STELLAN SAGVIK LANDSCAPES (10 Concertinos)

nosagcd 2028 (2CDs - 138 mins)

This is an unusual double CD with music by Swedish composer Stellan Sagvik based on folklore tunes from different parts of Sweden, punctuated by atmospheric sound pictures of "18th century harbours, town squares of today and yesterday, water dripping mines, birdsong glens, steps on old stairs and shoot-outs outside a restaurant" !

The concertinos (1982/83) (for flute, oboe, horn, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, tuba, bassoon and trombone, plus a triple concertino for flute, viola & guitar) are played by principal winds and strings of the Cluj Philharmonic Orchestra. The music is devised as contemporary comments upon " old material twisted and turned and interluded with sound scapes from different times and places", the whole making a delightful amalgam and - so important to Musical Pointers - a unique compilation of attractive inventions by an attractively fluent and eclectic composer, about whom the insert leaflet (in Swedish only) tells us nothing. No portraits; just seasonal landscapes - maybe the winter picture below is of Stellan Sagviks' car?

It is mostly genial and ingenious music; easy listening but not simplistic. The craftmanship of Britten comes to mind now and again; the horn concertino sounds close to his Serenade. The idiom of this composer is never abrasive, nor is it too bland.

Each concertino is characterful and they should be sought out by students building their repertoires. A group of them would be ideal for a music college/academy student concert.

Recommended as well worth seeking out. The taped interludes will certainly bring you smiles. PGW

Nosag has kindly supplied some helpful notes in English:

- - A kind of ear journey, with a light jokey attitude - - The word "landscape" in Swedish means both landscape and province, and "Svenska Låtar" is a big collection of Swedish folk tunes, 8000 melodies from all parts of Sweden, gathered in regional editions.
Sagvik has picked tunes from different provinces and different folk fiddle musicians and made new music from the "bricks" and gestures, making everything new.
In between the Concertini with tune material from different parts of Sweden (Scania, Bohuslania, etc) short soundscapes transport the listener to the next station.

Also two electro-acoustic pieces by Konret Buchla are included, containing other kinds of sound worlds -
or landscapes. A rough translation of the somwhat freeform text in the bookle ist: "Some landscape images - some resonances from Svenska Låtar, reshaped through my beak and knead to a summit mixture with sound frescos wandering through decades, weather, provinces, like a undecided thread, weaving, winding, straining, echoeing, rowing, whispering, sweeping, dinning and mannering... "