Bengt-Åke Lundin

On this CD he tackles sonatas by eighteenth-century composers Olof Åhlström (1756–1835) and Hinrich Philip Johnsen (1717–1779) – virtuoso keyboard players active in Stockholm during a period when amateur music-making and concert life flourished.

Even though the target group of the keyboard sonatas was music-loving amateurs, there is, according to Bengt-Åke Lundin, a great deal to experiment with in the interpretation.The older keyboard colleague, Hinrich Philip Johnsen, who accompanied Adolf Fredrik from Holstein-Gottorp when the latter was called to Sweden as successor to the throne, strove to write music that was brilliant and full of variety. As a composer he was highly acclaimed by his contemporaries. Today, however, there are very few compositions of his preserved.

Bengt-Åke Lundin, who was educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, has after his 1989 debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra frequently concertized as a soloist with orchestras, given piano recitals and played with chamber groups. Nowadays he is also active as a conductor.

Bengt-Åke Lundin has previously recorded a number of Swedish works for Caprice, including the record “Swedish Violin Sonatas” with Cecilia Zilliacus, which was awarded a Grammy.