Pastorale and Toccata

Item details

• Description +

  • I’ve always been captivated by the unique sound quality of the piccolo. Its pure, clear tone can range from the most delicate and soft whispers to the brilliance of the extreme altissimo register. These two qualities are at the heart of this composition.
    
    The piece opens with a gentle and intimate pastorale, creating a calm and inviting atmosphere. This is followed by a lively and energetic toccata, where the piccolo’s clarity and technical agility come to the forefront. A more expansive development of the pastorale theme leads into a cadenza, allowing for further exploration of the instrument’s expressive range.
    
    In the final section, I seek to merge the pastoral serenity with the toccata’s vigor, before the piece returns to where it began—closing with the piccolo’s pure tone, once again evoking the tranquility of the pastorale.
    
    Stig Nordhagen

• Instrumentation +

  • Piccolo and Piano

• About the composer +

  • Stig Nordhagen (1966–) is an award-winning Norwegian clarinetist and composer. He studied in Oslo and Rotterdam, with composition tutelage under Professors Yngve Slettholm and Kjell Habbestad. Nordhagen began composing at the age of 12 and has since built an extensive body of work.
    
    In 1994, he won an audition for a position with the Armed Forces Military Band of Southern Norway. He was appointed Principal Clarinetist of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra in 2023. Nordhagen has contributed to numerous recordings in both chamber and orchestral settings.
    
    His works for euphonium, composed over a span of thirty years, are currently being recorded. He has been nominated three times for the Norwegian publishing prize for the following works:
    
    •Will to Victory Brigade North March
    •Prillar & Halling (Clarinet Concerto)
    •Continental Divide
    
    Nordhagen's dual role as performer and composer, coupled with his experience as an educator, provides him with a comprehensive understanding of both the creative and performance processes.
    
    His catalog includes a commissioned test piece for the 2013 European Brass Band Championships and a work celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra. Trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth commissioned a trumpet concerto from Nordhagen, and he has received numerous commissions from wind and brass bands. His music is widely performed across Europe.

• Credits +

  • Front Cover Graphics and Layout: Nicola Lee
    Photo: Amund Hestsveen Quist
    Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
    Copyright © Edition SVITZER
    www.editionsvitzer.com

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Pastorale