Ning/Puls: Buene/Barrett/Hagen/Aagaard-Nielsen/Apollyon

MIC's Listen to Norway series continues with Ning/Puls' 'Buene/Barrett/Hagen/Aagaard-Nielsen/Apollyon'

30.05.2005 | By: Tomas Lauvland Pettersen

The renowned and widely respected performers of the Puls Percussion Ensemble and Ning Trio team up on this album to perform a set of works penned by composers Natasha Barrett, Lars Petter Hagen, Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, Eivind Buene and Nicolay Apollyon. The differing pieces are elegantly sewn together into a coherent whole by the two ensembles that have worked closely to integrate the varying forms of expression. Kristin Norderval adds effective vocal performances that punctuate the rhythmic patterns laid out by Puls. The material is challenging but also utterly rewarding if one takes up the challenge presented by the composers on this album. The music is carried forward in waves with sudden pauses filling the listener with expectations that are met in the next bar by focused statements from stings, flutes and percussion. The composers on this release represent the top shelf of Norway’s new young generation of highly talented contemporary composers and are complemented by the equally qualified and equally young performers of the two ensembles that have made such a bold statement with their first joint release.

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