Ståle Kleiberg i samtale om Debussys musikk og poesi

About the conversation

(The conversation will be held in Norwegian)
In this conversation with composer and professor emeritus Ståle Kleiberg, we take a closer look at how French Symbolist poetry can serve as a gateway to understanding Debussy’s music.

Debussy set to music many poems by the leading poets of his time, such as Stéphane Mallarmé, Charles Baudelaire, and Paul Verlaine. In these songs, poetry and music are closely intertwined. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Debussy does not use music to describe the literal content of the poetry. The aim is not to realistically “depict,” for example, a forest. In Debussy’s own words, the mysteries of the forest cannot be revealed by measuring the height of the trees. Rather than portraying the forest itself in his music, Debussy uses musical symbols to convey a person’s response to being in the forest. With this, he ushered in a new chapter in music history.

Which techniques does Debussy use to achieve this? What are these musical symbols? These questions will be the focus of a conversation that takes us inside Debussy’s music and the poetry he set to music.

The conversation can be combined with a concert of Debussy’s songs immediately following the talk. Find tickets and more information in our calendar.

About the participants
Ståle Kleiberg is a central Norwegian composer with significant international recognition. His music is frequently performed both in Norway and abroad, and most of his works have been commissioned by leading orchestras, ensembles, and performers. Numerous recordings of Kleiberg’s music have been released, receiving outstanding international reviews and several Grammy nominations.

Kleiberg’s music is characterized by a personal and distinctive form of extended tonality and by a meticulous approach to timbral detail. This is particularly evident in his orchestral output, which includes three symphonies, symphonic poems, and a number of solo concertos.
Kleiberg is professor emeritus of musicology and composition at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.

Karina Valnumsen Hansen is Senior Curator of Music at the Kode Art Museums and Composer Homes. She holds a PhD in musicology from NTNU, focusing on politics and declamation practices in W. A. Mozart’s German operas. After completing her doctorate, she served as an associate professor in musicology at NTNU before beginning a postdoctoral position at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Her research fields include music and politics, Mozart’s biography and music, 18th-century opera, Norwegian vocal music of the 19th century, and musical declamation practices in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Practical information
Venue: Permanenten, the Festival Hall on the 4th floor
Time: Saturday 22 August, 12:00–13:00
Price: NOK 200
Free admission for children and Kode members

Photo: Morten Antonsen