Palle MikkelborgGOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART2002for violin harpe og strygereTilegnet Elise Båtnes og Helen DaviesForord l ProgramnoteEn solful d morgentur i Melbourne bragte mig forbi en boghandel der specialiserede sig i 'spiritualbooks' og i vinduet faldt mine øjne på et citat som øjeblikkeligt ramte mig følelsesmæssigtstærkt- og jeg følte at jeg havde fundet titlen på den komposition jeg på tankeplan allerede vari gang med. Citatet lød:'going to pieces ... without falling apart'Tre temaer og relaterede skalaer baseret på henholdsvis Elise Båtnes' Helen Davies' og BergenKammerensembles navne har været afgørende for dele af tonesproget og forekommer både ielose-up ogmere douche i kompositionens syv hovedafsnit.Det barnlige det enkle det her-og-nu naive det umiddelbare kom til at spille en vigtig rolleunder arbejdet. Ikke fordi selve mit tonesprog er særligt meget anderledes end ellers (hvordanskulle det også kunne blive det?) men formuleringen: at go to pieces fik mig til at tænke på 'atblive som barn på ny' atter at være u-bange at turde tro på det enkle.Udover denne- i bedste betydning- enkle inspiration er ønsket at kompositionens kurve kanopleves som en mulig 'meditiations-rejse'; i starten en tro på egen ro langsomt breder uroensig og i lystfulde glimt ser man sig selv 'danse' en rituel dans med åndehuller her og der; ogfristelsen til at rive forhænget væk og go to pieces og angsten for måske at miste sig selv undervejs breder sig. Dog til sidst erkender man at det var rejsen værd og at man heller ikke denne gangfaldt apart men kan se frem mod atter at vise livet sin respekt ved spirituelt fuldstændigt at givesig hen dog vel vidende at livet merciless & merciful med kærlig hånd villade dig'go to pieces ... without falling apart'Men selvklart er mit egentlige ønske: at man blot lader musikken leve sit eget ordløse liv - atlytteren har sin egen rejse.Palle Mikkelborg

Symphony No. 8 for Orchestra (2011) by Per Nørgård. Premiered on September 19 2013 by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and John Storgårds. Programme note:  The first movement opens with sculptural rising and falling scales. Visually the sound may call to mind say spirals or ziggurats (temple towers). Brisk music leads to the climax of the movement.  The second movement is slow and sensually melodious and has three interludes of greater timbral melodic action.  The third movement begins very restlessly but towards the climax thetempo gradually begins to accelerate. An oscillating pianissimo murmur ends the movement – and the symphony.  Symphony no. 8 is commissioned by Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and is besides the Orchestra dedicated to the conductor John Storgårds.  Per Nørgård (2012)   

Score-'RiverRun' was Steven Albert's third work inspired by the writing of James Joyce. The opening movement ‘Rain Music’ is meant to convey the origins of a river. After the sharply accented chords of the movement's introduction themusic becomes quieter suggesting an atmosphere of expectancy. The lightly scored second movement ‘Leafy Speafing’ has a languid cadenza-like opening on alto flute followed by a more tightly focused thematic idea from thesolo viola. The two instruments then engage in a quiet dialogue against the softly changing chords.The third movement ‘Beside the Rivering Waters’ is a fragmented march and scherzo. It opens with a children'ssong. The march for the pit band follows and we are engulfed in a boozy wake. The scherzo brings a return of the current then the march returns abruptly followed by the children's tune - which is in turn transformedinto a raucous pub song. Throughout the fourth movement ‘RiversEnd’ musical ideas from the preceding movements are recalled. Night is falling and the river is moving quietly into darkness. As it approaches the open sea itsmomentum builds and it soon becomes a torrent spilling into the ocean. The work ends quietly.