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

References

  1. 1 2 3 Svenskt Musik/Swedish Music Information Centre http://www.mic.se/avd/mic/prod/micv5eng.nsf/docsbycodename/start
  2. Grove, George and Stanley Sadie (1980). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Macmillan Publishers, ISBN 978-0-333-23111-1
  3. 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.
  4. Kallstenius, Edvin (1948). Swedish Orchestral Works: Annotated Catalog. Stockholm: Nordiska Musikforlaget

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 4/20/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.