Norwegian composer Fartein Valen (1887-1952) was one of the great innovative composers of the first half of the 1900s. +Renowned pianist Einar Henning Smebye and violinist Tor Johan Bøen helm a group of dedicated performers on this CD, documenting in these chamber works the elegant transition from classical-romanticism to the experimental modernism that Valen fought his way towards. +A romantic in expression; he was a classicist in form and texture, valuing tradition and connections to earlier times.