Dag Wirén's Serenade for Strings of 1937 became widely popular in the UK when its main theme was used as the signature tune for the BBC arts programme Monitor in the early 1960s.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in December 2016 at Hardemo Church in Örebro, Sweden, with Sean Lewis as producer, engineer, and editor.
Composer Biography
Dag Wirén, the composer, studied at the Stockholm Conservatory from 1926 to 1931 and later in Paris from 1931-34, where he met Stravinsky.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dag Wirén aimed to compose music that appealed directly to listeners rather than challenging them, a characteristic evident in most of his earlier works.
Performer Biography
The Wirén Quartet was formed in 1994 and its members, Hans Elvkull (violin) and Linn Elvkull (viola), also play in the internationally renowned Swedish Chamber Orchestra.
Compositional Technique
Dag Wirén's later instrumental works show a personal approach to the 'metamorphosis' principle, a compositional technique also pursued by his Danish contemporary Vagn Holmboe.
Composition History
Dag Wirén withdrew his First String Quartet and First Symphony, and they remain unavailable for performance.
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