Scandinavia

Alfred Bösendorfer proves in many of his works his preference for folkloristic musical elements of different peoples or for typical characteristics of different cultural regions in Europe. They inspire him and at the same time guarantee the cross-border popularity of his oeuvre. In the work "Scandinavia" the composer chooses the free, rhapsodic form in order to undertake a sounding journey through the individual Scandinavian countries.

"Scandinavia consists essentially of four parts. Bösendorfer begins his journey in the far north, in Lapland. The prelude is a short march forward, with which the listener could associate the procession of reindeer on their pastures and the nomadic rags in summer. After only a few bars, this festivo flows into a delicate sound fabric of the woodwinds, which in the cantabile is characterized by a religious characteristic.

After repeating the opening music, the composer takes us to Sweden in the second part. Here Bösendorfer implies a peasant folk festival with sometimes melancholy dance styles. Characteristic for this part of the work are long lying tones and sounds. They are reminiscent of the drone of a bagpipe and of repetitive melodic turns that give the listener the impression of a hurdy-gurdy.

The third part of the composition takes us to Norway. Dark chords in the brass instruments, expressive solos of the woodwinds, a wonderful cantabile and a contemplative pensioroso express fullness and vastness. Beautiful, rich harmonies and tender melancholic lyricism remind us of the great Edvard Grieg, whose 100th anniversary of death the music world commemorated in 2007.

In the fourth part we leave the deep forests and streams of Norway and mingle in an exuberant festival of young carefree people in Denmark. The composer expresses exuberant joie de vivre and fiery, Slavic-looking dance forms through a variety of contrapuntal voices, colourful orchestration and lush melodies.

With "Scandinavia" Alfred Bösendorfer has succeeded in creating a work that can be regarded as an enormous enrichment of literature, especially in the middle and upper school sector.