Mountain farm life, Danish-Norwegian history, and music created under challenging political circumstances. The second day of Valdres sommersymfoni has taken audiences from Aurdal hillsides to concert halls and workshop venues, with stories that have given the music unique perspectives.
Hike on Aurdalsåsen
As many as 60 participants joined Odd Sagbråten and Tove Skjelstad on a mountain farm hike from Danebu to Grønnkinn. Along the way, they learned about the important role that mountain farming has played in the local community for centuries. The walk continued down to Nystølen before heading up to the hillside where Fjellstølen once stood. Blessed with fine weather and enthusiastic participants, the hike became a blend of scenic nature experiences and local history.
Historic Surroundings
History was also present during the concert at Danebu Kongsgaard. The distinctive building was erected as a gift from Denmark in gratitude for Norway’s assistance with food supplies during and after the Second World War, and it was officially opened in 1950.
The concert programme ranged from folk-inspired and romantic works by Geirr Tveitt and Johann Kvandal to Grieg’s Ballade and Rachmaninoff, performed in a six-hand piano arrangement.
Soprano Hanne Marit Mordal Iversen, clarinettist Björn Nyman and pianists Christian Ihle Hadland, Revaz Abramia and Nikita Khnykin were on the stage. Together, they presented a programme that moved between piano music, song, and chamber music, allowing both Norwegian traditions and European influences to resonate within the historic surroundings of Danebu Kongsgaard.
The concert Music of Life and Death, featuring Morten Jentoft and TrondheimSolistene, took place at Garasjin in Aurdal, a venue few of those in attendance are likely to forget. Surrounded by Lada cars and with traces of its former life as a repair workshop still visible in the walls, the space provided an unconventional setting for a concert filled with powerful stories and compelling musical experiences.
Several of the composers featured on the programme were unfamiliar to much of the audience, while others were more widely recognised. Through Morten Jentoft’s introductions and storytelling, the music was placed in its historical context and connected to the people who created it. In this way, the concert opened the door to a musical landscape that was new to many listeners.
Prior to the concert the film Two Prosecutors was screened. It highlighted how authoritarian systems can affect individuals and cultural life, providing a backdrop for the music that followed. Together, the film, lecture, and concert formed a cohesive experience that underscored the importance of culture as a carrier of memories, stories, and human experiences across borders and generations.
