Carl Wilhelm Eugen Stenhammar

Interlude

Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871–1927) was a Swedish pianist, conductor and composer. His compositions include incidental music, operas, concertos, two symphonies and choral works. Initially influenced mainly by Wagner and Bruckner, Stenhammar increasingly gave his music a Nordic tinge as well as melodic and rhythmic characters typical of Swedish folklore. The cantata Sången (The Song), completed in 1921, was Stenhammar's last major work and his combination of harmonic richness and contrapuntal skill ensured that it was warmly received.

The interlude, which connects the two halves of the work, is the only part frequently performed today. First, a serious and intimate atmosphere is created, then the music gradually unfolds in more and more powerful timbres. A noble chorale is heard in the middle, but neither this nor the subsequent, finely elaborated climax manage to change the prevailing mood of the subtle melancholy typical of late Romantic Scandinavian composers.

This arrangement by Franco Cesarini allows your audience to get to know this great composer, who is most unknown to them.