Sublimation
Songs and dances from 18th Century Scandinavia
Ilektra Platiopoulou (mezzo-soprano)
The Curious Bards
rec. 2023, Théâtre des Quatre Saisons, Gradignan, France
Sung texts with French and English translations enclosed
Harmonia Mundi HMM905398 [64]
When I began my post-high-school studies at teacher-training college I happened to become closely acquainted with three of the leading young folk musicians in the Dalecarlian region, which then was, and still is, the part of Sweden where the tradition is most deeply rooted. Without being in any way a specialist, I have always felt that the folk music is an important inspiration and ingredient also in the classical music in all Scandinavia. The music of Grieg and Alfvén, to name but two, wouldn’t have existed without the folk music. The present disc gives a fascinating overview of the music of the people during the late 18th and early 19th century in Scandinavia – that is Norway and Sweden. The languages are very close – if we disregard certain dialects, the average Swede and Norwegian can converse more or less unimpededly – politically the two countries were in a union for almost a century, and there are many other similarities as well. It was indeed a natural choice for The Curious Bards to combine them.
The Bards really are a curious gang. They spent a full decade examining and researching the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland, and another four years with the same procedure of Scandinavia. They can with good reason be called musical archaeologists.
An important find was that there were no sociological borders between the rural population and the middle classes – they all listened to and danced to the same music. It has been said that music brings people together, and this research in Scandinavia seems to prove this.
What is extra-interesting is the choice of instruments. They are period, albeit recently made copies of the originals. The hardingfele, beautifully and lavishly decorated, is the typical Norwegian instrument, while the kontrabasharpa, like the hurdy-gurdy has a key mechanism but is played with a bow, was a common instrument in certain areas of Sweden. More about the instruments, and pictures of them can be found in the booklet, which also has insightful comments to each of the musical pieces – a real goldmine for the interested listener.
The majority of the music is dance music, and the dominating dance in Scandinavia at the time was polska, in triple meter with Polish origin, but there are springedanse, a waltz, a march and also a medieval Norwegian song – so it is a varied programme.
We get a knockout start with a pacy, intensively rhythmic Pollonese, dating to 1784. Most of the pieces are anonymous, but we know who compiled them. A few names are still well-known. Erik Gustaf Geijer, who was one of the most prominent cultural personalities of the first half of the 19th century in Sweden, wrote the text and the music of Konung Eric och Spåkvinnan (track 5). He was author, freemason, poet, philosopher, historian, member of the Swedish Academy, politician and composer. He set many of his poems to music, but also wrote piano music and some chamber music. He is best known in posterity for his little poem Tonerna from 1829, which he also set, but it is the setting by the otherwise little known Carl Leopold Sjöberg (1861 – 1900) who brought fame to the piece, especially through Swedish tenor Jussi Björling, who frequently sang it in his recitals and recorded it several times. Another literary celebrity was 18th century singer/songwriter Carl Michael Bellman, whose poetry also has been translated to English, in particular by Paul Britten Austin and Tom Fletcher. A number of Bellman’s songs has also been recorded by the eminent tenor Martin Best (review), a disc well worth acquiring for further knowledge of this period. It is also worth noting that Best accompanies on guitar and cyster, the latter a lute like instrument that Bellman also played. The third instance of international importance of a piece of music in this collection is Necken (track 14). This song about the mythological water sprite was quoted by Ambroise Thomas for Ophelia’s aria in the opera Hamlet (1868). The role was sung at the premiere by Swedish soprano Kristina Nilsson, and it was her own suggestion to use the folk song, which already was well-known in the Nordic countries.
There are no less than seven songs on this disc, and they are sung in the original Norwegian and Swedish by the Greek mezzo-soprano Ilektra Platiopoulou. She obviously has a marvellous aptitude for language, since her very clear enunciation sounds totally idiomatic – and some Scandinavian vowels are very difficult for non-native speakers.
Throughout the programme there is a wealth of beautiful melodies and fascinating rhythms, played with technical acuity and sensitivity. It is not only Scandinavians who should be interested in this issue – and don’t forget to read the liner notes!
Göran Forsling
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Contents
1 | Pollonese No. 74 [2’56]
compiled by Andreas Dahlgren, Tryserum, 1784
2 | Bruredansen / Paalsdans / Polsdans [4’13]
compiled by Johannes Nielsen Schodsberg, Aremark, 1822
3 | Spelaren [2’53]
Swedish song – text by Johan Elers, extr. Musiken till Glada Qväden, Stockholm, 1792
4 | Polonesse [4’38]
music by Anders Larsson, extr. Sexdregasamlingen, Västergötland, late 18th century
5 | Konung Eric och Spåkvinnan [2’49]
Swedish song – text and music by Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783-1847),
extr. Svenska folk-visor, Stockholm, 1814-1816
6 | Madame Trifes Liri e Dans [2’59]
compiled by Otto Collett, Modum, 1798
7 | 2 Springedans [3’20]
compiled by Ole Olsen Kruge, Kvelle, 1834
8 | Huldra å ’en Elland [5’33]
Norwegian song – extr. Essai sur la Musique Ancienne et Moderne,
compiled by Jean-Benjamin de Laborde, Paris, 1780
9 | Polsdans [1’46]
compiled by Ole Olsen Kruge, 1834
10 | Frieras a Ongkar’n te Gjente [3’15]
Norwegian song – extr. Samling af Sange, Folkeviser og Stev i Norske Almuedialekter,
compiled by Ludvig Mathias Lindeman, 1840
Norsk Dands extr. 40 melodier for tasteinstrument, compiled by Ebbe Carsten Henric von Coldevin, 1780
11 | 2 Polsdans [2’53]
compiled by Peder Pedersens, 18th century
12 | Pol. [2’45]
compiled by Ludvig Olsson, Danielshammar, 1772
13 | 2 March [3’11]
extr. Sexdregasamlingen, Sexdrega, 18th century
14 | Necken [4’52]
Swedish song – compiled by Arvid Afzelius, Stockholm, early 19th century
15 | Englis No. 2 [3’25]
compiled by Ole Aamodts, 1750
2 Riil
compiled by Johannes Nielsen Schodsberg, Aremark, 1822
16 | Signe Lita [2’51]
Norwegian medieval song
17 | Vals [2’59]
compiled by Ole Olsen Kruge, Kvelle, 1834
18 | Pollonoise No. 9 [3’24]
compiled by Andreas Grevelius, ca. 1780
Polonesse
compiled by Johan Eric Blomgren, Hässlunda, 1785
19 | Grannas Lasse! Klang på lyran [3’36]
Swedish song – music by Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795), extr. Fredmans sånger, 1791
Engels
compiled by Jacob Mestmacher, Bergen, ca. 1760
