To Mediterrane Meditationer

To Mediterrane Meditiationer / Two Mediterranean Meditations for Piano solo was composed by Per Nørgård in 1980. Dedicated Ragnhild Toft. 

1. Græsk motiv (Greek motif) 
2. Medstrømme (Cocurrent) 

The piano pieces (Two Mediterranean meditations) was inspired by a little town, Isternia, in the Greek island Tinos. During a stay there I was captured by the timeless peace that emitted from the shimmering white sculptured steps, and by the sounds in the narrow streets, creating an atmosphere of balanced activity on the background of a meditative silence. The pianopieces are related to the work “Isternia” (1979, for cimbalon solo, later rewritten for other instruments); the music seems to possess a certain timeless or rather ´genre-less´ character; this is effected through the use of archetypal melodies and meters changed in a rather ´cubistic´ way. In this respect the work is related to my “Sonora” (for flute and harp) and the duet “Medstrøms og modstrøms” (“Cocurrent & countercurrent”) 

Per Nørgård