International Greig Commemoration '07
Norwegian classical and folk music in Dhaka
Ahsan Habib
On May 18, a concert featuring classical and folk music of Norwegian master composer Edvard Grieg at the British Council Dhaka was a treat for Dhakaiites. As part of the International Grieg Commemoration 2007, the Royal Norwegian Embassy celebrated Grieg's music. The programme included performances by visiting musicians -- folk singer-composer Unni Lovlid and pianist Joachim Kjelsaas Kwetzinsky. This year marks the 100th death anniversary of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), one of the finest Norwegian musicians of all times. The occasion is being observed all over the world. Greig's influence on the history of Norwegian music has been significant. It is said that his work represents the realisation of a dream, which Norwegian musicians and cultural patriots had nurtured for a hundred years. Grieg is renowned as a nationalist composer, drawing inspiration from Norwegian folk music. "Like many composers of his time, Grieg took an interest in collecting sounds he heard in nature and in rural Norway. This was an expression of a process of national awakening and identity-building," said the Norwegian Ambassador Ingebjorg Stofring, in her speech. The concert, a part of the cultural programme, started off with the introduction and cadenza from "Piano Conserto in a Minor Opus 16" which reflects the influence of German tradition in Grieg's early works. Grieg gave Norwegian folk music a certain prestige and exposure through using folk elements and motifs. The young visiting artistes performed a number of songs from "Norwegian folk-tunes opus 66." Unni Lovlid rendered the traditional versions first and then Joachim Kjelsaas Kwetzinsky presented Greig's development of the tunes on piano. Grieg was a close friend of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and composed the scores for one of Ibsen's famous plays -- Peer Gynt. Six familiar pieces -- capturing the rising of the sun, lamenting after a death, the imagery of a chase scene and a dance -- were presented at the concert. Actors from Centre for Asian Theatre performed selected scenes from Peer Gynt. The last set of presentation was a combination of Norwegian and Bangladeshi songs. Norwegian folk songs were performed with Bangladeshi musical instruments like banshi, tabla, sitar, dotara and dhol. Two Bangladeshi folk songs were also performed. The concert ended with the last song of "opus 66" -- "Gjendine's Cradle Song (lullaby)", first the traditional version and then Greig's version. The visiting artistes, Unni Lovlid and Joachim Kjelsaas Kwetzinsky, are among the key performers of International Grieg Commemoration 2007.
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Joachim Kjelsaas Kwetzinsky presents Greig's music (Left) and Actors of Centre for Asian Theatre perform at the programme |
