Those accustomed to
Terje Rypdal's jazz and jazz-rock albums may be startled when they discover his extensive work in orchestral composition, although in some ways
Rypdal seems to take these pieces closest to heart. Begun in 1979, Undisonus Opus 23, a composition for violin and orchestra, slowly grew through additions and revisions over the course of a decade. The result, recorded in London by
the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is an amalgam of near-minimalist tonalities and bursts of lushly romantic violin solos. Ineo Opus 29 was originally penned by
Rypdal for Danish radio with himself as the soloist on electric guitar and is a piece for choir and chamber orchestra.
Rypdal lives in the Norway's Valley of Tresfjord, a favored haunt from his childhood. To describe Ineo in terms of the stark beauty of this mountainous terrain might seem facile; in fact, the author of the liner notes complains about this tendency among critics -- and yet even as
Rypdal himself admits, it's almost impossible not to -- especially since he chose a cover photo of snow-covered fjords. ~ Paul Collins