Lars Karlsson chose texts by Swedish Nobel laureate Pär Lagerkvist for his 'Seven Songs' due to their 'singing quality' and profoundly spiritual subjects, which resonated with his own artistic vision.
Performer Biography
Christoffer Sundqvist, the clarinetist on this album, is a leading clarinettist of his generation and a dedicated ambassador for contemporary Nordic music, with over 20 works written for him by various composers.
Composition History
The Clarinet Concerto was initially conceived with a connection to Nordic mythology and the clarinettist as a shaman, but this idea was later replaced by a more traditional concerto concept.
Composer Biography
Lars Karlsson's compositions span various genres, from chamber music and solo works to orchestral and vocal pieces, including an oratorio and an opera.
Composition History
The 'Seven Songs' were inspired by a proposal from baritone Gabriel Suovanen, for whom Lars Karlsson had long considered writing a vocal work.
Composer Biography
Lars Karlsson, the composer, was born in 1953 on Åland, an archipelago between Sweden and Finland, and studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Compositional Technique
In his Clarinet Concerto, Lars Karlsson uses fourths and fifths motivically, both harmonically and melodically, as a fundamental basis for the musical material, recalling an early career interest.
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