Eldbjørg Hemsing with new recording release ‘Grieg – The Violin Sonatas’

Credits: Photography by Nikolaj Lund

Following the acclaimed recordings of concertos by Borgström and Shostakovich, Dvořák and Suk, and by Tan Dun, Eldbjørg Hemsing is following in the footsteps of her great-great-grandfather, who once inspired Edvard Grieg to compose one of his most famous works. Joint by Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski, Eldbjørg is embarks the journey of Grieg violin sonatas on her latest release on BIS Records.

As a celebrated ambassador of Norwegian cultural heritage, Eldbjørg Hemsing was always going to turn to Edvard Grieg eventually – a composer who is central to both Norwegian music history and the Romantic era in general. Hemsing’s new recording of Grieg’s three violin sonatas on BIS Records also has a much more personal biographic background, however.  

In 1848, Ludvig Mathias Lindeman received funding from the Collegium academicum of Christiania (Oslo) University to collect folk tunes for Edvard Grieg. During his travels across Norway, he stayed in Valdres and met Hemsing’s great-great-grandfather Anders Nielsen Pelesteinbakken, who sang a tune to him. Lindeman noted it down and Grieg later found it in the collection. The small fragment of the folk tune must have caught the composer’s attention and he subsequently used the melody as the inspiration and main theme of one of his greatest works for solo piano, the Ballade, Op. 24

Over 170 years later, Eldbjørg Hemsing is presenting her own interpretation of Grieg’s three sonatas for violin and piano. The sonatas are considered to be representative of different stages in Grieg’s artistic development and were composed over a period of 20 years. The second violin sonata can be seen as one of Grieg’s great successes in capturing the musical identity of his native country, particularly in the sequences based on peasants’ dances. Because of her passion for preserving Norway’s rich folk music heritage – as demonstrated in her previous projects such as the second ever recording of Hjalmar Borgström’s violin concerto – Hemsing was keen to explore the compositions of her famous fellow countryman, who so profoundly shaped the Norwegian cultural identity. 

Alongside the Grieg sonatas, Eldbjørg Hemsing is also presenting her first original composition „Homecoming – Varitations on the folk tune from Valdres“ as a testament to the personal significance of this new recording and its history. Moreover, in pianist Simon Trpčeski Hemsing has found a strong musical partner, an internationally acclaimed artist praised for celebrating the rich folk traditions of his own native country, Macedonia.  

Grieg Violin Sonatas will be available exclusively on Apple Music from February 21st 2020. The album will be released globally from March 6th 2020 on all streaming platforms as well as in physical format in your closest CD shop.

Review: Dvořák&Suk Recording in Süddeutsche (DE)

“…mit der 28 Jahre alten Eldbjørg Hemsing begeistert nun wieder eine junge Geigerin aus Norwegen. Hemsing ist nicht nur eine feinsinnige und kluge Interpretin, sie entlockt ihrer Guadagnini auch einen sehr persönlichen, unverwechselbaren Geigenton. Zart, intim und filigran wirkt er im Kern, dabei aber selbst im gehauchten Piano noch sinnlich und klangvoll.”

Julia Spinola | 2. Oktober 2018 | Süddeutsche Zeitung

Es muss etwas Verzauberndes in den nordischen Fjorden und Berglandschaften liegen. Nachdem die bereits mehrfach preisgekrönte Vilde Frang die internationalen Podien erobert hat, begeistert mit der 28 Jahre alten Eldbjørg Hemsing nun wieder eine junge Geigerin aus Norwegen. Mit Musik des weitgehend unbekannten norwegischen Komponisten Hjalmar Borgström hatte sie im April ihr Debüt gegeben. Auch auf ihrer zweiten CD meidet sie jetzt die ausgetretenen Pfade und spielt neben Antonín Dvořáks Violinkonzert die selten zu hörende Fantasie in g-Moll für Violine und Orchester von Dvořáks Schwiegersohn Josef Suk. Hemsing ist nicht nur eine feinsinnige und kluge Interpretin, sie entlockt ihrer Guadagnini auch einen sehr persönlichen, unverwechselbaren Geigenton. Zart, intim und filigran wirkt er im Kern, dabei aber selbst im gehauchten Piano noch sinnlich und klangvoll. Im leidenschaftlichen Forte, etwa im Eröffnungsthema des Dvořák-Konzerts, beginnt dieser eindringlich singende Ton irisierend zu leuchten. Mit ein wenig Fantasie hört man hier den großen David Oistrach heraus, dessen Schüler Boris Kuschnir Hemsings Lehrer war.

DEBUT ALBUM ENTERING GERMAN TOP 20 CHARTS

Borgström violin concerto and Shostakovich violin concerto no. 1

With her solo debut recording Eldbjørg Hemsing entered the Top 20 of the German Classic Charts of May 2018, representing the timeframe from April 13 until May 10, 2018. The album which has been released as high-resolution (SA)CD on the acclaimed Swedish label BIS is featuring violin concertos by Hjalmar Borgström and Dmitri Shostakovich, recorded with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Olari Elts.

  1. Ludovico Einaudi – Elements
  2. Katja Riemann, Lucas & Arthur Jussen – Saint-Saëns: Der Karneval der Tiere
  3. Riccardo Muti & Wiener Philharmoniker – Neujahrskonzert 2018
  4. Tōnu Kaljuste & NFM Wrocław Philharmonic – Arvo Pärt: The Symphonies
  5. Ludovico Einaudi – Islands | Essential Einaudi
  6. Gautier Capuçon – Intuition
  7. Daniel Hope & Zürcher Kammerorchester – Handel Arias
  8. Menahem Pressler – Clair De Lune
  9. Midori Seiler & Concerto Köln – Vivaldi: La Venezia di Anna Maria
  10. Alexandre Riabko, Hamburg Ballet & John Neumeier – Nijinsky: A Ballet By John Neumeier
  11. Jonas Kaufmann – L’Opéra
  12. Nuria Rial & Maurice Steger – Baroque Twitter
  13. Cecilia Bartoli & Sol Gabetta – Dolce Duello
  14. Jonas Kaufmann – Dolce Vita
  15. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Englabörn & Variations
  16. Nils Mönkemeyer – Baroque
  17. Bjarte Engeset – Grieg: Complete Orchestral Works
  18. Diego Fasolis, Julia Lezhneva & I Barocchisti – Vivaldi: Gloria
  19. Eldbjørg Hemsing – Borgström & Schostakowitsch: Violinkonzerte
  20. The King’s Singers – Gold

> Weblink to German Classic Charts of May 2018 at “Concerti”

ELDBJØRG HEMSING NEW CJD AMBASSADOR

Eldbjørg Hemsing appointed as CJD Panorama Ambassador

Internationally upstriving violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing has been invited to become the first Ambassador for the highly remarkable CJD Panorama project. Officially, Eldbjørg Hemsing has started to take this new role starting at January 12, 2018, underlining her impressive commitment for engaging in educational areas for youngest children. The charitable Göhde Foundation was supporting this development based on its contacts and cooperation with CJD.

CJD Panorama is a social educational project in which children learn a symphonic instrument and build experience by playing together in an orchestra in a community which strengthen the young individuals. For children with migration background or coming from a difficult social background, CJD Panorama creates pathways to build up on their potentials and possibilities: By learning an instrument within an orchestra-like formation, the child expands its horizon of experience, leading to building up character and personality. >More about the CJD Panorama Project

The CJD is one of Germany’s largest social and educational organisations. Every year, it gives 155,000 young people and adults guidance and opportunities for the future. 9,500 full-time employees and numerous volunteers at over 150 locations provide help, support and education/training. This work is based on the Christian conception of what it means to be human, with the vision: “Let no one fall by the wayside!” >More about CJD