SONGS FROM THE LAST CENTURY

SONGS FROM THE LAST CENTURY

Works of:
Wallin - Skouen - Mortensen - Hegdal - Sipusch - Thommessen

Guri Egge, soprano
Einar Henning Smebye, piano

Discover songs by distinguished Norwegian contemporary composers, written late in the 20th century. Songs from the last century is Guri Egge's first solo CD, a portrait of the most central singer on Norway's contemporary scene for more than a decade.

Guri Egge occupies a very special position in the music life of Norway. From the very first moment she made her mark as a representative of that which was new. In a perfectly natural way she has always been at the centre of her own age, as much in her choice of repertoire as in her vocal approach. At the same time she has a strong fundament in tradition - which must be the case for anyone who wishes to present something new with authority and credibility.

The daughter of composer Klaus Egge, she grew up surrounded by music, developing a natural aptitude - far beyond the vocal aspect. Her sense of structure and rhythm has been an important asset when interpretating contemporary music. If thereby she might be called a 'composers' performer', she is certainly an audience's! For it is her ability to communicate with her audience which more than anything characterizes Guri Egge. The music she performs is hers; she can fill the most complicated score with life.

Many years of collaboration between composers and performers have allowed the tradition of songs to live on in Norway, as opposed to the rest of Europe. Working with some of the best text material imaginable - Rilke, D.H. Lawrence, Jacobsen, Løveid, Brekke and Obstfelder - the five composers represented here continue to develop the art of song in the chamber format.