Levring, Winter Fantasy

Winter Fantasy, by Anders Levring

Variations on a theme by Thomas Laub. For solo guitar.

The Danish composer Thomas Laub had a major influence on popular songs in Denmark in the 20^th century. Together with the composer Carl Nielsen and others, he was a co-publisher of “Folkehøjskolens Melodibog” (Melody Book for the Folk High school), which appeared in 1922. The book contains a great deal of what we would call the treasury of Danish songs.  It is still going strong – the 19^th edition was released last year.

“Det er hvidt herude” (“It is White Out Here”) was composed for a text by one of our great national poets, Steen Steensen Blicher. This remarkable tune has been sung for generations and is known and loved by almost every Dane.
The text refers to “Kyndelmisse” (Candle mass), a ceremony of lights that was celebrated every year on the 2 February, when half the winter was considered to be over.

Besides being a part of Danish musical tradition myself, I had two main sources of inspiration for this work:

First, my memories and experience of “real” winter: silent days with soft, light snowfall, a cold sun over a snow-covered landscape, big drifts of snow and whirling snowflakes tumbling from the sky, mornings when the lifting fog revealed a glittering, frozen landscape of trees and houses covered in white, and the view from my window over the icy sea where a shifting mist unveiled momentary glimpses of black ships and seabirds.

Second, my attempt to combine the simple expressiveness of folk music with the refinements of the classical guitar to evoke moods, feelings and imaginative pictures.

I hope from here on, music will speak for itself.

Anders Levring

• Product: PDF or Print on Demand
• Pages: 16
• Level: Intermediate
• Order number: BE-220217
  
• ISMN 979-0-706824-28-4
  

Listen to Anders Levring playing "Winter Fantasy":