40 YEARS WITH THE NORWEGIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Mad songs
A world premiere with inspiration from the madhouse.

The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra continues its 40th anniversary celebrations in Logen Theatre with a programme presenting an orchestra in constant development.

Total musical madness is the theme of the second concert of the evening. Music and words paint a historical picture of a time we can be glad is past. Mad Songs are songs written around a seventeenth century fascination for the abnormal, when composers exploited the popularity of visits to the madhouse as entertainment. To portray the madness they used new musical devices, and thus arose completely new means of expression. Alongside Peter Maxwell Davies's work Eight Songs for a Mad King the description of madness covers a perspective of over 300 years!

This fascination for madness lives on today. Where are we in our own time in our own country? Composer Olav Anton Thommessen and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra try to answer the question in this world premiere.

The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Terje Tønnesen artistic director
Christian Eggen conductor, Eight Songs for a Mad King

Eir Inderhaug soprano
Nils Harald Sødal tenor

GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN (1681–1767)
Don Quixote Suite, TWV 55:G10

OLAV ANTON THOMMESSEN (1946–)
Mad songs
World Premiere

HENRY PURCELL (1659–1695)
Bess of Bedlam, Z 370

UNKNOWN (17th century)
Tom o'Bedlam

JOHN ECCLES (1668–1735)
Restless in thought

PETER MAXWELL DAVIES (1934–2016)
Eight Songs for a Mad King