Composer(s): Storm, Staffan
Conductor(s): Westberg, Erik
Label: Swedish Society
Genre: Choral - Secular
Period: Contemporary
Catalogue No: SCD1192
Barcode: 822359004412
Release Date: 02/2025

STORM, S.: Choral Works (Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble, Hellgren, Saur, Westberg)

For the first time, this album presents an extensive selection of Staffan Storm’s choral music. It is also the result of a long-standing collaboration with Erik Westberg and his Vocal Ensemble, who have regularly performed and commissioned new music by Storm in recent years.

The suite Aspects of Snow is based on old Japanese poems and has quickly established itself as a choral classic, with numerous performances throughout Sweden and internationally. Seelenherbst (Autumn of the Soul) for mixed choir and percussion is based on a selection of poems by Luise Büchner – sister of Georg Büchner, the author of Wozzeck. The poems form a cycle of five movements: the two outer movements depict a journey from winter to autumn, while the three middle movements evoke varied evening and night moods.

Nachtregen for solo viola and chorus sets two poems by Else Lasker-Schüler to music. Lasker-Schüler was one of the leading German writers in the decades following the turn of the 20th century and became famous for her expressionist poetry and vibrant performances.

Långt i försvunna tider (Far in Bygone Times) is inspired by three songs by Wilhelm Stenhammar – Stjärnöga, Flickan knyter i Johannesnatten, and Vore jag ett litet barn. Swedish Radio commissioned the work for the 150th anniversary of Stenhammar in 2021, and Swedish Radio Choir premiered it under the direction of Erik Westberg.

Tracklist

Storm, Staffan
Lasker-Schüler, Else - Lyricist
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Hellgren, Kim (viola)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
1 Nachtregen 09:47
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Hellgren, Kim (viola)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
Storm, Staffan
Korenori, Sakanoue no - Lyricist
Sozei, Takayama - Lyricist
Akahito, Yamabe no - Lyricist
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
2 I. At Tago Bay 02:09
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
3 II. In the early light 02:13
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
4 III. I look out and snow is falling 03:17
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
Storm, Staffan
Büchner, Luise - Lyricist
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Saur, Daniel (percussion)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
5 I. Frühlingsgruß 05:48
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Saur, Daniel (percussion)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
6 II. Die Mondesbrücke 04:29
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Saur, Daniel (percussion)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
7 III. Stille Frage 03:45
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Saur, Daniel (percussion)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
8 IV. Am Rheine 06:23
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Saur, Daniel (percussion)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
9 V. Herbstlied 07:46
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Saur, Daniel (percussion)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
Storm, Staffan
Runeberg, Johan Ludvig - Lyricist
Bergman, Bo - Lyricist
Heidenstam, Verner von - Lyricist
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
10 I. Stjärnöga 02:53
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
11 II. Flickan knyter i Johannenatten 02:35
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)
12 III. Vore jag ett litet barn 03:04
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
Westberg, Erik (Conductor)

Total Playing Time: 54:09