Bent Sørensen ‘The Four Seasons’ premiere

Photos by Andreas Turau

Life, art, love, the world, the weather – all this is reflected in Norwegian novelist Tomas Espedal’s new book Året (The Year). At the same time, Danish composer Bent Sørensen has always had ambitions to compose a musical work around the seasonal cycle. In a mixture of readings by actor Trond Høvik of Espedal’s diary-style narrative, chattering, singing and humming, the two artists’ parallel visions of the year are transformed into a new music piece in collaboration with legendary Norwegian ensemble POING. The world’s and nature’s transience and degeneration are a constant theme in the work of Bent Sørensen. Tomas Espedal has published twelve books in eighteen different territories since 1988.

Rolf-Erik Nystrøm – saxophones, vocals; Frode Haltli – accordion, vocals; Håkon Thelin – double bass, vocals; Trond Høvik – recitation

Premiered at Ultima Contemporary Music Festival, Oslo, Friday 9th of September 2016. Performed in Norwegian. Can also be performed in other languages.