He gives Carl Nielsen plenty of time

Latest news from Kaare Norge is an album with melodies by Carl Nielsen. It's music in a very simple way.

RACHEL EINARSSON - racheteinarsson@jp.dk

There are many ways to mark the Carl Nielsen year. Kaare Norge has chosen to celebrate it with a beautiful, heartfelt and relevant solo CD with a selection of Carl Nielsen melodies - both well-known and lesser-known.

With his new album "The song the melody - Carl Nielsen", which was released in April, Kaare Norge has returned to its original starting point as a classical guitarist, and that with conviction. There are 14 melodies on the CD, which begin with "I know a lark nest". Of the hymns one finds i.a. "Min Jesus, lad mit hjerte få" (My Jesus, let my heart get), as well as "Hvem sidder der bag skærmen" (Who is sitting behind the screen) but "Sænk kun dit hoved, du blomst" (Just lower your head, you flower) also come to attention. The melody series ends Kaare Norge very appropriately with the evening song "Solen er så rød mor" (The sun is so red mother). Throughout the album, one senses that Kaare Norge himself enjoys the melodies, and it infects the listener. You can feel that he gives the songs time. In doing so, he manages to reach into the simple beauty and fervor that each melody holds. And that's one of the album's finest qualities: There's time for art.

Back to the classic

For a number of years, the well-known guitarist has proven to be a versatile artist, now based in Mårslet; he made his debut in 1988 from the soloist class at the Jutland Conservatory of Music, and since then he has brought the sound of his six strings around in many contexts. In addition to classics such as Bach and Håndel, Spanish music, Beatles melodies and pop music have been on the program, and for several companies he has made the waiting time for customers in the telephone queue more bearable with his sparkling melody interpretations. That he is also an artist requires his very own chapter. With her distinct empathy and her own, successful arrangements of Carl Nielsen's melodies, Kaare Norge does great honor with one of Denmark's greatest composers. His own interpretations are in line with the core melody and give extra life to the song. More generally, one can also see the album as Kaare Norge's convincing de-demonstration of how the guitar can appear both full-bodied and heartfelt as a solo instrument.

The Song The Melody
Carl Nielsen

Kaare Norge
Digidi-DIG201501
Released April 2015.

Rolige, opløftende hymner fra den førende danske komponist, Carl Nielsen

Den danske guitarist og komponist Kaare Norge har udgivet næsten to dusin CDer siden 1991, flittigt dækkende kompositioner lige fra Scarlatti til Rodrigo og til The Beatles (og alt der imellem). Han har lavet hele albums med både rent romantiske temaer, juletemaer og spanske temaet . Men hans seneste album er helt klart et, der står hans hjerte meget nær. Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) et vel nok Danmarks mest berømte komponist (såvel som en anerkendt violinist og kapelmester), ophavsmand til talrige symfonier, koncerter, operaer, kantater, kammerværker og - relevant her -omkring 300 sange, de fleste af dem koraler, salmer og hymner for kor (med tekster forfattet af andre) skrevet for kirken og sædvanligvis akkompagneret af orgel og piano; mange synges i de danske kirker den dag i dag. På aktuelle udgivelse har Norge indspillet sine egne sologuitar-arrangementer af 14 korte sange (kun een kommer op i nærheden af 3 min.), som Nielsen skrev mellem 1903 og 1924, og alle er de storslåede, klart rodfæstede i den lange protestantiske tradition for hymner (gående tilbage til Bach), men muligvis også med essenser fra den danske folketradition.

Jeg vil ikke foregive at vide hvad sangene 'handler om' - titlerne er på dansk - ingen oversættelser anført. Men 'indholdet' er sekundært; det er følelsen, som disse besnærende enkle, yderst melodiøse instrumentale arrangementer udtrykker, som er altafgørende. Man vil ikke finde nogen fyrige tekniske udskejelser her (selv om fremførelsen hele vejen igennem er en sand stjernepræstation); stemningen er tværtimod i høj grad melodisk og ophøjet med kun stedvise strejftog ind i lidt mørkere, kontemplative afkroge. Dette er spirituel musik; roligt opløftende, i sandhed healende for sjælen, smukt spillet og tidløst.

Ciassical Guitar Magazine Aug. 2016, Biair Jackson

Dansk Oversættelse: Bente Hove Gyldensted

Quietly uplifting hymns from top Danish composer

Danish guitarist and composer Kaare Norge has put out nearly two dozen CDs since 1991, ably covering compositions from Scarlatti to Rodrigo to the Beatles (and everything in between). He's made entire Romantic, Christmas, and Spanish "theme" albums. But his latest is clearly one that is very close to his heart. Carl Nielsen (1865- 1931) is arguably Denmark's most famous composer (as well as an acclaimed violin-ist and conductor), author of numerous symphonies, concertos, operas, cantatas, chamber works, and—relevant here—some 300 songs, most of them choral hymns (with lyrics by others) written for the church and usually accompanied by organ and piano; many are still sung in Danish churches today.

For this project, Norge recorded his own solo guitar arrangements of 14 short songs (only one tops three min-utes) that Nielsen wrote between 1903 and 1924, and all of them are gorgeous, clearly rooted in the long Protestant hymn tradi-tion (going back to Bach), but also perhaps drawing on Danish folk sources.

I won't pretend to know what any of the songs are "about" the titles are in Dan-ish, with no translations offered. But the "content" is secondary; it's the feeling that these deceptively simple, highly melodic instrumentals communicate that is para-mount. You'll find no guitar pyrotechnics here (though the playing is truly stellar throughout); rather the mood is largely sweet and serene, with only occasional forays into slightly darker contemplative spaces. This is spiritual music, quietly uplifting, truly soul-restoring, beautifully played and timeless.

Ciassical Guitar Magazine Aug. 2016, Biair Jackson

Af Jørgen Carlsen

THE SONG THE MELODY

Carl Nielsen ville her i 2015 ville være fyldt 150 år. Det er der al mulig grund til at fejre, for Carl Nielsen er i særklasse blandt danske komponister. Og så er han noget af et paradoks. Han er den mest geniale af dem alle og samtidig den mest folkelige. Med sine operaer, symfonier og kammermusikalske værker har han gennem generationer bjergtaget det seriøse koncertpublikum. Men med hans utallige sangkompositioner har hans tonekunst bredt sig ud over hele Danmark som et musikalsk himmellys, der skinner på os alle. Hans produktivitet var enorm. Nogle af melodierne blev nærmest til i en inspiratorisk trancetilstand. Han fortæller selv, hvordan melodierne kom til ham ligesom fugle, der fløj ind ad vinduet og satte sig på hans skuldre.

Gennembruddet var melodien til Jeppe Aakjærs digt ”Jens Vejmand”. Det blev den første ”landeplage” i Danmark. Den udkom i ikke mindre end tre konkurrerende gramofonrulleindspilninger og blev sunget af høj og lav, ung og gammel, i grossererhjemmet og i rullestuerne. Siden kastede han sig med sit gavmilde talent over en lang række digte, som dermed blev forvandlet til sange. Ingen har som han bidraget til at fremelske den danske sangskat. I Højskolesangbogen er han den komponist, som overtrumfer alle andre med hensyn til antallet af sange.

I albummet ”THE SONG THE MELODY” har den højt skattede sologuitarist Kaare Norge kastet sin kærlighed på 14 af Carl Nielsens danske sange. Albummet kan passende ses som Kaare Norges hyldest til sin musikalske landsmand. Som titlen antyder består enhver sang af to elementer: en sangtekst og en melodi. Når man synger en sang, er det naturligt, at teksten er i forgrunden. Det er jo den, der har givet sangen titel og identitet. Det er forståeligt nok. Men i ”THE SONG THE MELODY” er det omvendt. Her er teksten underforstået. Den optræder kun i titlen. Til gengæld spiller Carl Nielsens vidunderlige tonekunst hovedrollen og får al den opmærksomhed, den fortjener. Resultatet er en perlerække af milde musikalske åbenbaringer.
”THE SONG THE MELODY” er stor musikalsk smag i små bidder. Melodierne får lov til at eksistere i deres egen ret. De bliver ikke sovset ind i en poplækker marinade eller udsat for ekstraordinære effekter i lydstudiet.

Kaare Norges arrangementer forholder sig respektfuldt og ydmygt til Carl Nielsens originale forlæg. Carl Nielsen skrev mig bekendt aldrig musik for guitar, men faktisk demonstrerer Kaare Norge, at guitaren på sin lavmælte og ikke anmassende facon er med til at understrege storheden i Carl Nielsens kompositionskunst. Den viser,hvilken betagende indre styrke , der ligger i Carl Nielsens melodier - nemlig en sprød enkelhed, der samtidig gemmer på en ukuelig vilje til liv.

De fleste af sangene er på mange vers, men Kaare Norge har valgt kun at fremføre 2-3, eventuelt med tilføjelse af nogle nænsomme variationer. Meningen er nemlig ikke, at vi skal synge med på sangene. Vi skal derimod lytte til melodierne og fornemme deres fortryllende skønhed. Mange af os er fortrolige med dem og kender dem godt. De er blevet en del af os. De lever videre i sjælen på os. Af samme grund vil ”THE SONG THE MELODY” virke på os som balsam for sjælen. Vi kan stille og roligt synke ind i os selv og føle os hjemme. Dem, der endnu har Carl Nielsen til gode, kan passende stige på her. Og jeg kan garantere for, at der venter liv og glade dage forude.
Eller som Carl Nielsen selv formulerede det ”Musik er liv, som dette uudslukkelig”.

Med ”THE SONG THE MELODY” har Kaare Norge endnu engang manifesteret sig som en af Danmarks fineste instrumentalister.
Dette album er hans 23. i rækken af fremragende guitarkunst.

Jørgen Carlsen (født 1949) er idéhistoriker og siden 1986 forstander for Testrup Højskole. Han er medlem af Det Etiske Råd, medredaktør af højskolesangbogen, klummeskribent på Kristeligt Dagblad samt smagsdommer i det populære tvprogram ”Smagsdommerne” på DR.

REVIEW by Jørgen Carlsen

THE SONG THE MELODY

This year Carl Nielsen would have turned 150. There’s a world of reason as to why this should be celebrated. Carl Nielsen is one of a kind amongst Danish composers. He’s somewhat of a paradox. He’s the most brilliant of them all but at the same time the most down to earth. With his operas, symphonies and Chamber musical pieces, he has astonished the serious crowds throughout generations. His music with numerous song compositions has spread all over Denmark like a ray of light that shines on all of us. His productivity was immense. It was almost like some of the melodies came to be in a trance-like state of mind. “The melodies came to me like birds that flew through the window and sat on my shoulders” he said.

The breakthrough was the melody for a poem by Jeppe Aakjær “Jens Vejmand”. It became the first hit record to ‘terrorize’ the aether in Denmark. It was released in no less than three competing Gramophone roll recordings and was sung by everyone. He later threw himself and his extraordinary talent upon numerous poems, which were transformed into songs. No one has, as he had, ever contributed to conjure forth the treasure that lies in Danish poetry. In the book “Højskolesangbogen” (Read: Folk school song book) he is by far the single most contributing composer.

In the album “THE SONG THE MELODY” the treasured solo guitarist Kaare Norge embedded his love onto 14 of Carl Nielsens Danish songs. The album can fittingly be seen as Kaare Norge’s tribute to his fellow Danish musician colleague. Like the album title suggests, every song contain two elements; a song and a melody. It is only natural for a song to have the lyrics be the foreground that gives the song a title and identity. But in “THE SONG THE MELODY” it is just the opposite and the lyrics only give the song its title. In return Carl Nielsen’s melodies plays a wonderful lead and deserves all the attention it gets. The result is a treasure of mild musical revelations.

“THE SONG THE MELODY” is an exquisite musical feast in small bites. The melodies are allowed to shine in their own right. They don’t get smeared in with the pop tastes of the masses or subjected to disproportionate sound effects in the studio. Kaare Norges arrangements stay humble and respectful to Carl Nielsen’s original releases. Carl Nielsen never, as far as I know, produced music to be played by guitar but Kaare Norge truly shows how it in its delicate and non-intrusive manner contributes to the greatness of Carl Nielsen’s art of composition. It shows the stunning inner strength that lies in the melodies of Carl Nielsen; the crisp simplicity that holds the will to live.

Most of the songs contain several verses but Kaare Norge chose to only do two or three and some with warm and temperate variations. It is not the intention that we sing along with the songs. On the contrary we should listen to the melodies and let their mesmerizing beauty grace us. Many of us know them well. They have become a part of us, and they live on in our souls. For the same reason “THE SONG THE MELODY” will seem like water for the soul. It allows us, with ease, to relax and feel at home. Those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing the melodies of Carl Nielsens can suitably get onboard here. And I will guarantee lively and lovely days await.

Or as Carl Nielsen would have phrased it “Music is life – like this it is inextinguishable”

Through “THE SONG THE MELODY” Kaare Norge manages to manifest himself as one of Denmark’s finest instrumentalists. The album is his 23rd in his series of excellent guitar art. Jørgen Carlsen, born 1949, is an idea historian and since 1986 a superintendent at Testrup højskole (read: folk school). He is a member of the ethical council, co-editor of ‘Højskolesangbogen’, columnist at ‘Kristeligt Dagblad’ (read: Christian daily) and judge at the popular Danish TV-program “Smagsdommerne” (read: arbiters of taste).

Anmeldelse af ”VARIATION” - Release 2018

Her er det den ægte vare, Kaare Norge helt alene, og selvom der bestemt er afveksling og Variation undervejs. Men der hvor man virkelig spidser øre og glæder sig er til Norges egne to kompositioner, fyldt med spansk fyrighed og elegance, ”Danza del Alegria” og Danza La Primavera”. Det er livfuld og livsbekræftende musik, overbevisende og virtuøst udført.

Mikael Krarup, Fyens.dk