Bjørn Kruse (NO) – Erinnerung
Bjorn Kruse about his piano piece “Erinnerung”
A reflection on Beethoven’s String Quartet no. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, beginning of 3rd movement.
“In 1988 I was commissioned to write music for the play, “Autumn and Winter”, by Lars Norén, playing at Det Norske Teater here in Oslo. I used the haunting 3rd movement of Beethovens 15th string quartet as the basis for an electronically manipulated sound “environment”. The underlying mood was much of what I imagine Beethoven experienced in 1825 of his own mortality. The movement has been a part of me since. “Erinnerung” is a reminiscence of fragments that linger forever, it seems. Thanks for affording me the opportunity to delve on this material!”
“Erinnerung” – in concert:
14. January 2018 – world premiere – Klavierhaus Klavins, Bonn – Susanne Kessel, piano
Bjørn Kruse (*1946)
Bjørn Kruse (bjornkruse.com) lectures extensively throughout Norway on the subject of interdisciplinary aesthetics, addressing students and educators within all expressions of art, based on his new book, “Thinking Art. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Applied Aesthetics”. The basic topic deals with concepts and models of understanding that all artists employ, and that this type of broad insight enriches the individual artist in his own discipline, as well as develops the aesthetical competence of all those who enjoy experiencing art, regardless of a particular expression. The lectures are offered in either the Norwegian or English language.
Besides composing music, painting, and activity as a freelance academic, he is also supervisor for research fellows within the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme.
From teenage years, Bjørn Kruse was active for about 25 years as jazz musician (saxophone), composer/arranger, producer and studio musician within most areas of music, while teaching and composing preoccupied him more and more. His list of works now numbers more that 150, including compositions for choir, chamber ensembles, several concertos and orchestra works, and four operas, and his compositions are performed ever more often in Norway and abroad. Among prizes won may be mentioned the Fernseh Opern Preis der Stadt Salzburg 1983, for the TV opera “A Game of Chess”, and several of his works have won the Work of the Year award in Norway. The concerto for alto sax and orchestra, “Timaios”, was awarded the Jury’s Special Prize by NOPA 2010, and his 50 min clarinet concerto, “Chronotope”, won the Music Publishers’ Prize 2017.
Bjørn Kruse was featured composer at amongs others, Festspillene i Nord-Norge 1994, Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden 2003, Risør Chamber Music Festival 2005, and MusikA Toulouse, France 2010.