A Varied Soundscape
GEOFF PEARCE listens to music by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir
'... at times the flute, and also the cello, sound almost like a human voice.'
I do not remember hearing anything before of this Icelandic composer, Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. I was attracted to the idea of listening and then writing this review because the composer has a fine reputation, has had works performed by many major orchestras and has been widely acclaimed. The composer's notes state that this work is conceived with the notion of being everywhere at the same time.
Listen — Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Part I (Ubique)
(DSL-92280 track 1, 2:29-2:58) ℗ 2025 Sono Luminus :
Ubique is forty-five minutes in duration and is written in eleven parts, for flutes, grand piano, two cellos and pre-constructed electronics. It was given its first performance in May 2023:
UBIQUE was commissioned for the tenth cycle of Claire Chase's Density 2036 project, a twenty-four-year initiative to create a new repertory for the flute leading up to the centennial of Edgard Varèse's groundbreaking 1936 flute solo, Density 21.5. Each year until 2036, Chase will commission, premiere, and record an adventurous new program of flute music.
Listen — Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Part II (Ubique)
(DSL-92280 track 2, 1:53-2:42) ℗ 2025 Sono Luminus :
This not the sort of album that I can give a part-by-part account of, but would urge listeners to keep an open mind and listen with a really good set of speakers or headphones. There are melodic fragments, drones, various sound effects and places where one can feel a contraction or an expansion of musical ideas. The lengths of the parts varies a great deal, the second one being the longest at ten and a half minutes, and the shortest part seven at thirty-seven seconds long.
Listen — Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Part IV (Ubique)
(DSL-92280 track 4, 0:00-0:25) ℗ 2025 Sono Luminus :
There are some incredibly beautiful and evocative sections here, and at times the flute, and also the cello, sound almost like a human voice. I like the presentation on this disc where the eleven parts are presented individually and then the final track is where the whole work is performed.
Listen — Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Part V (Ubique)
(DSL-92280 track 5, 1:14-1:50) ℗ 2025 Sono Luminus :
The soundscape is varied and one is not bored, even in the longest part (No 2), and I do think that the emotional impact is quite startling, but you do need to hear the whole thing without distraction. The artists listed above are fantastic, especially Claire Chase, but it is an amazing collaboration by all parties.
Listen — Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Part VI (Ubique)
(DSL-92280 track 6, 2:33-3:07) ℗ 2025 Sono Luminus :
The recording quality is exceptional, and the notes are very brief: I believe the composer wants the audience to listen without any preconceived ideas, but I suspect that much of the inspiration may have come from the natural landscape of Anna Thorvaldsdóttir's homeland, with its long dark winters and short summers with long daylight hours, vulcanism, seas and winds. This is just my idea, though, and I think every listener will experience their own emotions.
Copyright © 16 February 2025
Geoff Pearce,
Sydney, Australia
