An evening for piano lovers.
Pianist and composer Christian Grøvlen was born and raised at Kronstad, Bergen, and already has a long and eventful concert career. In recent years, he has served as director of the Composer's Homes at KODE. Even though he's surrounded by the legacy of Grieg, Bull, and Sæverud, Grøvlen has also brought lesser-known voices from Norway's cultural heritage into the spotlight.
For this evening in Håkonshallen, Grøvlen has selected four composers and works that hold deep personal meaning for him: Weber, with his romantic and forward-looking Sonata No. 2; and Chopin, with a work written in ardent admiration of Weber’s music.
The program also features Agathe Backer Grøndahl’s mystical I blaafjellet. Grøndahl’s music tends toward late Romanticism and Impressionism, with hints of folk music influenced by Bartók.
Grøvlen has a special affection for Backer Grøndahl’s music and has played a key role in bringing her work out into the world. The final piece of the evening is a passionate and tempestuous work: Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata No. 2.