Magne Hegdal is one of the leading Norwegian composers of his generation. In 2019 he completed the monumental Ars et vita, the crowning glory of this life's work.

The composition consists of a total of 22 movements and lasts approximately one hour and 45 minutes. It is written for three pianists who alternate between playing solo, four-hands and six-hands. In the final movement, works are quoted from each of the years that Hegdal has spent as an active composer, between 1955 and 2019, called CV in the score.

The music on this album was recorded by Ellen Ugelvik, Sanae Yoshida and Håkon Austbø - three of Norway's foremost performers of contemporary music. Ars et vita is Hegdal's musical testament, encapsulating a lifelong dedication to music. The work unites personal experience, stylistic diversity, and an enduring exploration of music's expressive potential. Emotional depth meets experimental forms, classical references intersect with aleatoric structures - in Hegdal's own words: "music about music."

Much of the material stems from dreams. The movement Vestfold originated in a dream where a waltz unfolded "in ever-new variations", while Salix (Seljevalsen) is based on a simple yet deeply emotional waltz Hegdal dreamed after the death of his sister. This dreamlike, personal and conceptual quality lies at the heart of a work that both reflects and embraces an entire compositional life.