From the album "harmOrgan (2L-077-SABD made in Norway 20©10 Lindberg Lyd AS): HARMONICA AND ORGAN - AN UNUSUAL DUO. The world's smallest and the world's largest musical instrument; "David and Goliath" together in stunning baroque pieces and Norwegian folk music.

Sigmund Groven &amp; Iver Kleive: UNDRING

Stone Rose: This reflective, tuneful album is a collection of beautiful piano music written and performed by Ola Gjeilo. His music is a blend of jazz, classical and popular music influences, married in a unique and passionate style. The evocative melodies and harmonies of Stone Rose are sure to captivate listeners from the first hearing.

 Many of the tracks are expressions of Ola's deep love for New York City, where he lives and maintains his highly successful career as a composer and pianist. Also featured on the album are elite American and Norwegian musicians Johannes Martens (cello), Tom Barber (flugelhorn) and David Coucheron (violin).

2L-048-SACD made in Norway 20©07 Lindberg Lyd AS.

Ola Gjeilo: NORTH COUNTRY (wav-file)

Violin Concerto no. 4 in D major - Allegro
W. A. Mozart (1756–1791)
Marianne Thorsen / TrondheimSolistene

With this recording we wish to present a fresh version of the most elegant violin concertos in the history of music. While respecting the origin and tradition of this music, we have sought a new and dynamic musical experience rooted in our present time. To us, Mozart is as solid as rock, as soft as snow, and as clear as ice; this recording embraces the listener in a sonic world that invites him or her to participate actively in the experience, in close and mutual interaction with the soloist and the orchestra. Only in this way can we genuinely express our love of Mozart’s music. This album was declared a Record to Die For by STEREOPHILE magazine and won the Spellemannprisen 2006.

Album: MOZART violin concertos (2L38SACD)
Recording venue: Selbu Church, May 2006
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Marianne Thorsen / TrondheimSolistene: Violin Concerto in D major – Allegro (Mozart)

Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major - Allegro con spirito
W. A. Mozart (1756–1791)
Dena Piano Duo

Mozart was without a doubt one of Grieg’s favourite composers. What is special about Grieg’s adaptations of the Mozart sonatas is that he has not reworked them in the traditional – and perhaps derogatory – manner. Grieg’s unusual achievement lies in the fact that he has retained Mozart’s text unchanged, adding an entirely new part which can be performed together with the original. When both parts are played, they interweave and become something entirely new. This album is made of Mozart’s Sonata in D for Two Keyboards, their Fantasia for two pianos in C minor and Grieg’s Old Norwegian melody with variations.

Album: MOZART/GRIEG vol. II (2L57SABD)
Recording venue: Sofienberg Church, August 2008
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Dena Piano Duo: Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major – Allegro (Mozart)

Colorazione (excerpt)
Arne Nordheim (1931–)
Cicada Duo

Since 1960 the composer Arne Nordheim has enchanted both musicians and audience with a unique soundscape. His music may be considered a source to the later Nordic Sound of electronica. Today’s DJs might not willingly announce “Grandfather taught me this”, but that’s actually the case! CIKADA DUO is Kenneth Karlsson (piano/synthesizer) and Bjørn Rabben (percussion). They are joined by Åke Parmerud (elektronics) and Elisabeth Holmertz (soprano) in this production of Arne Nordheim’s music. Take the stand within the percussion and let yourself be embraced by electronica, vocal and synthesizers in an extreme surround sound recording, as originally intended by the composer.

Album: NORDHEIM (2L39SACD)
Recording venue: Henie Onstad Art Centre, May 2006
Original source: 88.2kHz/24bit

Cikada Duo: Colorazione (excerpt) (Nordheim)

vere meininga (excerpt)
Magnar Åm (1952–)
Ellen Sejersted Bødtker / Oslo Kammersolister

“SONaR is a sound signal sent out to create an echo from whatever it may encounter and thus reveal the unknown. I think we all send our symbolic sonars into physical and spiritual space, in a constant search for meaning. At least I do. And my life and music represent both this child’s sonars and the universe’s ever-unfolding answer.” – Magnar Åm

“The music is insistent, powerful and existential, bringing out the dramatic qualities of the instrument. In the cadenza the electric harp with all its effects carries on a dialogue with its acoustic counterpart, as if the new and the ancient world were melting together.” – Ellen Sejersted Bødtker

Album: SONaR (2L51SABD)
Recording venue: Ris Church, January 2007
Original source: 96kHz/24bit

Ellen Sejersted Bødtker: Vere Meininga (excerpt) (Åm)

Crux Fidelis
Gregorian Chant (Sacred Scripture)
Consortium Vocale / Alexander Schweitzer

Gregorian chant, in its all-embracing spirituality and poetry, appeals to the deeper levels of the human heart. Monks in the Middle Ages composed and performed this music as an integrated part of their daily occupation with Sacred Scripture. Throughout the centuries Gregorian chant has enriched and deepened the liturgy of the church, and has been a source of inspiration in every period of European music history. Under the leadership of Alexander M. Schweitzer, Consortium Vocale presents chants from the five Sundays of Lent, Palm Sunday and Good Friday, recorded in the medieval church at Ringsaker in Norway.

Album: EXAUDIAM EUM - Gregorian Chant for Lent and Holy Week (2L43SACD)
Recording venue: Ringsaker Church, September 2006
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Consortium Vocale: Crux Fidelis (gregorian chant)

REQUIEM - Lacrymosa
Sigurd Islandsmoen (1881-1964)
Kristiansand Symfoniorkester / Boye Hansen
The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir

Sigurd Islandsmoen’s REQUIEM for soloists, choir and orchestra is a unique flower in the Norwegian music flora. Throughout the 1940s and 50s the work enjoyed huge success both in Norway and abroad thanks to its beautiful and accessible latin and folk music based musical language. And then, mysteriously, the music disappeared and the work was buried in the dust of oblivion for several decades. But now it has been revived and restored to its former glory, a source of inspiration to future generations. This album was declared a Record to Die For by STEREOPHILE magazine 2008.

Album: Islandsmoen REQUIEM (2L36SACD)
Recording venue: Kristiansand Cathedral, March 2006
Original source: 88.2kHz/24bit

Kristiansand Symfoniorkester / Solistkoret: REQUIEM – Lacrymosa (Islandsmoen)

REQUIEM - Confutatis
Sigurd Islandsmoen (1881-1964)
Kristiansand Symfoniorkester / Boye Hansen
The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir

Sigurd Islandsmoen’s REQUIEM for soloists, choir and orchestra is a unique flower in the Norwegian music flora. Throughout the 1940s and 50s the work enjoyed huge success both in Norway and abroad thanks to its beautiful and accessible latin and folk music based musical language. And then, mysteriously, the music disappeared and the work was buried in the dust of oblivion for several decades. But now it has been revived and restored to its former glory, a source of inspiration to future generations. This album was declared a Record to Die For by STEREOPHILE magazine 2008.

Album: Islandsmoen REQUIEM (2L36SACD)
Recording venue: Kristiansand Cathedral, March 2006
Original source: 88.2kHz/24bit

Kristiansand Symfoniorkester / Solistkoret: REQUIEM – Confutatis (Islandsmoen)

North Country II
Ola Gjeilo (1978-)
Ola Gjeilo / Johannes Martens / Tom Barber

This reflective, tuneful album is a collection of beautiful piano music written and performed by Ola Gjeilo. His music is a blend of jazz, classical and popular music influences, married in a unique and passionate style. The evocative melodies and harmonies of Stone Rose are sure to captivate listeners from the first hearing. Many of the tracks are expressions of Ola’s deep love for New York City, where he lives and maintains his highly successful career as a composer and pianist.

Album: Stone Rose (2L48SACD)
Recording venue: Sofienberg church, August 2007
Original source: 96kHz/24bit

Buy SACD and HiRes

Ola Gjeilo / T. Barber / J. Martens: North Country II (Gjeilo)

Duels for 2 violins - Vivo
Wolfgang Plagge (1960-)
Stig Nilson / Anders Kjellberg Nilsson

Violinist Stig Nilsson presents a selection of six contemporary Norwegian works from his extensive repertoire. Throughout his long career as concertmaster of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and as a much sought-after soloist and ensemble partner – and not least as a source of inspiration to a great many colleagues and composers – Stig Nilsson has contributed perhaps more than any other to putting Norwegian composers on the map. Numerous works have been dedicated to him over the years; some of them even for two violins. Hear him in solo performances and together with his son, Anders Kjellberg Nilsson.

Album: SOLO + (2L47SACD)
Recording venue: Ullensvang Church, March 2007
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Stig Nilson / Anders Kjellberg Nilsson: Duels for 2 violins - Vivo (Plagge)

Springar etter Gudmund Eide
trad. Slåttetrall
Berit Opheim Versto

Slåttetralling is the Norwegian folk singer’s way to present the instrumental music. When the dancers couldn’t find a fiddle player, they used a singer. By imitating the fiddle and using improvised nonsense “words”, the singer creates variations and a spectre of colours in the melodies. This way of using the voice is based on tradition documented in old archive recordings. The tunes have also been passed on orally in personal encounters from generation to generation. Berit Opheim Versto brings this tradition to life in a modern soundscape.

Album: Slåttar på tunga (2L46SACD)
Recording venue: Jar Church, June 2007
Original source: 88.2kHz/24bit

Berit Opheim Versto: Springar etter Gudmund Eide

Sonata for Violoncello and Piano - Moderato
Elliott Carter (1908-)
Johannes Martens Ensemble

For this album of music by Elliott Carter cellist Johannes Martens has assembled some of Norway’s foremost young musicians. Tracing Carter’s development through some of his most creative periods, these works – from the beautiful 1946 Elegy and the celebrated Cello Sonata from 1948 through to newer pieces for solo instruments, duo, trio and string quartet – constitute nearly a cross-section of musical evolution in the 20th century’s second half. Heard individually, the chamber works of Elliott Carter give the listener tantalising snapshots of the composer’s style and technique; as a group, they represent a microcosm of his musical personality.

Album: Chamber Music by ELLIOTT CARTER - Figments and Fragments (2L54SACD)
Recording venue: Sofienberg Church, January 2008
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Johannes Martens Ensemble: Sonata for Violoncello and Piano - Moderato (Carter)

SONATA for solo violin - fuga
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
Annar Follesø, violin

Bartók’s music receives red-blooded, totally committed performances by three of Scandinavia’s most gifted musicians on a disc ranging from the striking modernism of the Second Violin Sonata, via the jazz flirtation of Contrasts to the magisterial Bach homage of the Sonata for Solo Violin. Annar Follesø in 1998 became the first Norwegian violinist to appear as a soloist at the Salzburg Festival, Austria, as he was awarded the violin prize for his interpretation of the Bartók Solo Sonata.

Album: BARTÓK (2L28SACD)
Recording venue: Sofienberg Church, October 2003
Original source: 44.1kHz/24bit

Annar Follesø: Sonata for Solo Violin – Fuga (Bartók)

Cantata RV 679 - Che giova il sospirar, povero core
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Tone Wik / Barokkanerne

18th century Venice; where Hollywood meets Las Vegas; where the jet-set of Europe could conceal their identities behind masks and hurl themselves into the fake world of commedia dell’arte. Bellezza Crudel is a small selection of delightful cantatas and concertos. Vivaldi’s world is one of heartfelt, musical intensity, confirming the Venetians’ adoration of theatrical beauty.

Cantate RV 679, 660, 664, 678 (soprano) — Concerti RV 484 (fagotto) and RV 441 (flauto)

Album: Bellezza Crudel (2L56SACD)
Recording venue: Jar Church, February 2008
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Tone Wik / Barokkanerne: Recitative and Aria from Cantata RV 679 (Vivaldi)

Sechs kleine klavierstücke op. 19 - (1 and 2 - excerpt)
Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)
Tor Espen Aspaas, piano

The First and Second Viennese Schools and their associated cultural environments constitute a fascinating, enigmatic musical terrain of strong mutual relationships. This recording seeks to explore points of tension between the two epochs by contrasting four central compositions – masterpieces which constantly inform our perception of what music is and what music can be. Two canons, mirrored in their own reflection. Beethoven / Schönberg / Webern / Berg.

Album: MIRROR CANON (2L49SACD)
Recording venue: Sofienberg Church, September 2007
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Tor Espen Aspaas: Sechs kleine klavierstücke op. 19 (excerpt) (Schönberg)

String Quartet In D, Op. 76, No. 5 - Finale/Presto
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Engegårdkvartetten

The Engegård Quartet made their first appearance at the 2006 Lofoten International Music Festival. Inspired by the midnight sun, their musical landscape ranges from glowing core energy to the gentle lyrical sound of Norwegian nature. Edvard Grieg and Leif Solberg are natural choices for this Scandinavian quartet, complimented by the music of Joseph Haydn reflected in a Nordic atmosphere. The strong musical nerve is emphasized by an intense sound production by Lindberg Lyd.

Album: STRING QUARTETS Haydn - Solberg - Grieg (2L53SACD)
Recording venue: Jar Church, October 2007
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

Engegårdkvartetten: String Quartet op. 76, no. 5 - Finale/Presto (Haydn)

Overture & March “1776”
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Kristiansand Blåseensemble / Bjørn Sagstad

MARCHES – Cymbal crashes, screeching clarinets and harsh trombones. But a march comes in many colours – and not necessarily one to be marched to! MARCH is more than a military instrument apt to shift groups of troops. Over the hills and far away we find a colourful postcard from the East signed Camille Saint-Saëns, a wild and wonderful chaos in “1776”, a warm tribute to a Norwegian valley, a moving memorial to a dear friend, and a source of sheer enjoyment as in Percy Grainger’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” – vitamin C in musical form for children of all ages!

Album: Over the Hills and Far Away (2L31SACD)
Recording venue: Kristiansand Cathedral, May 2005
Original source: 44.1kHz/24bit

Kristiansand Blåseensemble: Overture & March “1776” (Ives)

Simple Symphony, op 4 - Boisterous Bourree
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
TrondheimSolistene

The divertimento as a musical genre dates back to the nineteenth century. Divertimenti were composed for various social occasions and were intended to be light, uncomplicated and cheerful. Such pieces were often scored for small string ensemble. Over the years this effortless, elegant form has appeared in many different musical styles and, to a large extent, set the standard for the virtuosic chamber music we know today. A number of the most prominent composers of our age have engaged with this most fascinating musical style and have contributed to its further refinement as a chamber-symphonic showpiece. This album was nominated for three GRAMMY Awards 2008: Best Small Ensemble, Best Engineering and Best Surround Sound Album.

Album: DIVERTIMENTI (2L50SABD)
Recording venue: Selbu Church, November 2007
Original source: DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)

TrondheimSolistene: Simple Symphony, op 4 - Boisterous Bourree (Britten)

Orgelimprovisata DEILIG ER JORDEN
Arild Sandvold (1895-1984)
Kåre Nordstoga

JULEMESSE - Missa in nativitate Domini is a new and exiting celebration of Christmas, and definitely Sølvguttene’s most unique Christmas album to date. The album is a Christmas Mass, with all its regular parts, in addition to traditional Christmas carols. What makes this recording special is that we have chosen to sing chants from various composers, while it’s normal to sing a whole mass from the same composer. We wanted to reveal how different composers from different periods of time have interpreted the same words. The music covers a range of over 1000 years, from Benedictus which is from the 10th century to Kjell Mørk Karlsen’s and Wolfgang Plagge’s compositions from our time.

Album: JULEMESSE - missa in nativitate Domini (2L42SACD)
Recording venue: Uranienborg Church, February 2006
Original source: 88.2kHz/24bit

Kåre Nordstoga: Orgelimprovisata over DEILIG ER JORDEN (Sandvold)

Immortal BACH
Knut Nystedt (1915-)
Ensemble 96 / Øystein Fevang

The beginning of the universe and the drama at Golgatha; medieval music and German baroque; the writings of Søren Kierkegaard – and a child’s baptism in Oslo in 1987. Knut Nystedt draws his inspiration from all ages, creating his monumental choral art with a Christian perspective and wide, humanistic appeal. This surround sound recording reproduces the three-dimensional effect as envisaged by the composer – Surrounded by the Wonders of Creation. This album was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards 2006: Best Choral Performance and Best Surround Sound Album.

Album: Immortal NYSTEDT (2L29SACD)
Recording venue: Uranienborg Church, February 2004
Original source: 48kHz/24bit

Ensemble 96: Immortal BACH (Nystedt)

The final master for Ola Gjeilo's new album PIANO IMPROVISATIONS was completed today. As always, it has been a great pleasure working with Ola and his music. In pure joy we have decided to give you the complete opening track for free as AAC (iTunes file). This track is a solo piano fantasy around Ubi Caritas, one of Ola's a cappella choral works. He has performed this piece quite a lot with choirs, improvising around the vocal lines and chords, now taking it one step further as an Ubi Caritas-inspired piano work.

PIANO IMPROVISATION will release on Pure Audio Blu-ray and SACD this May in Europe and Asia and late June in the US. Available on iTunes now. http://www.2l.no/pages/album/082.html

Ola Gjeilo's UBI CARITAS - piano improvisation

From the brand new album Piano Improvisations on the 2L label, this is an improvisation for three pianos that Ola created around one of his own choral works; Prelude.

"Producer Morten Lindberg suggested recording a few tracks where I would play layers of two or three pianos, which I thought was a great way to really exploit the surround sound potential on a solo album. We moved the piano between each take, eventually constituting a triangle, and the listener is sitting in the middle in a surround system setup." - Ola Gjeilo, 2012

PIANO IMPROVISATION will release on Pure Audio Blu-ray and SACD this May in Europe and Asia and late June in the US. Available on iTunes now. http://www.2l.no/pages/album/082.html

Ola Gjeilo's PRELUDE - improvisation on 3 pianos

"Through its dynamic co-operation TrondheimSolistene (the Trondheim Soloists) and 2L has always sort to stretch the boundaries of what is possible to convey to the listener, aiming for the ultimate recorded listening experience. With the Serenade the team has taken things one step further with the TrondheimSolistene truly justifying their name. By placing each individual next to someone from a different voice rather than sitting in conventional sections we are working at the very outer limits of what is possible and creating chamber music at the highest level" - Øyvind Gimse, 2012.

http://www.2l.no/pages/album/090.html

We allocated two weeks in 2011 to record this new album. Artistic director Øyvind Gimse and his associate Geir Inge Lotsberg initially chose two pieces that represent, in their estimation, "the most beautiful music ever composer for the string orchestra": Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence and his Serenade for Strings. Aiming for a 90 minutes program left 30 more minutes to record. So the orchestra and 2L logged on to Facebook and asked the listeners worldwide what they'd like to hear. And the audience responded: Nielsen's Suite Opus 1. A little gem that would exploit the Trondheim Soloists' singular way with Nordic repertoire.

Inspired by Morten Lindberg's extensive work with choral music, the Tchaikovsky's SERENADE was recorded with the ensemble placed in mixed voices, meaning no one is sitting beside anyone playing the same part, creating a totally new soundscape to the music. Carl Nielsen's SUITE opus 1 is recorded in a more "traditional" way in these sessions: Facebook Photo Album - Recording Sessions Part I

What we recorded in May 2011 is now published exclusively as high resolution audio files, by streaming and on vinyl. Then our recordings from October will add up to a full release on Pure Audio Blu-ray in May 2012.

DXD (352.8kHz/24bit) DMM (Direct Metal Master)
180g audiophile grade vinyl

TrondheimSolistene (The Trondheim Soloists) are regarded as one of the top chamber orchestras in the world. Their DIVERTIMENTI and FOLK STYLE were both nominated for a total of five American GRAMMY Awards in categories "Best Small Ensemble", "Best Engineered Album" and "Best Surround Sound Album".

The music captured by 2L features Norwegian composers and performers, and an international repertoire reflected in the Nordic atmosphere. The surround sound recordings of Lindberg Lyd not only transforms the entire listening experience, more radically, these innovative recordings overturn some very basic concepts regarding how music is played and even composed. 2L emphasizes surround sound with Pure Audio Blu-ray and HiRes file distribution, and have garnered no less than 12 American GRAMMY nominations over the past six years.

Tchaikovsky - Souvenir de Florence: I. Allegro

This flying creature has been bugging our recording sessions in Sofienberg church for three days now. It's a weird experience listening to music on headphones, when a fly circles in and actually make a landing on the membrane of one of our main microphones. Finally, today professor Hoff achieved an end to its (and ours) misery. This is raw feed from our two main microphones. There is no processing applied. For the best effect, listen to this clip with headphones! More info: https://www.facebook.com/morten.lindberg.lyd

Waiter, there's a fly in my piano!

The title track LIVING from Jan Gunnar Hoff's first solo piano album called LIVING. His personal blend of different styles and influences is presented in its purest form - simply music. Some of Hoff's pieces are meditative and expressive, while others have a strong rhythmic nerve, creating contrast and variation in the programme.

Jan Gunnar Hoff has worked extensively as a bandleader and jazz artist since 1992, developing a distinctive musical style. His band with a.o. Audun Kleive and Bjørn Kjellemyr had its breakthrough at Vossa Jazz 1995 and later played at the London Jazzfestival, Molde Int. Jazzfestival and several major festivals and venues in Scandinavia.

Hoff's jazzcompositions have been performed in collaborations with Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Alex Acuña, Audun Kleive, Maria João, Mathias Eick and many others. He has made a number of albums in his own name and has composed 180 works for different ensembles. Hoff is also teaching as a professor at the Universities of Tromsø and Kristiansand.

As a sideman Hoff has contributed to numerous recordings in different genres. He was the arranger and ensemble leader of Quiet Winter Night, Grammy-nominated for Best Surround Sound in 2013, an album where he successfully merges elements of jazz, folk and popular music.

Hoff's collaboration with 2L and Morten Lindberg is continued on LIVING. This is a solo piano journey that carries Hoff's artistic identity further into his own musical terrain, enhanced by the crystal clear recording from Sofienberg Church in Oslo.

"Hoff's writing and playing possesses an almost pop-like clarity and concision, but with a far richer vernacular." John Kelman, AllAboutJazz.com

I started playing the piano at the age of 10. Early on I began improvising on the classical pieces that my piano teacher gave me. I made minor variations in the melodies and learnt a lot of music by ear. A few years later I listened to artists like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Deep Purple, Ketil Bjørnstad, Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett and Weather Report. Edvard Grieg was also a major influence. I have always felt as being part of a crossover tradition somewhere between jazz, classical and popular music. The melody for me is the strongest part of music.

I spend a lot of time searching for thematic substance and try to develop this into tunes or larger compositions. In order to make the melodies "come alive" I seek to express emotion and passion in the performance itself. There is also a strong link between improvisation and composition. Many of my pieces emerge from improvising on the piano or are captured from a sequencer session. I start writing a lot of small sketches, then choose which ideas to develop further. Jan Gunnar Hoff, 2013

More info: http://www.2L.no

Buy Album

Jan Gunnar Hoff - LIVING

The track MOUNTAIN HIGH from Jan Gunnar Hoff's first solo piano album called LIVING. His personal blend of different styles and influences is presented in its purest form - simply music. Some of Hoff's pieces are meditative and expressive, while others have a strong rhythmic nerve, creating contrast and variation in the programme.

Jan Gunnar Hoff has worked extensively as a bandleader and jazz artist since 1992, developing a distinctive musical style. His band with a.o. Audun Kleive and Bjørn Kjellemyr had its breakthrough at Vossa Jazz 1995 and later played at the London Jazzfestival, Molde Int. Jazzfestival and several major festivals and venues in Scandinavia.

Hoff's jazzcompositions have been performed in collaborations with Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Alex Acuña, Audun Kleive, Maria João, Mathias Eick and many others. He has made a number of albums in his own name and has composed 180 works for different ensembles. Hoff is also teaching as a professor at the Universities of Tromsø and Kristiansand.

As a sideman Hoff has contributed to numerous recordings in different genres. He was the arranger and ensemble leader of Quiet Winter Night, Grammy-nominated for Best Surround Sound in 2013, an album where he successfully merges elements of jazz, folk and popular music.

Hoff's collaboration with 2L and Morten Lindberg is continued on LIVING. This is a solo piano journey that carries Hoff's artistic identity further into his own musical terrain, enhanced by the crystal clear recording from Sofienberg Church in Oslo.

"Hoff's writing and playing possesses an almost pop-like clarity and concision, but with a far richer vernacular." John Kelman, AllAboutJazz.com

I started playing the piano at the age of 10. Early on I began improvising on the classical pieces that my piano teacher gave me. I made minor variations in the melodies and learnt a lot of music by ear. A few years later I listened to artists like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Deep Purple, Ketil Bjørnstad, Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett and Weather Report. Edvard Grieg was also a major influence. I have always felt as being part of a crossover tradition somewhere between jazz, classical and popular music. The melody for me is the strongest part of music.

I spend a lot of time searching for thematic substance and try to develop this into tunes or larger compositions. In order to make the melodies "come alive" I seek to express emotion and passion in the performance itself. There is also a strong link between improvisation and composition. Many of my pieces emerge from improvising on the piano or are captured from a sequencer session. I start writing a lot of small sketches, then choose which ideas to develop further. Jan Gunnar Hoff, 2013

More info: http://www.2L.no

Jan Gunnar Hoff - MOUNTAIN HIGH

This reflective, tuneful album is a collection of beautiful piano music written and performed by Ola Gjeilo. His music is a blend of jazz, classical and popular music influences, married in a unique and passionate style. The evocative melodies and harmonies of Stone Rose are sure to captivate listeners from the first hearing.

Many of the tracks are expressions of Ola's deep love for New York City, where he lives and maintains his highly successful career as a composer and pianist. Also featured on the album are elite American and Norwegian musicians Johannes Martens (cello), Tom Barber (flugelhorn) and David Coucheron (violin).

Stone Rose is Ola's first solo album, eagerly awaited across the world by audiences who have fallen in love with his expressive compositions and serenely beautiful playing.

http://www.2L.no

Buy SACD and HiRes aud

Ola Gjeilo's MADISON from the Stone Rose album

Ola Gjeilo’s (1978–) music occupies similar territory to that of Whitacre and Lauridsen, nonetheless displaying considerable harmonic individuality and variation. Tota pulchra es is a fifth-century Roman Catholic prayer venerating Mary as innocent and free from sin. The piece opens with a plagal cadence and after a few bars begins to twist kaleidoscopically through several keys, lending the music energy and momentum. Gjeilo avoids an over-obvious reading of the text; a passage describing Mary’s clothes as white as snow and her face as radiant as the sun, for example, is set in A flat minor.

SCHOLA CANTORUM / Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl: Hymn to the Virgin (2L-095-SABD)
Thomas Aquinas writes in the Summa Theologica: "Music is the exaltation of the mind derived from things eternal, bursting forth in sound." The quotation most aptly describes the repertoire on the Norwegian chamber choir Schola Cantorum's recording of hymns to Mary, the Mother of God, in which tranquillity, eternity and ‘bursting forth into sound’ are encountered in many different guises.

The composers represented here have often chosen to allow their music to evolve in stable structures and remain within static harmonic spaces even when the music becomes expressive and dramatic: Benjamin Britten, Francis Poulenc, Maurice Duruflé, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Martin Ødegaard, Kjell Mørk Karlsen, Anton Bruckner, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Arvo Pärt, Ola Gjeilo, Andrew Smith and Trond Kverno.

Throughout its existence the chamber choir Schola Cantorum has had high ambitions. The choir has built up an international reputation and has made it a trademark to include newly written music in its programmes. This is thanks to the work of Knut Nystedt (1915–), organist, composer and conductor, who returned to Norway in 1964 after studying in the USA and started a choir at the music department of the University of Oslo. The choir continues to recruit members from the department of music, as well as from the Norwegian Academy of Music in more recent years.

Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl trained as a singer and pianist and specialized in the Kodaly method in Hungary before taking her diploma exam in choral conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music. She has directed Schola Cantorum since 2002.

Popular tracks by 2L - Lindberg Lyd