“Hvoslef Chamber Works No. III” is the third in a series of nine CDs with Ketil Hvoslef’s collected chamber music. The idea of collecting all of Hvoslef’s 38 chamber music works on CD was conceived by violinist Ricardo Odriozola and pianist Einar Røttingen, who share many years of collaboration with the composer. Ketil Hvoslef (b. 1939) is a productive, versatile and undogmatic composer, who — now well into his seventies — continues to write music at a furious pace. Hvoslef’s style is characterized by an economy of means, the accumulation of latent energy, rhythmical ingenuity and, often, an element of humour. The album presents two works for the classical duo of violin and piano, and three works featuring unusual combinations of instruments. “Kvartoni” was written for soprano, recorder, guitar and piano. In the words of the composer: “I use playing techniques on the piano that bring it close to the guitar both technically and in sound.” About his “Kirkeduo” for guitar and organ, the composer says: “The combination of acoustic guitar and church organ evokes immediate associations with David and Goliath. The solution lies in the fact that the church organ has, in most cases, also fine transparent voices. […] The guitar is used as much as possible in accordance with the instrument’s character (after all, it sounds best that way).” “Sextet (Post)”, for flute, clarinet, horn, violin, guitar and piano, was commissioned by an organisation that was closed down before the work was completed, hence the subtitle “Post”. In “Bel Canto”, for violin and piano, a beautiful song is presented in a partially threatening environment, while in the three-part “Inventiones” we meet the ghost of Mozart and a bottle that rolls along the floor and down the steps of a bus. The recordings draw from the vast pool of performers in Bergen, where the composer lives and works. The performers are primarily from the Grieg Academy (University of Bergen/Bergen University College) and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. The project was made possible with support from Arts Council Norway and the University of Bergen.
