Organ concert with Lars Notto Birkeland
Saturday 29 March, 12:00
(Doors open at 11:15)
Akershus Castle Church
Adult: 300 NOK
Senior/student: 240 NOK
Child: 100 NOK
Duration: 1 hour
Lars Notto Birkeland, organ
Experience Akershus Castle Church’s new organ
Akershus Castle Church received a new organ in autumn 2024. The organ is built by the German firm Weimbs Orgelbau, and has 21 stops. On the occasion of the new organ, organist Lars Notto Birkeland invites us to a matinee concert with a selection of beautiful organ pieces, covering large parts of the rich organ tradition. The audience can look forward to Bach’s mighty Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major BWV 564 and the French organ composer Jehan Alain’s Prélude et Fugue. Birkeland marks the Pärt anniversary by performing Pärt’s work Trivium, and turns his gaze toward home when performing Egil Hovland’s Interludium from Brønnen (‘The Well’). This will be an exceptional occasion to experience both historic gems and innovative music on a fantastic new organ.
PROGRAM:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Toccata, adagio and fugue in C major, BWV 564
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Fugue in A-flat minor
Jehan Alain (1911–1940)
Prélude et fugue
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
Trivium
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Andante für eine Walze in eine kleine Orgel, KV 616
Egil Hovland (1924–2013)
Interludium from ‘Brønnen’
Vincenzo Petrali (1830–1889)
6 versetti per il Gloria
Lars Notto Birkeland is a leading concert organist, with a versatile background as a conductor, pianist, and teacher. He has been a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestras several times, and performed at a number of festivals in Norway and abroad. Since 2014, Birkeland has been the organist at the Akershus Castle Church, where he has played a central role in the process of the church’s new Weimbs organ. He has collaborated on several recordings, including the critically acclaimed double CD with Jehan Alain’s complete organ works, as well as recordings of organ concerts by Bjørn Kruse and Kjell Habbestad with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra KORK. Birkeland is also employed at Barrat Due Institute for Music. His education includes studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music under Harald Herresthal, and further organ studies with the acclaimed professors Guy Bovet and Kåre Nordstoga.
Photo: Lars Notto Birkeland: Jeton Kaçaniku
