THE BEAUTY OF THE PERISHABLE

"So short is the summer we all have” is a collection of songs written by the composer Gisle Kverndokk and performed by some of Norway's foremost artists – mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland and the pianist Nils Anders Mortensen. 

Gisle Kverndokk is known as one of Norway's leading composers of musical theatre in both opera and musical. This release unites several of the genres Kverndokk has worked on over the years: opera, musical, show and theatrical music. Common to them is Kverndokk's love of melody and poetry. The lyrics are taken from the Norwegian poets Liv Holtskog and Herman Wildenvey. A song cycle is based on lyrics from "Ruth Maier's Diary," the diaries of the young Jewish refugee who came to Norway during World War II. These texts, written by Maier about her close friend, the poet Gunvor Hofmo, are strong and luminous, especially poignant considering Maier's tragic fate as a Holocaust victim.

William Shakespeare's famous sonnets are also turned into a new song cycle where love, eroticism and jealousy are pervasive themes. A song from the musical "The World Around the World in 80 Days", with lyrics by Øystein Wiik, is about freedom. The album ends with "Ave Verum", a tribute to Jesus' body.

Summer is a recurring theme. The bright summer. The light that gives life but eventually turns into darkness – the summer that passes into autumn. The cycle of life and nature. Liv Holtskog's poem "The summer of life is but fleeting" tells us that everything is perishable. Summer is short. Life is short. Yet as Ruth Maier writes, "The days get brighter when you love someone." Shakespeare writes "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" in sonnet 18, while in sonnet 33 he describes how the sun is darkened by clouds when his beloved deceives him. "After spring and summer, autumn crushes it all, heavy and hard and cold..." Wildenvey writes in his poem "Don't Ask For Love." This album is a tribute to summer, light, love, poetry and melody.

Gisle Kverndokk has known Marianne Beate Kielland for many years, and they have long had a wish to make an album together. Kverndokk has composed several of the songs for Marianne Beate & Nils.

" [...] Fire sanger, inkludert det første (tittel-) sporet, Så kort ein sommar menneska har, har en familietilknytning til Kverndokk; det er skrevet til dikt av Liv Holtskog, tremenning av Kverndokks far. Disse sangene (Likevel er du her, Vise og Song, Spør ikke om kjærlighet og Bare dragen er fri (sistnevnte er fra Kverndokks opera Jorden rundt på 80 dager fra 2006-7) har en annen, mer intim, estetisk virkning som utfyller dette portrettet av Kverndokk som sangkomponist. Jeg tror aldri jeg har hørt Kielland synge bedre enn på denne medrivende platen. Hun blir følsomt akkompagnert hele veien av Nils Anders Mortensen. Storartet innspilling også. Jeg likte virkelig denne." Read whole review here.

REVIEWS
"[...] These songs of Kverndokk were a major discovery for me, a collection that I will return to many times. The performances are essential to the success of the disc. Marianne Beate Kielland’s lyrical mezzo-soprano and her ability to communicate all the emotion contained in the songs are treasurable, and pianist Nils Anders Mortensen is fully involved as well. The recorded sound is well balanced and natural. The composer’s notes are extremely helpful. I’m glad that LAWO provided texts and translations, though I wish that they had placed the Norwegian and English together instead of putting the Norwegian first and the English second, making it hard to follow as closely as would be ideal. Nonetheless, anyone who is interested in songs of our time will find much pleasure here." 
Read whole review here.

NRK RADIO, "Klassisk Vorspiel" 30. April 2021: listen to the whole episode here.