Symphonic Suites / Симфонические сюиты

by Edvard Grieg
performed by Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union Radio
conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky

This was another LP that my mum loved. DiscoGS lists 57 versions of this record, the earliest of them released in 1967. The orchestra is credited as Большой Симфонический Оркестр Всесоюзного Радио, which was its official name between 1966 and 1974. So let’s think Suites were recorded in 1966—1967. In our house, however, we had a 1971 pressing. I even remember the time (1971?) when it was squeaky new.

Since it was the only Grieg vinyl we had (Holberg Suite and Piano Concerto in A minor would come later), my mum referred to it just as a “Grieg”. “Put on a Grieg please.” My all-time favourite was «Шествие гномов» (March of the Trolls)^*. As it was the last track, I had to wait. But it was well worth it.

It still is.

Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 & 2, Lyric Suite

Эдвард Григ Пер Гюнт. Две сюиты из музыки к драме Г. Ибсена Лирическая сюита, соч. 54

Peer Gynt-suite nr. 1, op. 46 / Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 / Пер Гюнт. Сюита №1, соч. 46 (audio) Morgenstemning / Morning Mood / Утро Åses død / The Death of Åse / Смерть Озе Anitras dans / Anitra’s Dance / Танец Анитры I Dovregubbens hall / In the Hall of the Mountain King / В пещере горного короля Peer Gynt-suite nr. 2, op. 55 / Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55 / Пер Гюнт. Сюита № 2, соч. 55 (audio) Ingrids klage / Ingrid’s Lament / Жалоба Ингрид Arabisk dans / Arabian Dance / Арабский танец Peer Gynts hjemfart / Peer Gynt’s Homecoming / Возвращение Пера Гюнта Solveigs sang / Solveig’s Song / Песня Сольвейг Lyrisk suite, op. 54 / Lyric Suite, Op. 54 / Лирическая сюита, соч. 54 (audio) Gjætergut / Shepherd Boy / Мальчик-пастух Gangar / Norwegian March / Норвежский крестьянский марш† Notturno / Nocturne / Ноктюрн Troldtog / March of the Dwarfs / Шествие гномов*

*	This piece, Troldtog (literally, “troll procession”), is known in English as either March of the Trolls or March of the Dwarves. I prefer the former translation, while the Russian «Шествие гномов» means “procession of the gnomes”.
†	I suppose Soviet bureaucrats couldn’t leave «Норвежский марш» (“Norwegian march”) as such, they needed to insert peasants somewhere, as in “Workers and Peasants”. Thus «Норвежский крестьянский марш» (“Norwegian peasant march”). The original title, Gangar, is simply “march”, not even “Norwegian”.

Höstsonaten

a film by Ingmar Bergman

Bergman’s last cinematic work, starring Ingrid Bergman (no relation) in her final cinema performance, alongside Liv Ullmann. Intense, at times uncomfortable, at times depressing, but not without comic elements courtesy of Ingrid’s vain character, Charlotte.

No Place Like Home

a film by Emilie K. Beck

No doubt some people will dismiss the premise of this documentary (just like that of Couleur de peau: miel) as a first-world problem. Born in Sri Lanka, Priyangika “Priya” Samanthie, as a baby, was adopted into a Norwegian family. She grew up in Norway. She is Norwegian. What else does she want?

“I had been growing up with those TV shows where adoptees meet their parents, they run toward each other, everything is fine and then they end the show”, says the director. Well Priya’s story is different. Yes she travels to her birthplace to find her biological mother, and no, not everything is fine.

At times the film has a bit of soap opera feel, what with a mystery of Priya’s real father, or a surprise reencounter with her never-known-before sister. So what? Life is stranger than soap opera. Even the stereotypical “culture clash” rings true. When Priya, visibly upset, tells her — surely loving — adoptive father about some, er, irregularities in her adoption process, his reaction is: “I’ll have to reflect upon it”.

“It is absurd to move a child from one continent to another and give them a Norwegian name”, says Priya. A valid counterpoint to the hilarious scene in Ninjababy where the heroine, in her “Fatima” mode, accuses the wannabe parents of racism for not willing to adopt from abroad.

Cinco mil kilómetros por segundo

by Manuele Fior
translated by Regina López Muñoz

What if?

What if (s)he stayed with her/his first love?

What if, indeed.

Then this story wouldn’t ever be written. There would be another story, maybe a happier one, which I doubt, and quite probably much more boring.

Instead, in his beautifully painted, masterfully narrated comic, Manuele Fior tells what happens when the lovers go their own ways. Best of luck to them.

Ninjababy

a film by Yngvild Sve Flikke

Some films provide such obvious American remake fodder that you just want to draw a protective circle around them to ensure that people experience the unassuming charms of the original.

David Rooney, Ninjababy: Film Review

From imaginary and picturesque vikingdom to modern-day Norway: grey, rainy, with the sea nowhere in sight. Norwegians nowadays ain’t no Vikings either: yes they still can shout “Blood and suffering!” but only when playing Warhammer.

I hope this does not discourage you from watching Ninjababy. Who cares about the Vikings anyway?

Based on the graphic novel Fallteknikk (Fall Technique) by Inga Sætre and featuring the latter’s animation, this hilarious and poignant film stars Kristine Kujath Thorp as Rakel, Nader Khademi as Mos, and Arthur Berning as aptly nicknamed Pikkjesus (“Dick Jesus”, or “Jesús de las pollas” in Spanish subtitles); the animated Ninjababy is voiced by Herman Tømmeraas. Watch out for the scene of Rakel posing as Fatima at the pre-adoption meeting for prospective parents.

The Vikings

a film by Richard Fleischer

Then his Father built a warship Saying: ‘Let’s go raiding, Chums! Although guess who isn’t in The crew — no matter who else comes!’ Terry Jones, Algernon the Viking

With the notable exception of clean-shaved Einar played, naturally, by Kirk Douglas, the Vikings of this movie look very much like Peter Jackson’s dwarfs inhabiting some sort of Hobbiton. (OK, it was filmed on location in Norway. So what? So were Dune and The Empire Strikes Back.) The plot is a bit random; here’s the summary, once again, courtesy of Terry Jones:

Well the Vikings were victorious, And they held a Victory Tea.

The best line is by Bridget (Dandy Nichols): “Mine isn’t too tight”; the silliest one is by Morgana (Janet Leigh), directed to Einar and referring to Eric (Tony Curtis; you know the guy): “He is your brother”, sadly not followed by “Nooo!”. Of course, what Janet really meant was “he is my husband”.

Peder Balke @ The National Gallery

Yesterday, I went to London to renew my passport. All papers handed in, I had four hours to kill before I could collect it. The weather was good, so I embarked on a walk: from Victoria to Buckingham Palace through St James's Park to Trafalgar Square — all these super-touristy places which, surprisingly, turned out to be reasonably crowd-free. And then I surprised myself by entering The National Gallery.

Here I made a discovery. As it happens, these are the last days of the Peder Balke exhibition (until 12 April 2015). I never heard of him, although the name rang a bell. Oh right: Wikipedia says he is a great-great-grandfather of Norwegian jazzmen Jon Balke and Erik Balke. Not quite incidentally: I think some of Peder Balke paintings, such as Northern Lights shown below, wouldn’t be out of place as ECM cover art.

Northern Lights over Coastal Landscape

Moonlit View of Stockholm

Seascape

The Mountain Range ‘Trolltindene’

The Tempest

In 1832, Peder Balke travelled along the Norwegian coast as far as Nordkapp. Although it was his only journey there, the scenery of Nordkapp continued to inspire him till the end of his life.

Nordkapp

I have to thank Her Majesty’s Passport Office for this pleasant discovery.

Funny Films of the North

Here’s the blurb that got me intrigued:

Are Nordic films really as melancholic, depressing, and humourless as rumour has it? Four Nordic film journals — Filmmagasinet Ekko from Denmark, Rushprint from Norway, Flm from Sweden and Episodi from Finland — have tasked themselves with finding the exceptions that showcase the cheerful and self-deprecating side to Nordic cinema.

Not that I ever suspected Nordic cinema of humourlessness. It took me a while to go through the whole collection. Truth to be told, most of these shorts are depressing and melancholic, except for a couple of positively sinister ones. As for “funny”... They are funny, but weird funny rather than hilarious funny. Cheerful they are not.

Swedish Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers is probably the best of the lot: both funny and funny funny.

Other delights include Swedish Elixir (that is, a magic formula to transform immigrants into true Swedes); Finnish animation The Irresistible Smile; and Danish Oscar-winning Election Night (which also could be found on Cinema 16: European Short Films collection).

1. Las Palmas by Johannes Nyholm (Sweden, 2011, 13 min)
2. No Sex Just Understand by Mariken Halle (Norway, 2011, 15 min)
3. Äiti ei enää keilaa (Mother Doesn’t Bowl Anymore) by Teemu Nikki (Finland, 2010, 10 min)
4. Slitage (Seeds of the Fall) by Patrik Eklund (Sweden, 2009, 18 min)
5. This Is Alaska by Mårten Nilsson and Gunilla Heilborn (Sweden, 2009, 10 min)
6. Space Monkeys by Jan Rahbek (Denmark, 2008, 8 min)
7. Sunday Mornings by Jannicke Låker (Norway, 2008, 9 min)
8. Naglinn (The Nail by Benedikt Erlingsson (Iceland, 2008, 16 min)
9. Sagan om den lille Dockpojken (The Tale of Little Puppetboy) by Johannes Nyholm (Sweden, 2008, 18 min)
10. Anna by Helena Stefánsdóttir (Iceland, 2007, 13 min)
11. Occupations by Lars von Trier (Denmark, 2007, 3 min)
12. Ilo irti (The Irresistible Smile) by Ami Lindholm (Finland, 2006, 6 min)
13. Järvi (The Lake) by Maarit Lalli (Finland, 2006, 9 min)
14. Elixir by Babak Najafi (Sweden, 2004, 26 min)
15. De beste går først (United We Stand) by Hans Petter Moland (Norway, 2002, 9 min)
16. Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers by Ola Simonsen and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson (Sweden, 2001, 10 min)
17. Døren som ikke smakk (Shut the Door) by Jens Lien (Norway, 2000, 10 min)
18. Valgaften (Election Night) by Anders Thomas Jensen (Denmark, 1999, 11 min)
19. Pilot for En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch - Reflecting on Existence) by Roy Andersson (Sweden, 2011, 8 min)

Tramp

by Knut Reiersrud

Sorting through the box of unclassified CDs. Where did this one come from? Most likely from Oxfam, about ten years ago. Can’t really say what caused me to buy it, for all the liner notes are in Norwegian. The only name that rang a bell at the time was that of organist Iver Kleive. I listened to this album once, then I firmly lost the track of it.

So here it is. By now I recognise the names of a few more musicians here: Paolo Vinaccia (djembe, talking drum, bolambata, bass kalimba), Juldeh Camara (the very same Camara who plays with Justin Adams), and all four of Five Blind Boys of Alabama: Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter, George Scott and Curtis Foster. As intercontinental collaborations go, this one is not as unlikely as it sounds (and I heard unlikelier ones). In fact, when you listen to the songs, they all sound very organic. My favourite song is seven-and-a-half minute Jarabe, sung by Gambian griot and kora player Alagi M’Bye. I still can’t read Norwegian, but one can get a satisfactory translation of these liner notes online:

Utgangspunktet er et muslimsk basert tradisjonelt tema som Alagi og jeg har brettet ut. Alagi har skrevet ny tekst og jeg har harmonisert i mer europeisk tradisjon. Den godeste Alagi sang med så mye trøkk at mikrofonene i den lille trekirken på Rauland fikk problemer med å fange opp noe som helst annet. Stemmingen på gitaren er stjålet fra en av mine favoritt kassegitarister — Joni Mitchell.