Pusteøvelse for tre musikere

Pusteøvelse for tre musikere is a work for voice, Hardanger fiddle, accordion, and double bass, written for Helga Myhr, Frode Haltli, and Sigurd Hole. Commissioned by the Nordic Poetry Festival / Rolf Jacobsen Days, the work takes its point of departure in Rolf Jacobsen’s poem Pusteøvelse.

The poem invites reflection on scale and perspective, moving from the intimate rhythm of human breath to the vast timescales of stars and galaxies. Inspired by these ideas, the music explores the threshold between breath, voice, language, and instrumental sound.

Breath itself forms a central musical element throughout the work. It begins with a shared breathing cycle sustained by the three performers before the instruments gradually emerge from and merge with the sound of breath. This interplay between breathing and instrumental sound becomes a recurring compositional principle, shaping the music’s pacing, phrasing, and sense of presence.

Through a delicate interplay of composition and improvisation, Pusteøvelse for tre musikere unfolds as a quiet listening practice, inviting audiences to experience sound, time, and presence from a different perspective.