Leif Ove Andsnes excels in the Classical and Romantic repertoire of Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert. Yet when the Norwegian pianist takes the stage at LAC Lugano this March for a solo recital as part of LuganoMusica 2023–24, the centerpiece of the concert will come a bit closer to home. Andsnes gives pride of place to Piano Sonata no. 29 “Sonata Etere”, by his late countryman Geirr Tveitt (1908–81), which is far from a staple of recital literature.
The name “Tveitt” might leave even the most dedicated classical music mavens coming up empty. A quick search of the Bachtrack archive generates only one review of the composer’s work in the publication’s 16-year history: as part of an all-Norwegian concert given by the Oslo Philharmonic in 2017. But Andsnes feels that his characterful and idiosyncratic music is ripe for discovery beyond the boundaries of Scandinavia.
“He was a kind of Norwegian Bartók, if you want,” Andsnes says. “He was very much into folk music, and he collected lots of folk dances and folk tunes – especially from the western part of Norway, where he was from.”
Although born in Bergen, Tveitt was raised in the Hardanger district – an area well known for its musical traditions and its natural beauty, according to Andsnes. “The Hardangerfjord is quite famous in Norway,” he continues. “It’s known too for the Hardanger fiddle, which is a very special folk instrument that has four synthetic strings under the normal strings. Tveitt really believed in the roots of folk music.”
The composer’s dedication to his country’s traditional music occasionally put him out of step with the establishment and Norway’s classical tradition. “He believed, for instance, that Greig was much too classical in the way that he used folk music,” Andsnes observes, citing Norway’s most internationally famous composer. “He wanted to get back to the roots. Also, in terms of his scales, he used modal scales,” in an effort to more closely replicate the Norwegian folk sound.
Although folk music influenced the sonata that Andsnes will play in Switzerland, it also stands apart from the rest of his life’s work, to a degree. “It’s very particular, because it’s a grand piece,” he says. “Many of his pieces are tunes and arrangements – the pieces that are most often played in Norway are his folk tunes that are very colorfully orchestrated, or written for piano. This is one of the few large-scale pieces that he wrote.”
“It’s very funny that it’s called Piano Sonata no. 29,” Andsnes says. “There are a couple of mysteries. One thing is that many of his pieces ended up in a fire, a very tragic event that happened late in his life, at his farm in Norheimsund, where he was from.” It’s speculated that Tveitt wrote other piano sonatas, but none have ever been found. “I think it is a reference to Beethoven, because it is a very grand sonata – and perhaps he is referencing Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no. 29, the Hammerklavier sonata, Beethoven’s largest sonata in a way. It even has the Opus number 129, so I believe this was him playing with numbers and signifying that this is his big piece.
“It’s a 35-minute sonata, very impressive, and basically built on one theme,” Andsnes continues. “There are some variations, but the theme runs through all three movements. It’s so colorfully written for the piano and so exciting. Some of the piano writing might be in a sort of French style, influenced by Ravel, but there are also rhythmical patterns like in Russian music that remind me of Prokofiev. I am just studying it now and playing it for the first time, and I’m very excited about it. It’s a unique piece, and I hope that people outside of Scandinavia will also appreciate it.”
Andsnes rounds out his recital on more familiar ground, with Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Minor and Impromptu no. 1 in F minor, as well as Brahms’ Sieben Fantasien, Op. 116. “I think that recital programs can be built on contrasts,” he says. “The two sonatas on the first half of the program are very serious. The Schubert sonata is an unusual, austere piece, in a way. It fascinates me because it keeps you at a distance. It has this sort of tension. It’s dramatic, but it’s mostly because of this tension that he builds up. Still, there are these few moments of these Schubertian melodies that are so sweet – they become even sweeter because the rest of it is so austere.”
The concert also represents a form of personal rediscovery for Andsnes. “The Schubert Impromptu is an absolute jewel that I am coming back to after having not played it in a while,” he says. “The Brahms Opus 116 I have played quite a lot this year. Brahms is absolutely unique in the way that he uses the piano – the Fantasien are so orchestral. There are so many independent voices coming together. It’s difficult sometimes to know what is the foreground and what is the background, because it’s so interwoven. It’s just an absolutely wonderful, emotional suite, and so exciting to play.”
“There are lots of connections between Schubert and Brahms,” Andsnes continues. “They are both Viennese composers. Brahms published Schubert’s works and created his own versions. He made arrangements of Schubert’s works.”
Andsnes finds that varying his programs between new and familiar works helps to keep his pianism fresh. “Invariably, when I’m making a recital program now, I try to bring something that I’ve never played before,” he says. “I’m getting to an age where I’ve played quite a bit in the past, and it’s exciting to bring things back that I haven’t played in a long time. I want to keep some of the repertoire that I have known for a while and also bring new things in.”
“This program is a typical combination,” Andsnes says. “The Schubert sonata I played when I was 19, and until last year, I hadn’t played it for 25 years.”
Although his career takes him all over the world, Andsnes maintains a strong connection to his home country when not performing. “I try to balance my life so that I’m not touring too much,” he says. “I play about 70 to 75 concerts a year, which still leaves enough time at home to really be part of my family. When I come home, my first priority is to be a dad, and to be a part of my childrens’ lives.
“Being Norwegian, the seasons here are very different, and I love the nature. I love skiing in the winter, and in the summers, I love to take time to be in the north of the country, where my wife is from. It’s very simple living – fishing and hiking in the mountains, or by the sea – and it’s the one place I am always longing to go.”
Leif Ove Andsnes performs at LAC Lugano on March 13th.
This article was sponsored by Fondazione LuganoMusica.
