Wiren: Chamber Music, Vol. 1

Featuring

Stefan Bojsten
Dan Almgren
Torleif Thedéen
Stockholm Arts Trio
Dag Wirén

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

The Stockholm Arts Trio, formed in 1986, made an acclaimed debut performing Ludwig van Beethoven's Triple Concerto with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Dag Wirén stated his musical credo in 1945: 'I believe in Bach, Mozart, Nielsen and absolute music,' which explains his limited output of vocal music.

Compositional Technique

In 1943, Wirén began using a 'metamorphosis technique' where thematic material is continuously transformed throughout a work, sometimes becoming almost untraceable to its origin.

Recording & Production

The two Piano Trios, Op. 6 and Op. 36, featured on this album, had never been commercially released before, despite Wirén considering Op. 36 one of his best works.

Compositional Technique

Wirén's musical phrases are typically short, often only one or two bars long, contrasting with the Romantic tendency towards longer melodic units.

Cultural Impact

Wirén's Serenade for Strings, Op. 11, is the most recorded Swedish piece ever, even being used as a theme tune on the BBC and recorded with traditional Chinese instruments.

Composer Biography

Dag Wirén, a Swedish composer, was initially a student of organ, piano, and composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, which was a rather conservative institution at the time.