Cozy up with Nordic cool
Swedish-born pianist and composer Henrik Lindstrand has released a new, contemplative album, Nordhem, reviewed here by Melinda Bargreen.
Author: Melinda Bargreen
Memorabilia
Writer Melinda Bargreen reviews the recent album Memorabilia by Trio Mediæval and Mats Eilertsen Trio, blending jazz and medieval music.
Meet Thomas Dausgaard
Meet distinguished Danish orchestra conductor Thomas Dausgaard, the new Music Director of the award-winning tSeattle Symphony Orchestra.
Dive Headlong into this 21-book series
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has just issued Headlong, her 21st book in the series, and it is sufficiently entertaining, even if you haven’t read the previous 20.
Death cleaning
Swedish authors are informing us about the concept of “death cleaning”: how to clear out loads of your accumulated stuff before you die.
Symphonic Dances
The Norwegian Ministry of Culture to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Norway’s Constitution and asked the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for a new work based on folk music of ethnic groups living in the area. Composer Gisle Kverndokk has created a disc with a variety of colors, themes, and instrumentation.
Revisit Mortensen’s “retro” symphony
Music critic Melinda Bargreen reviews a new recording of Finn Mortensen’s Mortensen Symphony by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Peter Szilvay.
Book Review: “Nørth”
Are we really Nordic enough? Help is on the way, with this tongue-in-cheek volume (“Nørth: How to Live Scandinavian”) by Brontë Aurell.
CD review: “Last Leaf” is fresh
Melinda Bargreen Everett, Wash. This is the recording you’ve been looking for: fresh, gorgeous, and unmistakably Nordic. The Danish String Quartet, famous for unusual programming and folk influences as well as unimpeachable technical chops,...
Book review: “They Sang for Norway”
Melinda Bargreen Everett, Wash. Two Norwegian brothers from the so-called Red County of Nord-Trøndelag took two different directions with their lives: One stayed in Norway, organizing guerrilla forces in his country’s struggle for independence...
