Makrokosmos 1 & 2 : Ellen Ugelvik

George Crumb:
Makrokosmos I (1972)
Makrokosmos II (1973)

Ellen Ugelvik, piano

Recording: 05/2007
SACD Hybrid
CD STEREO/ SACD STEREO/ SACD SURROUND (5.1ch.)

Makrokosmos in 5.1 surround sound
Ellen Ugelvik makes her debut recording with the world’s first 5.1 surround sound presentation of George Crumb’s Makrokosmos I & II. Her approach is powerful, delicately focused and detailed. Captured to the full in the overwhelming sound field of this recording it makes the marvels of Crumb’s cycle truly available for the first time.

Ellen Ugelvik gives concerts with contemporary music all over the world. The critics call her “fearless, unforgettable, convincing, virtuoso and impressive” in the outstanding reviews she receives for her concerts.

The expanding soundscape of Crumb - invitations and challenges
One of the most well known composers of his generation, George Crumb has developed his very own piano style over the years - a sonic universe of limitless variety. One does not ‘just play’ Crumb, the performer is also required to whistle, sing, shout and whisper in numerous clearly defined ways. Ellen Ugelvik has studied the Makrokosmos in detail with Crumb himself, enabling her to investigate further into the ideas and ideals behind various parameters in the score. The liner notes for the release is written by David Burge, who gave the world premiere of the Makrokosmos I.

Crumb on Makrokosmos:
“While composing Makrokosmos, I was aware of certain recurrent haunting images. At times quite vivid, at times vague and almost subliminal, these images seemed to coalesce around the following several ideas (given in no logical sequence, since there is none): the ‘magical properties’ of music; the problem of the origin of evil’ the ‘timelessness’ of time; a sense of the profound ironies of life (so beautifully expressed in the music of Mozart and Mahler); the hauntiwords of Pascal: ‘Le silence eternal des espaces infinis m’effraie’ (‘The eternal silence of infinite space terrifies me’); and these few lines of Rilke: ‘Und in den Nachten fallt die schwere Erde aus allen Sternen in die Einsamkeit. Wir alle fallen. Und doch ist Einer, welcher dieses Fallen unendlich sanft in seinen Handen halt’ (‘And in the nights the heavy earth is falling from all the stars down into loneliness. We are all falling. And yet there is One who holds this falling endlessly gently in his hands’)”

Profession: contemporary pianist
Ellen Ugelvik was born in Bergen, and has studied with Einar Rottingen at the Grieg Academy in Bergen, Hakon Austbo at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Steffen Schleiermacher at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater, Leipzig. Ugelvik has been invited to festivals such as Tasten - Berliner Klaviertage, Berlin ・ New Nordic Music, St. Petersburg ・ Gaudeamus and De Suite Muziekweek, Amsterdam. Her concerts have been broadcast in Norway, UK, China and Holland.

She collaborates with composers like George Crumb, Louis Andriessen, Asbjorn Schaatun, Rolf Wallin, Magne Hegdal, Christian Blom, Rune Rebne, Ruben S. Gjertsen, Knut Vaage, Dai Fujikura, Vanessa Lann, Huba de Graaff, Mari Takano, Alwynne Prichard, Crichan Larsson and Casper Cordes, some of which have dedicated works to her. Her commitment to contemporary music is widely recognised. She recently received a state grant for performing artists, one of the most coveted awards in Norway.
( SIMAX )