Jórunn Viðar's ballet Ólafur Liljurós, based on an old Nordic ballad, explores an individual confronting inner demons rather than a simple good-versus-evil narrative.
Composition History
Jónas Hallgrímsson's Picture Book, with music by Páll Ísólfsson, was a nationalistic work stimulated by Iceland's 1944 independence from the Danish crown.
Performer Biography
Rumon Gamba, the conductor on this album, was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 2002 to 2010 and has recorded exclusively for Chandos Records for over twenty years.
Composer Biography
Páll Ísólfsson, the first director of the Reykjavík Music School, was an organist who served as cathedral organist in Reykjavík for almost three decades.
Historical Context
The 1943 Reykjavík performance of Ibsen's play, The Feast at Solhaug, with music by Páll Ísólfsson, was a gesture of solidarity during World War II, staged on Norway's national day.
Composer Biography
Jórunn Viðar, a composer of the next generation, studied at the Reykjavík Music School, then in Berlin, and later at the Juilliard School in New York.
Composition History
The ballet Eldur (Fire) by Jórunn Viðar was the first ballet for the new National Theatre in Reykjavík, premiering in May 1950.
You might also enjoy...
Parisian Ballets
Esa-Pekka Salonen Conducts Stravinsky
Copland: Grohg; Prelude for Chamber Orchestra; Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
American Classics: Aaron Copland; Billy the Kid; Rodeo; In the Beginning
