Helle Nacht - Violin Concerto No. 1

Per Nørgård's Helle Nacht (Light Night) - Violin Concerto No. 1 dating from 1986-87. Version for Violin solo and small Orchestra (Sinfonietta).

Programme note by thecomposer:

This is my third work for solo string instrument and orchestra, the other two being 'Between' for cello and 'Remembering Child' for viola.

The title 'Light Night' refers to the characteristics ofeach of the four movements.

The 'light' translucent quality of the melody, sound and rhythm, woven into a fine filigree; the Night revealed in the multi-layered possibilities of interpretation, like/constantly/changingtheaspect of a turning prism, with each performing appearing differently to the listeners. Of course this is more or less the case with every musical work but in HELLE NACHT the ambiguity  is made innermost principle.

The first and last movements form a symphonic frame for the inner two more static interludes. Though even in these sections, light is constantly breaking through in a spectral way.

The concerto was composed during1986-87 and premiered by Anton Kontra. The sinfonietta version was premiered by Peter Herresthal and Remix Ensemble in 2007.