Four Centuries of Great Music January 7, 2024 Baroque Swedish & Italian Composers and Modern Icelandic Composers

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music and our first episode of this new year - we explore the baroque and the modern.  Today’s show is inspired by an album by the Icelandic group Barokkbandið Brák called Two Sides which was released back in September of 2022 on Sono Luminus.  This album presented two contrasting sides of their music-making. On the first of two CDs in the set they performed their core repertoire of Italian and Swedish Baroque music  But  the band Barokkbandið Brák also seeks to expand the repertoire for historical instruments by commissioning new works by up and coming Icelandic composers, and the second CD showcases new Icelandic music written specially for the ensemble.

So Today’s episode will be all music by Swedish and Italian baroque composers and modern Icelandic composers and during the show I will be playing music from the Barokkbandið Brák album Two Sides as well as music from other performers.

Let us open with a work performed by Barokkbandið Brák by the Swedish baroque composer Johan Joachim Agrell (1701-1767), his Violin Concerto in G major  (which by the way is a world premiere recording of this work).  It is in three movements marked Allegro, Largo and Allegro

Next is a work by Icelandic composer Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir called Quorum Sensing (2021) For 4 violins, viola, cello, double bass. This is again performed by Barokkbandið Brák from their album Two Sides. Sono Luminus

Next on this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music where we are celebrating the baroque music of Swedish and Italian baroque masters as well as contemporary music by Icelandic composers is Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for Strings in G Major, RV 151 "Alla Rustica”.  It is in three movements Presto, Adagio and Allegro

Martin Sieghart & Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra    Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni, Alla Rustica, Al Santo Sepolcro, l'Estro Armonico        Countdown Media/X5 Music Group


Next is music by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.  This work Tar is from her soundtrack to the movie Tar from 2022 and is in there movements marked Largo, Allegro and Moderato.    Hildur Guðnadóttir conducting the London Contemporary Orchestra Music from & Inspired by TÁR
Deutsche Grammophon


Let us close this first hour of music inspired by the album Two sides by Barokkbandið Brák featuring music by baroque Swedish and Italian composers and modern music by Icelandic composers with the late Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Suite from Sicario.  It is in three movements Target, Desert Music and Melancholia as performed by Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daníel Bjarnason from the album Jóhann Jóhannsson: A Prayer to the Dynamo    Deutsche Grammophon

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music and our first episode of this new year - we explore the baroque and the modern.  Today’s show is inspired by an album by the Icelandic group Barokkbandið Brák called Two Sides on which they performed music by Swedish and Italian Baroque composers and modern Icelandic composers.

Let’s open this second hour of Four Centuries of Great music dedicated to Baroque Italian and Swedish composers and modern Icelandic composers with Giuseppe Tartini’s 50 Variations on a Gavotte by Corelli here performed by Ruggiero Ricci from the album Tartini, G.: 50 Variations On A Theme by Corelli - Paganini, N.: 60 Variations On Barucaba    Ricci Collection

You have been listening to Giuseppe Tartini’s 50 Variations on a Gavotte by Corelli here performed by Ruggiero Ricci from the album Tartini, G.: 50 Variations On A Theme by Corelli - Paganini, N.: 60 Variations On Barucaba

Lets open this last half hour of Four Centuries of Great Music celebrating music by Swedish and Italian baroque composers and modern Icelandic composers with a performance of Anna S. Thorvaldsdóttir’s Hidden.  It is in 5 movements

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Hidden - I. Inwards
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Hidden - II. Our
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Hidden - III. Stay
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Hidden - IV. Rain
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Hidden - V. Past and Present


Performed by Justin Dehart from the album Rhizoma    Sono Luminus


Let’s close today’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music as we opened the episode with music by Johan Joachim Agrell, specifically his Sinfonia in A major op. 1 no. 3  which is in 3 movements Allegro, Andante and Allegro ma non presto


Johan Joachim Agrell: Sinfonia in A major op. 1 no. 3 - I. Allegro
Johan Joachim Agrell: Sinfonia in A major op. 1 no. 3 - II. Andante
Johan Joachim Agrell: Sinfonia in A major op. 1 no. 3 - IiI. Allegro ma non presto

Again performed by Barokkbandið Brák from their album Two Sides    Sono Luminus

We have some extra time on today's show so lets close with
Hildur Guðnadóttir Morter  featuring Hildur Guðnadóttir conducting the London Contemporary Orchestra from the album Music from & Inspired by TÁR
Deutsche Grammophon