Brilliant reviews of a brand new CD with my choral music in Sweden’s most prominent Music magazine: Opus. Ragnar Bohlin’s Vocal ensemble has recorded music that is either new or never before documented on CD.
Here’s a summery and translation:
SOPHISTICATED DRIVE!
Fredrik Sixten’s music is melodically enjoyable in the best sense.
Faith, Hope & Love
FREDRIK SIXTEN (b. 1962) knows how to manage the tonal warmth of the Swedish choral tradition. He is a prolific composer whose sacred music, especially with choir, has had a wide impact. It is is not difficult to understand if you listen to Faith, Hope & Love with its fine movements for choir a cappella.
Sixten’s teacher in composition, Sven-David Sandström, had from the beginning of the 1980’s begun to use a more melodic and romantic sounding tonal language. The lyrical sound can be heard even in these works – if the opening track Oh do not fear the darkness is clearly singable, Sixten develops a greater variety in the attractive four communion motets. Melodiousness is a recurring theme, but also a more refined harmony that is reminiscent of late Romanticism. Max Reger and Richard Strauss are not far away. In most cases, Sixten avoids more complex polyphony. The exception is the album’s longest and most
longest and most multifaceted track; Terra Mater, which offers reverent contemplation, intense polyphony and warm-sounding sincerity. The recording emphasizes the expansive reverberation of the room at the expense of detail. As many choral recordings, the sopranos dominate. Here it is primarily the tenors. Despite the imbalance, the choir is very good in this sonically sophisticated music. Moreover, Ragnar Bohlin knows how to maintain the necessary drive.
JÖRGEN LUNDMARK (originally in Swedish)
