Karl-Birger Blomdahl: 100 Year Anniversary Collection

Bernt Lysell, Nya Berwaldtrion, Erik Saedén, Kroumata, Sixten Ehrling, Margareta Hallin, Stig Westerberg, Karl-Birger Blomdahl, et al.

The year 2016 marks 100 years since Sweden and the rest of the world was gifted with one particularly groundbreaking and charismatic musical talent. Karl-Birger Blomdahl (1916-1968) belong to the very highest echelon in Swedish modernism, in many ways owing to his fearless, innovative and, at the same time, audience friendly music. At Caprice Records, we celebrate this with the release of a grand digital collection of some of his most outstanding compositions.

Blomdahl’s teacher in composition was another of the true giants in Swedish art music, Hilding Rosenberg, who had a great influence on the young composer. Blomdahl also cofounded Måndagsgruppen (The Monday Group), a loose assembly of composers and musicians who worked to increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of the ideals of modernism. Through his commitment as a public debater, professor in musical composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and later on working as musical director at the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, Blomdahl created for himself a rather unique position in Swedish culture, and enjoyed an almost incalculable and often controversial opportunity to influence musical life in the country.

When writing about Karl-Birger Blomdahl, one cannot avoid bringing up the work he is now most famous for – the immortal music to the “space opera” Aniara from 1959. Its libretto was written by author and poet Erik Lindegren (a frequent collaborator who helped Blomdahl further his career) based on the famous epic poem of the same name by Harry Martinson. “A revue about man in time and space” was Blomdahl’s own description of the opera, and it became an enormous success with its eclectic mix of twelve-tone composition, jazz, and electro-acoustic music, as well as for its timeless message concerning humanity’s damaging behavior towards the environment and each other. In a time of constant threat of nuclear war the vision of a dying, radiation poisoned Earth that humanity must abandon in favour of endless space for its survival, was a current dystopia.

Even though Aniara were to become Blomdahl’s everlasting ”hit”, his major breakthrough came already in 1951 with the 3rd symphony, named Facets. It is a stark musical depiction of the, at the time still topical subject of people’s hardships in the Warsaw ghetto under German occupation. On this collection, there are two recordings at the very beginning and end, with two highly contrasting interpretations of the symphony – the first by one of Sweden’s greatest and most productive conductors, Sixten Ehrling, and the second by the composer himself.

Blomdahl wrote several concertos, ballets, chamber music, film music, and a whole lot more. Often the music came about through quite disparate sources of inspiration, e.g. his famous orchestral work Forma ferritonans (1961) was written for the inauguration of SSAB Oxelösund’s new steel plant, while Dance Suite No. 1 was conceived as music to short film sequence of the choreographer Birgit Åkesson’s solo dance Fecundity.

On this collection there is also a recording included that has never before been released on either CD or digitally, Blomdahl’s String Trio from 1945, performed by the New Berwald Trio (Bernt Lysell violin, Björn Sjögren viola, and Ola Karlsson cello) in a recording from 1981.

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    • 1.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: I. Largamente (attacca) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 2.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: II. Tranquillo, ma fluente Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 3.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: III. Prestissimo (attacca) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 4.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: IV. Allegro, molto deciso e ritmico Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 5.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: V. Largamente Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 6.
      Dance Suite No. 1 for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Percussion Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 7.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): I. I speglarnas sal Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 8.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): II. Här i denna tystnad Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 9.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): III. I den urholkade dimman Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 10.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): IV. Men först måste ett hungertorn Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 11.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): V. O önskekramp med swingmusik Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 12.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): VI. Vad skakar då döden ur armen Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 13.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): VII. Stilla som en brunn Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 14.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): VIII. Vid mardrömmens mål Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 15.
      I speglarnas sal (In the Hall of Mirrors): IX. Jag drömmer om minnet Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 16.
      Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano: I. Tranquillo Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 17.
      Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano: II. Tranquillo, ma non troppo lento Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 18.
      Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano: III. Allegro giocoso Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 19.
      Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano: IV. Tranquillo Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 20.
      Forma ferritonans Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 21.
      Chamber Concerto for Piano, Woodwinds and Percussion: I. Lento, maestoso e pesante Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 22.
      Chamber Concerto for Piano, Woodwinds and Percussion: II. Allegro, molto deciso e ritmico Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 23.
      Chamber Concerto for Piano, Woodwinds and Percussion: III. Adagio Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 24.
      Chamber Concerto for Piano, Woodwinds and Percussion: IV. Presto Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 25.
      Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello: I. Moderato Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 26.
      Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello: II. Presto Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 27.
      …resan i denna natt (...the journey in this night) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 28.
      Dance Suite No. 2 for Clarinet, Cello and Percussion Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 29.
      Sisyphus Suite Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 30.
      Aniara: Instrumental Prelude (Galactic Space) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 31.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 1: Chorus: Vi kom från Jorden, Doris Land Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 32.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 1: The Mimrobe: Förflyttningen till Tundra Tre tog 9 år Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 33.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 1: Chorus: Snart är den här min sköna Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 34.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 1: Chorus: Det var den onda tid då Gond i flamman Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 35.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 1: Interlude - Midsummer Dance Music: HilKarl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 36.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Comedian Sandon: Med blarra jag i rymden far Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 37.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Daisi Doody and Chorus: Ley tody vain dodo Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 38.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Instrumental interlude Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 39.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Trio: En nödgir för asteroiden Hondo Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 40.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Chief Technician: Det är inte första gång det händer Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 41.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Chefone and Chorus: Åh...På släktets färd har alltid offer krävts Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 42.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 2: Chefone, Daisi Doody and Chorus: Popo...Mycket nöje, lycka till! Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 43.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: Interlude: Chief Technician: Vi börjar långsamt ana att den rymd Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 44.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: The Mimarobe: Jag sköter miman, lugnar emigranter Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 45.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: The Mimarobe: Med Isagel, den kvinnliga piloten Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 46.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: Chorus: Vi kom från Jorden, Doris Land Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 47.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: Mimaband 1 Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 48.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: Chorus: Do-Doris, Doris, Do-Doris… Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 49.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: Comedian Sandon: Det kunde varit lika illa här Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 50.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: The Mimarobe: Så talade den döve, som var stum Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 51.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: The Blind Man: Det ohyggligt starka skenet Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 52.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: The Mimarobe: Och just i detta liknar han den döve Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 53.
      Aniara, Act 1, Scene 3: Mimaband 2 (Mima Tape 2) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 54.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 1: Mimaband 3 (Mima Tape 3) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 55.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 1: Chefone: Vad är det som står på? Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 56.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 1: The Mimarobe: Nej, jag får tvärtom rapportera… Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 57.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 1: Chefone: He-he, hrm! Oh… Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 58.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 2: Instrumental interlude Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 59.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 2: Daisi Doody: Lib i della Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 60.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 2: The Dance Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 61.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 2: Chief Technicians and Chorus: Stån upp till svars Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 62.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 2: The Blind Poetess and Chorus: Vocalization Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 63.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 3: Prelude Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 64.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 3: Chefone and Chorus: Nu är den här, vår sköna gjutjärnstid…Goldondern Aniara Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 65.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 3: Chefone: Vår förste ingenjör Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 66.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 3: Chorus: Vid är famnen, fjärran hamnen Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 67.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 3: The Blind Poetess: Jag ser en härlig syn Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 68.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 3: The Blind Poetess, Chief Technicians, Chefone and Chorus: Ja, frågan gäller underverksfrekvensen... Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 69.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 4: Prelude Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 70.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 4: The Blind Poetess: Jag anar dödens skugga… Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 71.
      Aniara, Act 2, Scene 4: The Mimarobe: När den man älskat nått till dödens dörr Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 72.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: I. Largamente (attacca) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 73.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: II. Tranquillo, ma fluente (attacca) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 74.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: III. Prestissimo (attacca) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 75.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: IV. Allegro, molto deciso e ritmico (attacca) Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

    • 76.
      Symphony No. 3, Facets: V. Largamente Music: Karl-Birger Blomdahl

  • Total playtime
Digital // CAP 80009 // Classical // Releasedate: 19 October, 2016