QCD 9410 - NATT OG DAG!

Njål Sparbo - song
Ellen Bødtker - harp
Bjarne M. Jensen - violin
Vegard Johnsen - violin
Jon Sønstebø - viola
María Alejandra Conde Campos - cello
Steinar Haugerud - double bass

"Natt og Dag" is the second recording of an anthology of Norwegian songs, arranged for bass-baritone voice, harp and string quintet by Njål Sparbo.

Recording producer: Njål Sparbo
Digital editing: Njål Sparbo and Cato Langnes
Recording and mastering: Cato Langnes (Notam)
Graphic design: Bente Elisabeth Finserås
Cover and inlay photo: Elisabeth Wathne
Recorded in Østre Aker Church, Oslo, 2018
Released in 2019 by Quattro, Oslo, Norway
Supported by Arts Council Norway and Notam
TOTAL PLAYING TIME 74:21

CONTENTS:

1 Nocturne - Alf Hurum / Sigbjørn Obstfelder
2 Sne - Sigurd Lie / Helge Rode
3 Om kvelden - Eivind Groven / Arnulf Øverland
4 Den varande fugl - David Monrad Johansen / Trad.
5 Oppi Tindom - Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen / Tor Jonsson
6 Ut mot havet - Edvard Fliflet Bræin / Henrik Straumsheim
7 Til deg, du Hei - Edvard Fliflet Bræin / Arne Garborg
8 Letztes Leid - Pauline Hall / Wilhelm Holzamer
9 Ithaca - Maj Sønstevold / Sigmund Skard
10 Døde blomar - Sverre Bergh / Tor Jonsson
11 Elskhugskvede - Klaus Egge / Tore Ørjasæter
12 Nótt ok Dagr - Geirr Tveitt / Snorri Sturluson
13 Om kjærlighet - Øistein Sommerfeldt / Stein Mehren
14 Nocturne - Antonio Bibalo / Herman Wildenvey
15 Den første sommerfugl - Arne Nordheim / Henrik Wergeland
16 Det er den draumen - Ragnar Söderlind / Olav H. Hauge
17 To leveregler - Edvard Hagerup Bull / Piet Hein
18 Tidens glæder - Edvard Hagerup Bull / Piet Hein
19 Errichtet keinen Denkstein - Terje Bjørklund / Rainer Maria Rilke
20 Herbsttag - Terje Bjørklund / Rainer Maria Rilke
21 Det var mjukt - Magnar Åm

PREFACE:

Most of the songs in “Natt og Dag” (“Night and Day”) were originally written in higher keys for song and piano, except for the songs by Nordheim and Åm, which were written for song and harp, as well as Sommerfeldt’s piece for song and solo cello. Many composers could have been included in this anthology, and the selection of songs in this recording is not meant to be authoritative or representative from a music-historical perspective. The songs were chosen merely because I enjoy them, because they are rarely performed and because I consider them to be suitable for my arrangements for bass-baritone, harp and string quintet. Still, “Norwegian Songs vol. 2” presents songs by 18 Norwegian composers who in various ways moved towards new forms of expression after the culmination of the national romantic period, combining elements from European and Norwegian art song tradition in interesting ways.