Orpheus in Town Dance Suite Op. 75 CB5 - Rosenberg/Arr: Johansson

ORPHEUS IN TOWN - DANCE SUITE OP. 75

Orpheus In Town. In 1936 the Stockholm Concert Hall was given its most distinguished artistic adornment Carl Milles Orpheus fountain. A Greek god lets his voice and the sounds of his lyre float over the rush and bustle of the big city far up in Ultima Thule. Two choreographers at the Stockholm Opera Julian Algo and Vera Sager had a brainwave. Why should Orpheus merely be a statue, a symbol of the beauty and inspiring power of music, why not give the myth about him its special Stockholm chapter as well? This is what happened:

On the stage we see the columned facade of the Concert Hall and in front of it the statue group with Orpheus and the eight enraptured listeners. Suddenly the figures come to life, jump down from their pedestal and dance into the crowd at the marketplace. Orpheus who is consumed by longing for Eurydice begins looking for his beloved, first among other well-known sculptures in town, then in restaurants and nightclubs. At last he thinks he recognizes her in a fashionable society woman and brings her to the Concert Hall. However, faced with the threat of having to spend her life in bronze at Orpheus side, she runs away. She wasnt Eurydice after all. Or was she?

For this ballet which had its first performance at the Stockholm Opera in 1938 Hilding Rosenberg wrote vital and entertaining music in a style which is unusually to the point, and with a bright and strong orchestration. The music in the Dance Suite from Orpheus In Town is taken from the dance scenes at the nightclub: guests and a bartender perform, finally also Orpheus and his entourage. (Presented by Bo Wallner)

The suite consists of:

1. Rhythm of the Times (2.00)
2. Bartenders Dance (1.30)
3. Girls Dance (1.00)
4. Dance of the Negress (2.30)
5. Trio Dance (1.30)
6. Tango (2.00)
7. Finale (1.30)

HILDING ROSENBERG

Hilding Rosenberg (18921985) was the first Swedish modernist composer, and one of the most influential figures in Swedish 20th century classical music. His teachers included Wilhelm Stenhammar (counterpoint) and Hermann Scherchen (conducting). After the First World War, he toured Europe and became a prominent conductor. With a composers stipend he went to Berlin, Vienna and Paris and had formative contacts with Schönberg and Hindemith. His output covers all genres, including 14 string quartets and eight symphonies as well as two piano concertos and four piano sonatas. He wrote a considerable body of work for the theatre (around 50 scores in total), including nine operas.

JERKER JOHANSON

(f. 1967) studerte slagverk, komposisjon og dirigering ved Musikhögskolan i Göteborg 1984-1990. I årene 1992-2004 var han sjefsdirigent og kunstnerisk leder for GöteborgsMusiken (nå Göteborg Wind Orchestra) og mellom 1998-2003 dirigent for Flygvapnets Musikkår. På plateselskapet Naxos har Jerker spilt inn mange plater med såvel populermusikk som seriøs musikk og han fordeler nå tiden sin mellom komponering, arrangering, dirigering og spilling av slagverk.