Orfiske Ildklipper (Orphic Firerocks) is the very first chamber work in Mogens Christensen’s production, and was commissioned by the festival Lerchenborg Musikdage.
The title was taken from one of the guest books in the home of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, Troldhaugen, in Bergen. Here you find an old regard from author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson including music (and it’s effect) described as rolling Orphic firerocks.
Apart from the reference to Orpheus – ancient Greece’s most wellknown musician – you should probably not interpret too much of the title into the music itself. A listening key might much more be to follow the small piece’s voyage from overwhelming energy, to its break-into-pieces into a silent, final flute-solo.
… velgennemtænkt musik og smukt formet.
(Dansk Musik Tidsskrift)
Begyndelsen er energisk og helt domineret af hastige tonerepetioner, som gradvist forskyder sig, “krakelerer” … aftappes for energi og viger cirka midtvejs for langsomme “punkter” … indtil musikken til sidst munder ud i en Abgesang i form af en smuk Lento-melodi i solofløjten
(Dansk Musik Tidsskrift)