The article discusses the evolution of the symphonic work of one of the leading Danish composers of our time, Per Nørgård. Eight symphonies created by him in the period from 1953 to 2011 have a complex of peculiar features and demonstrate an individual approach to the genre. The article gives their general characteristics, reveals the role of Sibelius and Holmboe in the creative development of Nørgård, uncovers the principles of the compositional structure of cycles, and traces the links with tradition. Special attention is paid to the original compositional technique (the principle of “infinite series”, the system of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic hierarchy, the method of “tone lakes”) and its connections with the artistic conception of compositions. The author proposes a periodization of symphonic work and suggests that its evolution is subject to dialectical logic. Starting as a follower of the Scandinavian (and, more broadly, European) symphonic tradition, which is based on a humanistic idea, the composer later focuses on an issues of the hierarchical structure of the world and the self-movement of sound matter. In the works of the later period, he returns to the theme of the Man and the World, which acquires a new “sound” thanks to the accumulated experience.
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