Øystein Sevåg - Early Works

During the 1990s, Sevåg’s work within World Music and jazz was often acclaimed for its masterful craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. These qualities had been forged earlier, when Sevåg devoted himself to classical music, which is the focus of this CD.
January 1984 was a turning point in the young composer’s life. Sevåg traveled to the mountain village of Triora in Northern Italy to write a string quartet. There, in complete isolation, he sought to develop his own musical language. After three months, he returned to Norway with the finished work: The Triora String Quartet.
A few years later, Sevåg composed his humorous wind quintet The Lyrical Joke. Both pieces embody a distinctive fusion of musical traditions—and place considerable demands on the performers.

The ensembles:
Triora String Quartet: Maria Eisenburger - violin, Miriam Rudolph - violin, Beatrix Hülsemann - viola and Ute Petersilge - cello.
Bergen Wind Quintet: Gro Sandvik - flute, Steinar Hannevold - oboe, Lars Kristian Brynildsen - clarinet, Ilene Chanon - French Horn and Per Hannevold - bassoon.