Chamber music ensemble Nordic Affect has made a name for itself as an outstanding ensemble of female players who strive to champion the works of female composers. The new album, ‘Clockworking’, showcases new works that combine historical performance traditions with fresh new sounds. And you can sample it right now!
Over the course of the ten-minute “Sleeping Pendulum,” composed by María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir (of Amiina fame), we hear the ghostly shimmers of string harmonics, the meditative entrance and exit of bells, and string melodies reminiscent of the traditional Icelandic music “tvísöngur.” Sometimes, the melodies interact more dissonantly, and sometimes they appear quite sweet, almost nostalgic. In this composition, María has taken a historical lineage and swung the style this way and that, though this “pendulum” still swings quite gently.
You won’t ever mistake “Sleeping Pendulum” for early classical music, as it certainly has one foot in the contemporary world. Fleeting moments come and go in this evocative and beautiful piece, and for an album titled ‘Clockworking’, it makes for a perfect concluding moment.
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