra plays with great intensity.
Read The Guardian's review: An exhilarating musical journey
− Music that exites you
The conductor hopes that as many people as possible will listen to all four symphonies on the CDs:
− These symphonies are very different from each other. Only when hearing all of them, can one understand how rich Nørgård's musical language is.
John Storgårds conducted the premiere of Nørgård's last symphony to date, the eighth, and enjoys a close relationship with the composer and his music.
− The freedom and imagination in his music is what appeals to me the most. He always dares to innovate and to develop new works from new ideas, and yet it always sounds very musical and appealing. It never becomes paper music; it is always vibrant and beautiful to listen to, music that exites you. It is also challenging and inspiring to work with him. Nørgård is a wonderfully interesting and kind man.
Storgårds spends a lot of time and energy exploring new music, especially Nordic repertoire. He has among other things recorded music by Rolf Wallin with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Asked what lesser known Nordic symphonies he would recommend to our readers, he pulls out two composers he has also recorded:
− First, I'll mention the Faroese Sunleif Rasmussen's second symphony. He has written two symphonies, both of which are beautiful − and different from each other. And Finnish composer Kalevi Aho is one of the most important Nordic composers of orchestral music. He has written several great symphonies.
Read more about the CDs in Dacapo Records' website:
![](https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=393&q=90&w=750&s=de343c07717d1bdd3090f193a5e8b31a 750w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=524&q=90&w=1000&s=487135775930f496d0485a174a55f7ea 1000w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=655&q=90&w=1250&s=da9eab162d1148b4185020e40aab31c9 1250w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=786&q=90&w=1500&s=55d3274ab1d9d33c1c827d3417736119 1500w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=917&q=90&w=1750&s=5ba3cdf3506c64c1f955d32f288207e7 1750w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1048&q=90&w=2000&s=f1fe2e800f9fd5f28c57c546bfabc33a 2000w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1179&q=90&w=2250&s=b4a126afeb2a6c0b9f044c06466d37dd 2250w, https://ofo.imgix.net/Persons/Conductors/Storgards-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1258&q=90&w=2400&s=c9b09a1e2c6d531ef27a1c982ff8eea2 2400w)
John Storgårds during rehearsal with the Oslo Philharmonic. (Photo: Fred-Olav Vatne/Oslo-Filharmonien)