Circles
The piano work Circles is Nicolai Kornerup’s very first solo album which is created on the back of a longing to return to a more acoustic expression and a meditative instrumental approach, where the melody and the counterpoint is at the center of the compositions.
Circles is Kornerup’s take on the sounds of Nordic nature - pure and bright. Melodies with piano and strings only, that can bring comfort and soothe the soul.
The signature sound of Circles is influenced by the softness of the Nordic folk tunes and the beauty of classical pieces, inspired by Bach, Debussy and Jan Johansson.
Although the album is a harmonic return to an acoustic sound mode, it very much has a clear presence in the present, and maintains a forward gaze.
The work is composed in all 24 keys, hence the name Circles. These recordings are the first part of the full work, Circles.
der står en lille blå blomst
der er sådan et mildt blæsendes vejr
men jeg kan ikke rigtig formulere det
det er et sted ude i naturen
måske er det fejlagtigt
…det er faktisk løgn
men jeg kan ikke rigtig formulere det, altså
det er der stadig, men det drejer en lille smule, så du får lov til at se det på en anden måde
det er et sted ude i naturen
der er noget klippe
nu skal der en meget bevidst handling til for at fjerne det
Throughout his life Kornerup has been intrigued by astronomy and especially by the contrasts it encloses – the universe being so far away, yet many human beings feel a close connection to the moon and stars. This ambivalence - being close and yet a far - has been an inspiration and a drive flowing throughout his entire musical path.
Growing up as an only child with his single working mom, Kornerup spent a lot of his early childhood listening to classical music in his Granny’s music room. In these memories lies a nostalgia, so pure that it seems constructed, a dream about how the past might have - or should have - been. Music became a way of shaping the surroundings and yourself into something else, a way of extracting or manipulating emotions and drawing in new worlds.
Kornerup’s album, Circles, is in many ways the story of Kornerup’s introvert search for what’s been lost contra a more extrovert need to convey hope in the present.
While playing the piano often was his escape in the early years, this instrument has become a trusted companion in his, very present, career as a musician, composer and producer, working with artists in genres spanning from classical to pop over jazz and folk.