Kyklop
For orchestra
Orchestration
3(2)-3(1)-3(1)-3(1) 5-3-3-1 timp perc:3 pno hp str
Duration
15 minutes
First performance /Commissioned by
First performance in Trondheim, 2008
Commissioned by the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
Press
"Knut Vaage impresses with a musical battle between chaos and concentration. Kyklop begins with weak timpani and bass drum, in a restrained and dull sound, and large parts of the piece are a study in dark sounds. Just the slightly unclear is an essential aspect of the work . Vaage depicts many types of chaos where the density of the sounds comes from movements striking each other without being coordinated, or from the fact that he places a large number of notes against each other that are not consonant. As a contrast to this, a clear melody fragment usually stands out . There are often short exclamations and bursts of ideas."
"Vaage is an audience-friendly composer. Not because he writes "simpler", more popular music than his colleagues in Norwegian contemporary music, but because he is so open about his work and methods when dealing with the public. In no way does he nurture it the new music as a reserve, for he lays out for ordinary people to travel through him - well with route suggestions, but, as is clear from his text above, he left the choice of the road in his musical landscape to the listeners."
