Marcus Paus: Cabin Fever – Pandemic Works (Live) Stensheim, Zlatanos, Røstvik, Jensen, Haagenrud, Hansen, Richter, Kraggerud, Arctic Philharmonic

• Marcus Paus (b. 1979): 2 Eldritch Songs:
• 1Paus: 2 Eldritch Songs: No. 1, Polaris02:04
• 2Paus: 2 Eldritch Songs: No. 2, The Nameless City02:59
• Sonata for Solo Flute on Paintings by Félix Vallotton:
• 3Paus: Sonata for Solo Flute on Paintings by Félix Vallotton: I. The Wind03:09
• 4Paus: Sonata for Solo Flute on Paintings by Félix Vallotton: II. The Ball01:01
• 5Paus: Sonata for Solo Flute on Paintings by Félix Vallotton: III. Sunset02:54
• The Wounded Angel:
• 6Paus: The Wounded Angel: I. The Steam of Life02:09
• 7Paus: The Wounded Angel: II. The Garden of Death02:39
• 8Paus: The Wounded Angel: III. The Wounded Angel03:23
• Violin Sonata:
• 9Paus: Violin Sonata: I. Beyond the Wall of Sleep07:18
• 10Paus: Violin Sonata: II. The Silver Key06:50
• 11Paus: Violin Sonata: III. Dreams in the Witch House04:53
• Cabin Fever:
• 12Paus: Cabin Fever03:02
• Voyage (Live):
• 13Paus: Voyage (Live)11:41
• Decameron:
• 14Paus: Decameron: Prelude (Live)01:06
• 15Paus: Decameron: I. Overture (Live)03:13
• 16Paus: Decameron: II. Cavatina I (Live)03:10
• 17Paus: Decameron: III. Scherzo I (Live)02:21
• 18Paus: Decameron: Interlude I (Live)01:04
• 19Paus: Decameron: IV. Nocturne I (Live)03:54
• 20Paus: Decameron: V. Dreamscape (Live)02:29
• 21Paus: Decameron: VI. Nocturne II (Live)03:41
• 22Paus: Decameron: Interlude II (Live)00:59
• 23Paus: Decameron: VII. Waltz (Live)02:16
• 24Paus: Decameron: VIII. Scherzo II (Live)02:41
• 25Paus: Decameron: IX. Cavatina II (Live)05:05
• 26Paus: Decameron: Interlude III (Live)00:50
• 27Paus: Decameron: X. Finale (Live)03:40
• Total Runtime01:30:31

Info for Marcus Paus: Cabin Fever – Pandemic Works (Live)

Whilst the 2020 pandemic lockdown curtailed many artistic activities, it conversely unleashed an extraordinary burst of creativity in leading Norwegian composer Marcus Paus. The fruits were numerous, spanning solo, chamber, vocal and orchestral genres. Collectively they present a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours, dynamic rhythms, open sonorities, and poignant intimacy. It is music both immediate and highly personal. These discs host a galaxy of Norway’s finest musicians who obviously love every note!

"The pandemic was very productive and inspiring for the 1979 born Norwegian composer Marcus Paus. He is a neotraditionalist for whom tonality and melodicism are very important. In the second half of the XXth century, his works would probably have been called anachronistic and therefore unimportant by many. Today, the music world is more open again and accepts currents that tend to go backwards rather than forwards.

The first part of the album begins with two atmospheric songs on texts by the American writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937), which Øystein Stensheim sings expressively.

After the lovely flute sonata comes The Wounded Angel on compelling paintings by Finnish symbolist Hugo Simberg. It’s a solo sonata played very sensitively by violinist Bjarne Magnus Jensen. The following sonata for violin and piano is the most modern work on the album and interesting for its sonic research. Very beautiful and mystical is the sonata for vibraphone, Cabin Fever.

The one-movement violin concerto, Voyage, is my favorite piece on this album. The music juxtaposes several themes, with tonal gestures and colors constantly changing. The basic color of the string ensemble, however, remains rather dark, while the violin sounds all the brighter, often very lyrical, and sometimes a bit agitated. This makes for a varied and always exciting concerto, eloquently and grippingly performed by Miriam Helms Ålien and the Arctic Philharmonic under Henning Kraggerud. Petter Richter is then the soloist in Decameron, Concerto Rifugio for guitar and strings, consisting of a prelude and 10 movements. It refers to the current pandemic and to Bocaccio’s collection of novellas Decameron, the frame story of which is set in a country house near Florence, where seven women and three young men had fled from the plague, the Black Death, which struck Florence in the spring and summer of 1348. With its nocturnes, cavatinas, interludes and other movements, the concerto is a quiet, often introspective work with pleasant melodies varied enough to continually put the listener in an inspiringly dreamy mood. It is as if the music is waiting for an end to the pandemic from which only the lively finale seems to announce the way out." (Remy Franck, pizzicato.lu)

Øystein Stensheim, tenor
Stefan Ibsen Zlatanos, piano
Tora Røstvik, flute
Bjarne Magnus Jensen, violin
Ole Christian Haagenrud, piano
Anders Kregnes Hansen, vibraphone
Miriam Helms Ålien, violin
Petter Richter, guitar
Arctic Philharmonic
Henning Kraggerud, director

Øystein Stensheim
is a sought after soloist in oratorios, operas and sacred works from baroque to contemporary music. He has been a member of Del Norske Solistkor (The Norwegian Soloist Choir) since 2011, and also frequently collaborates with ensembles such as TSOvokal, VocalArt, Barokkanerne, Oslo Circles and Trondheim Barokk.

Stefan Ibsen Zlatanos
versatility as a musician ranges from classical, jazz, pop and contemporary music to folk music from Norway and Greece. In demand both as a soloist, accompanist and choral and opera repetiteur, he serves on the faculty of The Norwegian Academy of Music's talent development program. Preludium, his first solo album, was released in 2016.

Tora Røstvik
has won numerous awards as a flautist. She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras including the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, CoOperate Orchestra, The Norwegian Flute Ensemble, and most recently Antwerpen Camerata. She deputises with the Arctic Philharmonic, Antwerpen Camerata and LSO on a regular basis.

Bjarne Magnus Jensen
is an accomplished and versatile violinist, embracing many different styles. He has performed at festivals such as Ris0r Chamber Music Festival, Bergen International Festival, Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Kyoto International Music Festival and Cervantino Festival in Mexico. Jensen is also sought as guest concertmaster in many of the Norwegian orchestras, and he has been teaching at the Norwegian Academy of Music since 2011.

Ole Christian Haagenrud
is one of Norway's most sought-after young pianists. A critically acclaimed chamber musician and accompanist, he regularly performs at major festivals in Norway and abroad. His accomplishments have earned him major awards and prizes. Highlights include performances with The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, and appearances at prestigious venues such as Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Brahms Saal Musikverein in Vienna, JF Kennedy Center in Washington DC and Shanghai Concert Hall.

Anders Kregnes Hansen
is a Norwegian percussionist with a strong focus on contemporary music, performance and innovative genres. He is in high demand as both a chamber musician and soloist. Hansen works regularly with most of the professional orchestras in Norway, as well as in many different ensembles and chamber constellations. He has also contributed on several award winning recordings in contemporary, classical, jazz and pop/rock music.

Miriam Helms Ålien
the recipient of numerous international awards and distinctions, is one of the most exciting young artists to emerge from Norway in recent years. She has performed as a soloist with many of the Norwegian orchestras, as well as with orchestras in Germany, Israel, Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic and Russia. A dedicated and passionate chamber musician, Miriam regularly appears at festivals such as the Beethoven-Woche Bonn, Bergen Intl. Festival, Kissinger Sommer and Verbier Festival & Academy. She is also the founder and artistic director of the international chamber music festival "FESTIVAL TA" in her hometown of Alta, possibly the world's northernmost festival of its kind. An alumna of the Kronberg Academy and protege of Ana Chumachenco, Miriam plays the 1689 "Ragin" Stradivarius violin, generously on loan to her by Anders Sveaas Allmennyttige Fond.

Petter Richter
is considered one of the leading Scandinavian guitarists. He has toured most of Europe, Asia and North America, and played venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie and Grosse Festspielhaus in Salzburg. He has a strong focus on chamber music, performing at highly regarded chamber music festivals playing both the guitar and the lute. He has served as an associate professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music since 2018.

Henning Kraggerud
is both Artistic Director of the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and an internationally renowned solo violinist. His extraordinary reach as an artist is a result of his versatility, passion for music, and intensely beautiful performances. His teaching and educational writings provide fascinating insights into his multi-faceted approach to music-making, while his composing, arranging and improvising - frequently woven into his programming - recall the spirit of the old masters such as Josef Suk and Eugene Ysaye.

Booklet for Marcus Paus: Cabin Fever – Pandemic Works (Live)