The Kronos Quartet, Paul Hillier and Hans Christian Andersen?
Distinctly American, English, Danish?
A meeting point between these different elements seemed attractive. For one thing because for me Charles Ives, Edgar Varese, John Cage and the American minimalism have been a crucial source of inspiration since the 60s. Hans Christian Andersen ever since the 30s! Of course. A natural (and also curious) part of my upbringing. Let me just fasten on one point here. This unique writer’s peculiar linguistic tone. The word order, the RHYTHM! After long fantastical twists - a sudden blow. A short, dry, sarcastic comment. Florid richness in detail and sensitivity followed by laconic irony. I think that this ‘mannerism’ has become part of my own musical expression.
I collected my thoughts in two movements: an American movement and a
Danish movement. Hans Christian Andersen’s brief text “ In a Thousand
Years” is a vision of how the young Americans of a distant future will cross the Atlantic in ‘steam ships of the air’ and ‘do Europe in a week’! Andersen also predicted the submarine tunnel England-France! It became a nervous, pulsating first movement – with a greeting to American minimalism.
In short, the second movement is a ‘Danish song’. My own melody (which resembles that of Poul Schierbeck) for Hans Christian Andersen’s poem ‘In Denmark I was born’. However, the song is invaded by outside influences (comp tickets for Krarup, Langballe and Pia is worth a consideration).
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