91Èȱ¬

With the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andrew Litton. Alissa Firsova writes: ‘Originally inspired by an apocalyptic dream I had a few years ago, Bergen’s Bonfire is a depiction of Ragnarök (The Twilight of the Gods), only set in the landscape of Bergen – as if one were seeing it all happen from the top of Mount Fløyen, which overlooks the city. In my dream I could see the moon and the sun in one landscape, the stars and sky full of beautiful colours – extraordinary peace and tranquillity – before the sun exploded and the earth was in flames. The sun, moon and stars are also described in the Ragnarök as not knowing what their fate is until a series of wars breaks out between the Gods and the Wanes, and the world is destroyed by a great fire.

‘What attracted me most to this version of the end of the world, though, is that a new world then begins, full of purity and joy. This tone-poem is in three sections. The first describes the Twilight of the Gods and introduces the themes associated with the sun (first heard in the violins), moon (first heard in the trumpet) and stars (high-pitched, trill-filled passages in the winds). The slow second section is dedicated to my inspiring walk around the beautiful Mount Fløyen (beginning with strings accompanying a clarinet solo, followed by bassoon, oboe and flute solos) and likewise paints the calm before the storm in my dream. The third is something completely contrasting – a new world – where two Gods return to create a much more positive, simplistic and innocent universe.’