De Urgamle Floders Flod (The very old Rivers’ River) is the place in Swedish author of children’s books Astrid Lindgren’s Brødrene Løvehjerte, (The Brothers Lionheart) which parts human beings from the dragon living behind the River in the Very old Mountains’ Mountain. Astrid Lindgren’s courageous fight with death, and the imagination about it in this thrilling and life-confirming book nearly throws out music …
When this piece was commissioned, it had already been scheduled for performances in Randers (Jutland,) Rome, and at Gl. Estrup (a manor in Jutland) – all of them places with very old rivers (Gudenå, the Tiberen and Alling Å in the neighbourhood). The composer later considered setting as a demand for future performances that there must be a very old river in the neighbourhood, so that some dialogue may arise …