OD Sings Alfvén
Catalog Number: BIS633
This album presents a collection of songs and choral works by Hugo Alfvén, performed by Orphei Drängar under the direction of Robert Sund, with tenor Claes-Håkan Ahnsjö and pianist Folke Alin. The program offers a broad overview of Alfvén’s contribution to Swedish vocal music, including both original compositions and folk song arrangements.
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OD Sings Alfvén
Penguin Guide 3 stars.
This album presents a collection of songs and choral works by Hugo Alfvén, performed by Orphei Drängar under the direction of Robert Sund, with tenor Claes-Håkan Ahnsjö and pianist Folke Alin. The program offers a broad overview of Alfvén’s contribution to Swedish vocal music, including both original compositions and folk song arrangements.
Alfvén is best known internationally for orchestral works like Midsummer Vigil, but his choral music holds a central place in Swedish cultural life. His choral output can be grouped into three categories: original compositions without folk influence, original works inspired by folk music, and arrangements of traditional folk songs. His unique talent for sonority and melody is evident in all three, particularly in pieces like Dawn at Sea, The Evening, and Mood, where he treated the choir as a “vocal orchestra.”
This recording includes solo songs with piano, such as Berceuse, Papillon, and Gustaf Fröding's Funeral, as well as choral works like Sweden's Flag, In Our Meadow, The Flowers of Joy, and Värmland Song. These pieces showcase Alfvén’s mastery in both lyrical expression and choral textures, blending traditional styles with his characteristic clarity and warmth.
The album also features arrangements of Swedish folk songs, a field where Alfvén considered himself a preserver and revitalizer of national musical heritage. His efforts modernized male-voice choir singing in Sweden, shifting it away from outdated quartet traditions.
Through performances marked by tonal balance, precision, and expressive depth, this recording pays tribute to Alfvén’s significant role in Swedish choral music and highlights the lasting artistic quality of his vocal compositions.
Alfvén is best known internationally for orchestral works like Midsummer Vigil, but his choral music holds a central place in Swedish cultural life. His choral output can be grouped into three categories: original compositions without folk influence, original works inspired by folk music, and arrangements of traditional folk songs. His unique talent for sonority and melody is evident in all three, particularly in pieces like Dawn at Sea, The Evening, and Mood, where he treated the choir as a “vocal orchestra.”
This recording includes solo songs with piano, such as Berceuse, Papillon, and Gustaf Fröding's Funeral, as well as choral works like Sweden's Flag, In Our Meadow, The Flowers of Joy, and Värmland Song. These pieces showcase Alfvén’s mastery in both lyrical expression and choral textures, blending traditional styles with his characteristic clarity and warmth.
The album also features arrangements of Swedish folk songs, a field where Alfvén considered himself a preserver and revitalizer of national musical heritage. His efforts modernized male-voice choir singing in Sweden, shifting it away from outdated quartet traditions.
Through performances marked by tonal balance, precision, and expressive depth, this recording pays tribute to Alfvén’s significant role in Swedish choral music and highlights the lasting artistic quality of his vocal compositions.
Published date
1993-10-31
Number of discs
1
Channels
stereo:16:2.0
Made in Sweden since 1999. In collaboration with Textalk.
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