Last Spring

During a conversation between Act owner Siggi Loch and Norwegian classical violinist Henning Kraggerud, the latter stated his admiration for Bugge Wesseltoft's christmas record "It's snowing on my piano" (ACT's best-selling title, fact fans). So naturally the next step was to bring the two countrymen together, and so it was that they met in November 2011 to record "Last Spring" in Oslo's famous Rainbow Studio, the place where "It's snowing on my piano" was recorded. The pair put together a sparkling program of 16 pieces for "Last Spring", which is founded mostly on Norwegian folk music. As the title intimates, "Last Spring" is a revisiting of spring. It is not an exulting, whirling awakening, but a sustained, minimalistic meditation, oriented strongly towards the details, the variance of the melodies, the breadth and beauty of the sound. It is based on the most perfect interaction possible: Wesseltoft's soft piano daubs melt like wax into the pizzicato melodies that Kraggerud entices out of his 1744 Guarneri violin, his Harald Lund viola and his unique six-stringed viola Concorda. This magical duo succeeds in gleaning new sound ideas and facets from spring, just as the original concept intended. There won't be much doubt as to which CD will be playing from February to May in Norway. And not just then and there...

 

1. Blåmann ( Anne Haavie) 04:55

2. Om Kvelden ( Traditional) 06:12

3. Margit Hjukse ( Traditional) 03:42

4. Stevtone ( Traditional) 05:44

5. Hei hu ( Traditional) 03:57

6. Jeg lagde meg så silde ( Traditional) 05:58

7. Lilja ( Øyonn Groven Myhren) 05:08

8. Last Spring ( Edvard Grieg) 05:52

9. Byssan Lull ( Traditional) 02:58

10. Den fyrste song ( Lars Søraas senior) 03:58

11. Gjendines Bådnlåt ( Traditional) 05:46

12. Maria durch ein Dornwald ging ( Traditional) 04:42

13. Sæterjentens Søndag ( Ole Bull) 04:58

14. Improvisation Over La Folia ( Traditional) 02:44

15. Til Ungdommen ( Mortensen, Otto) 03:39

16. Wiegenlied ( Brahms, Johannes) 03:10