Edvin Kallstenius
Edvin Kallstenius (born in Filipstad 29 August 1881, died Stocksund, Stockholm 22 November 1967) was a Swedish composer and librarian.[1] He arranged the traditional folk tune used as the de facto national anthem of Sweden, Du gamla, Du fria.[2]
Life and career
Kallstenius studied natural sciences at the Lunds universitet, then music at the Leipzig Conservatory under Stephan Krehl from 1904-1907. As music librarian at Swedish Radio from 1928-46 he made a significant contribution in the field of music administration in Sweden.[3]
He also served on the Board of the Society of Swedish Composers from 1933-1961 (Treasurer 1933-1943) and was on the board of the Swedish Performing Rights Society from 1932-1957.[1]
In addition to arranging Du gamla, Du fria, his work includes five symphonies and eight string quartets. He also published an annotated catalogue of Swedish orchestral works.[4]
Kallstenius achieved an individual style and avoided using only tonal language by devising intense melodies reinforced with imaginative harmony.[1] He declared that his "musical religion is called harmonics – everything else is secondary" and from this basis he worked out his 'meticulously declamed themes'.[3] Although in later works he employed his own personal interpretation of serial style he also composed charming versions of older Swedish music.[3]
Selected compositions
- Symphonies 1-5
- Four Sinfoniettas
- Piano Concerto, op 12 (1922)
- Cello Concerto, op 40 (1951)
- En serenad i sommarnatten op 10 (1918)
- Dalarapsodi op 18 (1931)
- Swedish Rococo Suite (1932)
- Suite for 14 wind instruments and drums (1938)
- Cello sonata, op 6 (1907)
- Violin sonata, op 7 (1909)
- String quartets 1-8
- Clarinet quintet, op 17 (1930)
- Choral works: Stjärntändningen, op 38, Hymen, o Hymenaios, op 45, Sångoffer, op 32
References
- 1 2 3 Svenskt Musik/Swedish Music Information Centre http://www.mic.se/avd/mic/prod/micv5eng.nsf/docsbycodename/start
- ↑ Grove, George and Stanley Sadie (1980). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Macmillan Publishers, ISBN 978-0-333-23111-1
- 1 2 3 Percy G. Leading Swedish Composers of the 20th Century. In: Swedish music – past and present, special edition of Musikrevy. STIM & Swedish Institute for Cultural Relations Abroad, Stockholm, 1966.
- ↑ Kallstenius, Edvin (1948). Swedish Orchestral Works: Annotated Catalog. Stockholm: Nordiska Musikforlaget
External links
- Edvin Kallstenius via Classical Composers database
- biography and review via Classical Music on the Web
- Free scores by Edvin Kallstenius at the International Music Score Library Project