REDESCOPERIREA MUZICII CULTE SUEDEZE: COMEMORAREA A 150 DE ANI DE LA NAȘTEREA COMPOZITORULUI WILHELM STENHAMMAR
REDISCOVERING SWEDISH CULT MUSIC: COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF COMPOSER WILHELM STENHAMMAR

Summary/Abstract: As a composer, conductor and pianist, Carl Wilhelm Eugéne Stenhammar (1871-1927) represents a crucial national music symbol of Sweden. He proved his virtuosic talent by performing numerous concerts in Europe. Stenhammar was a chamber choir enthusiast as well, as he was a member of the Aulin quartet, for which he later renounced his European career. Stenhammar graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Stockholm as an organist in 1890, not as a conductor. Throughout his musical career he had numerous mentors, such as Marie Louise Oberg, Emil Sjögren, Heinrich Barth and Joseph Dente. Stenhammar was close to musical personalities like Jean Sibelius, Carl Nielsen, Ture Rangström and Tor Aulin. He collaborated with numerous Nordic writers for his librettos, some of the most important being Henrik Ibsen, Anna Boberg, Verner von Heidenstam, Daniel Fallström, Bo Bergman, Per Lindberg, or Jens Peter Jacobsen. Stenhammar was the mentor of many composers but the most famous out of all was Hilding Rosenberg. His career had a positive debut in the year of 1894. The composer received a lot of exposure and high praises after the premiere of his first piano concerto in b flat minor. His collaboration with the Danish manager Henrik Hennings started after the premiere of his piano concerto in Copenhagen. Stenhammar had the opportunity to work with exceptional conductors such as Carl Muck, Richard Strauss or Hans Richter. The most prolific period of his life is considered to be his stay in Göteborg, where he worked as conductor of the symphonic orchestra. Many musicians believe that Stenhammar made a reform regarding the musical life of the city through his contributions in developing the local orchestra and adding a new, innovative concert repertoire. He was awarded an honorific doctorate title in 1922, as a sign of respect from the authorities of the Göteborg University. His style is really hard to define and place in a certain sphere by musicologists, as their general opinion is that Stenhammar made use of way to many influences from other big composers such as the Viennese classics, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner, Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen in his creation thus his own originality and uniqueness faded away. Some of his most emblematic compositions (the two symphonies, Vårnatt, Sången, Romeo och Julia) will be discussed in this paper, along with a short biographical and stylistic analysis of this valuable Swede composer.

• Details
• Contents