- country:Norway
- style(s):Jazz
- artist posted by:Kjell Kalleklev Management
MELODIC WARRIOR by Terje Rypdal
Personnel; Terje Rypdal guitar, The Hilliard Ensemble voices
together with 'LOCAL' Symphony Orchestra
Melodic Warrior - the title of composer/guitarist Terje Rypdals work is hardly accidental. Rypdal takes no hostages in his battles against the contemporary ugliness in music, defending its contemporary beauty in the process.
The 45-minutes symphonic epos was commissioned by The Hilliard Ensemble, and Rypdal wrote it with a set of North American Indian poems in mind. The work was premiered by Rypdal and The Hilliards in Linz 2003, and has later been performed at Norwegian music festivals in Stavanger and Harstad, on every occasions with a different symphony orchestra taking part.
A Norwegian critic once described Melodic Warrior as 'unclean' music, certain to provoke some listeners, delight others – a token of quality as good as any. The term 'unclean' refers to Rypdal’s unashamed mixing of musical genre – he draws from orchestral, contemporary-sounding passages as well as heavy symph-rock, offers bars of Broadway-type musical-melody and hints of hollywoodian filmmusic. On top of it all reigns the vocal art of The Hilliard Ensemble, in itself a travel through time from the Renessance to the present – Rypdal in short serves himself from – and offers the listener – the whole smorgasbord. He does it in style, with his characteristic guitarsound as sculptured and telling as ever, and he shows his confidence by making one of the world’s top vocal quartets sing Jimi Hendrix’ famous Purple Haze-line: '’xcuse me while I kiss the sky' for in the next moment to explode in a long guitarsolo with a full symphony orchestra backing him as were it a monster-powertrio. Sure, it is a work that breaks a few rules, but then again, what are such musical rules for, if not to be challenged and broken by melodic warriors?
Terje Rypdal & The Hilliard Ensemble availed to perform with different orchestras.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for further info around the project.