Geirr Tveitt

[mcgillcomposer]

Retrouvailles introduced me to Tveitt a few days ago. I have listened to almost everything that is available and I must say that he wrote some beautiful music. Also, his Symphony, Op. 81 is beautifully orchestrated.

Does anyone else know this music? What are your thoughts?

Any idea where I can find a recording of his 28th piano sonata (the only surviving one)?

- Andrew

[retrouvailles]

I am glad that you went and listened to his music. It is some really nice stuff.

His 29th piano sonata is the one that you mean. Geirr Tveitt himself has a recording of it. Also Geir Botnen has a great recording.

https://www.crotchet.co.uk/PSC1121.html

https://classical.premieremusic.net/catalog/cd/PSC1805/

The Tveitt plays Tveitt album features his 3rd piano concerto, which was lost in the great fire that consumed 4/5 of his works. It now only exists in a recording.

His story is a sad one, but his works are very much worth investigating.

[fnork]

There's something about Tveitt that you might not know... even though this "great fire" occured, Tveitt left us a sort of diary where he inbluded the concert programs from ALL of the concerts that he had. This 'diary' shows us that he performed this 29th piano sonata quite a lot. BUT... there is NO document of him playing ANY of the previous piano sonatas in concert.

so, now the question is if all of that music was actually lost or if it simply was never written....clever guy, Tveitt...

[mephisto]

I love his work, almost a norwegian Bartók.

The 4th piano concerto is really special.