Alfvén's Swedish Rhapsody No.1, 'Midsommaruaka', was internationally regarded as a brightly coloured postcard, but its burlesque and realistic elements were often sacrificed in amended arrangements to attract tourists.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Alfvén associated himself with Swedish folk music, which later became one of his most striking stylistic features, evident in his folk-song arrangements for choir.
Performer Biography
Neeme Järvi, the conductor on this album, studied at the Leningrad Conservatory with two eminent figures of the period, Rabinovitch and Mravinsky.
Cultural Impact
The newly-founded Society of Composers used Alfvén's Swedish Rhapsody No.1, 'Midsommaruaka', as a test case for copyright laws, contributing to both the music's renown and the composer's livelihood.
Composition History
Alfvén's Swedish Rhapsody No.1, 'Midsommaruaka', was written in 1903 in Skagen, Denmark, while the composer was in love with Maria, the wife of painter Peder Severin Krøyer.
Composer Biography
At the turn of the century, Hugo Alfvén, the composer of the works on this album, was known as a serious, academic composer.
Composer Biography
Hugo Alfvén was a multi-talented artist, not only a brilliant composer but also a painter of sensitive watercolours and an author with a luxuriant style.
