Atmospheriques Volume 1
Anna Thorvalsdottir (b. 1977)
Catamorphosis (2020)
Missy Mazzoli (b. 1980)
Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) (2016)
Daniel Bjarnason (b. 1979)
From Space I Saw Earth (2019)
María Huld Markan Sigfúsdottir (b. 1980)
Clockworking for Orchestra (2020)
Bára Gisladóttir (1989)
ÓS (2018)
Icelandic Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Bjarnason, Eva Ollikainen, Kornilios Michailidis
Members of ISO Youth Orchestra
The Bell Choir of Reykjanesbær Music School
rec. 2021/22, Nordurljós Recital Hall, Harpa Concert Hall; Eldborg Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland
Recorded in DXD at 24 bit, 352.8 kHz in Native 7.1.4
Sono Luminus DSL-92267 CD/BD-A [59]
A phenomenon of recent years has been the emergence of a school of young women composers from Iceland. The leader of this group is the outstandingly gifted Anna Thorvaldsdottir, who, year by year, produces astonishingly crafted orchestral works dissimilar to anyone else’s. The US-based company Sono Luminus has recorded all her orchestral music with this remarkable orchestra from Reykjavik. I have heard this orchestra a couple of times on their international touring and, on each occasion, it played music by Thorvaldsdottir.
I was enormously impressed when I heard the 2021 premiere of Catamorphosis at the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of their Music Director, Kirill Petrenko. The composer writes here about her inspiration in composing it: ‘The core inspiration behind Catamorphosis is the fragile relationship we have to our planet. The aura of the piece is characterized by the orbiting vortex of emotions and the intensity that comes with the fact that if things do not change it is going to be too late, risking utter destruction – catastrophe. The core of the work revolves around a distinct sense of urgency, driven by the shift and pull between various polar forces – power and fragility, hope and despair, preservation and destruction.’
The work opens with a great rumbling on the percussion, and the piano enters on a low bass note; the listener has the sense of being in an underground chamber with dark, threatening objects. Suddenly, pulsating energy comes from the woodwind and fluttering imagery on the flutes, as if engaged in a struggle for life; there emerge menacing harmonies from the double basses and cellos, rising to a great climax on the percussion before plateauing against shimmering slabs of sound. The magical sliding on the violins conjure images of a great object flying through space on a voyage of discovery. There is a reprise of the rippling effects on the percussion and a slow decrescendo before an amazing outburst harkens the return of the mysterious fluttering voices, bringing this piece to a chilling close.
The American pianist and composer Missy Mazzoli has emerged as an acclaimed musician in recent years; most notably, Ricardo Muti appointed her Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2018-2021) and was named ‘2022 Composer of the Year’ by Musical America. Mazzoli has enjoyed success across diverse genres – in opera, the concert hall and, most improbably, in rock clubs. Her creativity embraces a sound world ranging from luscious harmonies to esoteric compositions and has attracted a huge audience of listeners.
Composed for the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2014, rescored for larger ensemble two years later, and performed at the 2017 BBC Proms, Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) begins on descending chords with hints of themes from classical music, which flow in and out of the texture of a score which is at times one of great lyrical beauty. This is prevalent especially on the captivatingly verdant strings, flutes and brass. Suddenly, piano chords assisted by the trumpets and trombones inject energy and excitement contrasting with snapshots of beauty. The clarion calls from the brass accompanied by intense strings creates a massive propulsive force, before the piano brings tranquillity, the conflicting harmonies of the strings reprise the opening passages and, unexpectedly, we hear a threnody on the solo violin and an unexpected close.
The conductor and composer Daníel Bjarnason has written in diverse genres and collaborated with musicians such as Brian Eno, Ben Frost, Sigurrós, Martin Grubinger, Pekka Kuusisto and Víkingur Ólafsson. Science fiction fans will love Bjarnason’s piece that could have been written for 2001 – A Space Odyssey and invokes flying through the cosmos. Bjarnason uses a range of effects in an exciting work that reminds one of Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna. Indeed, this work was written to celebrate the anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar mission.
From Space I Saw Earth opens mysteriously on strings and woodwind as if invoking an approaching threatening force and of great cosmic bodies passing by. This impressive passage is reprised before the strident brass and luxurious strings produce luxuriant sonic harmonies in textures of layered sound, of forces rising and falling, and bells invoking falling stars and comets captured in marvellous orchestral colours. Bjarnason introduces an unusual orchestral device of a single piano chord heard against the violins – producing a chilling transformation before strangely disappearing into silence. The final passage employs musicians playing crotales, creating a strange, mysterious effect.
Another Icelandic composer praised in the US is María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, who has composed in diverse genres ranging from choral music, dance ensemble, visual arts and the cinema. She started her professional career with the band amiina in 1999 and took part in Sigur Rós world tour between 2000 and 2008. The New York Times rated her piece Loom among the top 25 classical music albums in 2019 and it was nominated for a Grammy best performance award in 2021. It was originally written for Baroque string trio and harpsichord and rewritten for full orchestra.
Clockworking for Orchestra opens on shimmering strings and woodwinds invoking a rustling effect that rises to a climax prior to a passage on the violins conjuring up the sense of awakening in a strange unknown world. The vision is swept away by the rhythmic beat of violins and the double basses like a growing organism. The atmosphere breaks with the marimba to a rhythm that is echoed by the whole orchestra. This magical effect comes to a mysterious culmination on the xylophone.
Bára Gísladóttir is another composer who shares her creative career with performance – in her case, as a double bass player in Copenhagen. She studied composition in Reykjavik, Milan and Copenhagen, and her compositions have been performed at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Darmstadt, the Warsaw Autumn Festival and the KLANG Festival, among others. She frequently performs her own music and collaborates with Skuli Sverrisson and in the Elja Ensemble.
Gisladottir’s ÓS (Icelandic for mouth or estuary) begins with a rustling effect on the percussion contrasted by the woodwind screeching hints of Bartók – perhaps of a lonely nocturnal voice. An unusual effect of loud thumping on metal sheets leads to a climax interrupted by threatening tuba intonations accompanied by resonant sounds from the cellos and double basses, sliding effects on violins, and the brass explodes with loud sonic bursts that rises to a climax before ending in silence.
The performances on the recording are outstanding and played with great virtuosity, especially from the percussion group and stunning playing from the violins and woodwind under the direction of Daniel Bjarnason, and in the latter’s piece we hear three ensembles directed by three different conductors. The recordings are state-of-the-art, and the release offers alternative versions on a Blu-ray and on CD with high-quality sound. The best of these performances is available on the Blu-ray disc.
The album cones with a 16-page booklet with notes in English by Doyle Armbrust about the music, biographies and photos of the composers and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. This is a very enjoyable recording and obligatory for followers of Icelandic music and to aficionados of contemporary music.
Gregor Tassie
Previous review: Gwyn Parry-Jones (June 2023)
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