Geirr Tveitt

Geirr Tveitt (October 19, 1908–February 1, 1981) was a Norwegian composer and pianist.

Music

An unusual feature of his musical output is that much of it is not in classical major and minor tonalities, but expressed in terms of modes, such as lydian and dorian. For example, his piece Prillar is in G lydian.

Related Topics:
Mode - Lydian - Dorian

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Some of his music was saved from the fire, and some has been reconstructed from available material such as radio recordings. Prillar was an unusual case in that Tveitt tore up and threw away the score himself in the 1930s. After his death, it was found by his son among Tveitt's mother's effects and reassembled.

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Some of his remaining music

• Prillar in G lydian (1931)
• Suites 1, 2, 4, 5 of A Hundred Hardanger Tunes, Op. 151 (many of these are arrangements from the 50 Hardanger Tunes for piano, Op. 150)
• Piano concertos 1–5
• Nykken, symphonic poem
• Jeppe, opera
• Violin concerto 1 (hardanger fiddle)
• Violin concerto 2 (hardanger fiddle), Three Fiords
• Baldur, ballet drama (later abridged version for orchestra alone retitled the Sun God Symphony.)
• Halldor Meland
• Telemarkin