December Listings and Reviews
Press Release
From-Sweden.com
Christmas Traditions and Music From Sweden
Kungsbacka Trio * Poseidon Trio * Emperor Quartet * Mats Lidström
December is busy month in the From-Sweden calendar with a host of rising stars,
prizewinners and festive celebrations including three chamber music concerts at
Wigmore Hall, one of which is a special Christmas concert hosted by Mats Lidström.
The spirit of the 350-year-old Treaty of trade and friendship between the two
countries, which forms the cornerstone of the From-Sweden project, is embodied in
the collaborative mix of English and Swedish repertoire and musicians.
Hailed as one of the most outstanding ensembles of their generation, the
Kungsbacka Piano Trio comprises two Swedes, Malin Broman (violin) and Jesper
Svedberg (cello) and an Englishman, Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano). The Trio,
founded in 1997, takes its name from the town in which it gave its first performance
and is no stranger to the UK where it has performed in major concert halls and
venues throughout the country since being BBC Radio 3 Young Generation Artists in
2000. On Sunday 5 December at the Wigmore Hall, Kungsbacka performs William
Walton’s Sonata for violin and piano, Eugene Goossens’ Rhapsody for cello and
piano and Bo Linde’s Sonata à tre.
The English Emperor String Quartet and the all-Swedish Poseidon Trio offer an
impressive double bill programme at Wigmore Hall on 16 December: John Ireland
represents the English composers with Phantasy Trio and Piano Trio No. 2, while the
Swedish creative forces come from Henning Mankell (Notturno), Wilhelm
Stenhammar (String Quartet No 6) and Ludvig Norman (String Quintet in C minor).
The Poseidon Trio comprises the young cellist Claes Gunnarsson and violinist Sara
Trobäck (both principal players of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra) and pianist
Per Lundberg (professor of chamber music at the Royal College of Music in
Stockholm). The 12-year old Emperor String Quartet is still made up of its founding
members, Martin Burgess & Clare Hayes (violins), Fiona Bonds (viola) and William
Schofield (cello). Following the success of their Grammy nominated disc of Walton
Quartets Emperor has now embarked on a complete Martinu cycle for the Swedish
label BIS. Their live performances meet with critical acclaim throughout the UK,
Europe and north and South America.
The final From Sweden event of 2004 is From Sweden’s artistic director Mats
Lidström in true festive spirit hosting an evening of entertaining music, stories and
warming Swedish glögg. His guests include fellow cellists Tim Wells and Jakob
Kullberg, the Guildhall Gold Prize 2003 winner, soprano Susanna Andersson and
percussionist Johan Bridger 2004 winner of the Rikskonserter Soloist Prize. As well
as traditional Swedish Christmas Songs, the programme will feature Richard Rodney
Bennet’s Blues and Samba, works for cellos by Percy Grainger and an intriguing
“Christmas Cookies’ suite for voice and three cellos. These are compositions by
Mats Lidström inspired by recipes in his grandfather’s 1882 ‘Handbook for Swedish
Migrants’ to ensure they kept their ‘old world’ traditions alive in the ‘new world’. A
celebrity storyteller will also entertain with readings from Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish
Giant, and Tomten, the poem by 19th century writer Viktor Rydberg, beloved by
generations of Swedes, about the mischievous Christmas gnome who lives under
houses in Sweden all year until Christmas when he emerges with a sack load of gifts.
From-Sweden is an ambitious music project being staged in London over two
concert seasons 2004-2005 to celebrate Swedish and English music, composers and
artists, conceived by Mats Lidström and Roger Gifford and managed by Van Walsum
Management. The project receives support from the Swedish Institute, SEB
Merchant Banking, Rikskonserter and the Swedish Embassy in London amongst
others.
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Further press information about From-Sweden:
Debra Boraston
T. 020 7483 1950 E. debra@henrymoorestudio.co.uk
www.from-sweden.com
Wigmore Hall Box office: Tel. 020 7935 2141 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Kungsbacka Piano Trio - Sunday 5 December 11.30am
Poseidon Trio/Emperor String Quartet - Thursday 16 December 7.30pm
Swedish Christmas From Sweden - Tuesday 21 December 7.30pm