Reviews//
ELJA
Co-composer Maurseth, a noted folk fiddler and singer, provided an authentic presence onstage with the Kronos musicians, whose instruments included a Hardanger viola and cello built for the occasion by the Norwegian luthier Ottar Kåsa.
David Wright, Mar 29, 2025, New York Classical Review. World premiere of Elja, Carnegie Hall, New York.
Percussive, playful, robust and swaggering, the piece finished on an extroverted plane, following ample time for profound contemplation in its earlier phases, Maurseth singing low and powerful, on strings and vocal cords alike.
Martin Lonley, 5 January 2026, Jasswize.
Review of performance at Ultima Contemporary Music Festival September 18th 2025.
This sonic and visual journey, beginning gently and continuing with slow rotations and circular waves, unfolds into enveloping melodies, punctuated occasionally by a few rough pizzicatos. Ultimately, however, this slow flow allows us to wander in a dreamy, slightly romantic tranquility. The leisurely stroll concludes, leaving us in a state of profound peace and reassurance. We depart into the enveloping night, satisfied with the journey and, of course, also with the high quality of performance by this quartet plus one.
Elja (...) is a nearly hour-long piece conceived in the slow rhythm and cyclical time of meditation. The iridescent sounds of the traditional instruments take advantage of the natural reverberation of the room, occasionally disturbed by the noisy intervention of the cello, and utilize the instrument’s extended playing techniques. A soundtrack (birdsong and other nature sounds) animates the room – we see first violinist David Harrington blowing into a bird’s call – as do the natural images projected on the screen. There is room for improvisation, as Benedicte Maurseth does in the violin’s bird-like register; the performer also lends her voice in one of the most captivating moments of this minimalist and monochrome music, which contributes to a gentle sleep ...
Michèle Tosi, Res Musica, 25.09.2025. Review from Festival Musica, Strasbourg, September 20. 2025.
Naturmotiver går altså igjen både hos Maurseth og Tjøgersen, og det er vanskelig å skille opplevelsen av den fra sorgen om at noe også glipper. Vi føler oss naturligvis ofte skrøpelige, og ydmyke, i møte med naturen. Erkjennelsen av at det også er noe der ute som virkelig glipper, som er i ferd med å bli endret på grunn av tilstedeværelsen vår, er ikke til å bære – økosorg, heter det visst. Men musikken, eller “budskapet” i et verk som Elja føles ikke éndimensjonal. Undringen er intakt.
Filip Roshauw og Audun Vinger, Jazz i Norge