Acclaimed Norwegian composer and NTNU Professor Emeritus Ståle Kleiberg presents Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament, a moving new orchestral album released via LAWO Classics. Performed by the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Peter Szilvay, the recording showcases Kleiberg’s warmly expressive musical language through expansive, narrative-driven orchestral writing.
At the heart of the album is Kleiberg’s Symphony No. 3, commissioned by the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra for Norway’s National Jubilee 2030. Exploring themes of longing, identity, and belonging, the three-movement symphony charts the emotional journey of 19th- and 20th-century Norwegian emigrants migrating to North America, moving from tender yearning to a dramatic, hymn-like resolution.
The album opens with Lamento – Cissi Klein in memoriam (2001), a poignant tribute to a young Jewish girl from Trondheim killed during World War II, which forms part of Kleiberg’s broader trilogy addressing Nazi persecution alongside his Requiem. Balanced by the evocative work The Town and its People (2022), the compilation transitions seamlessly from intimate reflection to epic storytelling. Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament stands as a masterwork of contemporary classical composition, bridging historical memory and human emotion through brilliant orchestral craftsmanship.
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