Hans Eklund(1927-99): a Catalogue of the Complete Music

[Dundonnell]

It gives me particular pleasure to post this catalogue, firstly because, as far as I am aware, such a list has never appeared anywhere before on the net, and secondly because Eklund is a quite scandalously neglected composer. As has been discussed elsewhere on this site, it is quite remarkable that so much attention is given to the music of Allan Pettersson while Eklund is virtually ignored. Anyone attuned to Pettersson's sound world should appreciate Eklund. There are three Eklund symphonies-No.1 in two different performances- available for download from this site and I fervently hope more can be added. The Symphony No.6 "Sinfonia senza Speranza" is-in my opinion-a magnificent work.

HANS EKLUND: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL MUSIC

1951:      "Festspel" for orchestra
1951/58:Musica da Camera IV for Piano and Chamber Orchestra: 14 minutes
1952:      Variations for String Orchestra: 12 minutes
1953:      Symphonic Dances for orchestra: 17 minutes
1955:      Musica da Camera I for Cello and Orchestra: 17 minutes
1956:      Musica da Camera II "Art Tatum In Memoriam" for trumpet, piano, percussion and strings: 19 minutes
1957:      Musica da Camera III for Violin and Chamber Orchestra: 18 minutes
1958:      Symphony No.1 "Sinfonia Seria": 21 minutes    *
1959-60:Music for Orchestra: 17 minutes    + (Swedish Society Discofil cd)
1960:      "Bocetos Espagnoles" ("Spanish Sketches") for chamber orchestra:16 minutes
1962:      Introduzione, versioni e finale for string orchestra: 22 minutes
                Cantata for "Sandvikens jernverks" 100th Anniversary for reciter, soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra: 27 minutes
1964:      Symphony No.2 "Sinfonia Breve (In Memoriam)": 16 minutes
                "Facce" for orchestra: 10 minutes
1965-66:Interludio for orchestra: 9 minutes
1966:      Tocatta for orchestra: 8 minutes
1967:      "Primavera" for small string orchestra: 8 minutes
1967-68:Symphony No.3 "Sinfonia Rustica": 14 minutes   *
1969:      Pezzo Elegiaco for Cello and Chamber Orchestra: 8 minutes
1970:      Oboe Concerto
                Musica da Camera VI for Oboe and Small Orchestra: 15 minutes
1971-72:Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra: 10 minutes   +  (Swedish Society Discofil cd)
1972:      Concerto for Trombone, winds and percussion: 11 minutes   + (BIS cd)
                Introduzzione for Harpsichord and Strings: 10 minutes
1973-74:Symphony No.4 "Hjalmar Brantig in Memoriam" for narrator and orchestra: 16 minutes
1974:      Little Serenade for wind orchestra: 7 minutes
                Variazioni Pastorali for strings: 16 minutes
1975:      Lamento for chamber orchestra: 4 minutes
1977:      Symphony No.5 "Quadri": 18 minutes
                Chamber Concerto for Violin and Strings: 11 minutes
1977-78:Requiem for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra: 53 minutes  +  (Phono Suecia cd)
1979:      Concerto for Horn and Chamber Orchestra: 12 minutes
1982:      Concerto for Tuba and Wind Orchestra: 20 minutes
                Musica da Camera VII for Clarinet and Strings: 13 minutes   + (Phono Suecia cd)
1983:      Symphony No.6 "Sinfonia senza Speranza": 23 minutes   *
               Concerto For Clarinet, Cello, Strings and Timpani: 19 minutes
1983/92:Symphony No.7 "La Serenata": 25 minutes
1984:      Symphony No.8 "Sinfonia Grave": 23 minutes
1985:      Concerto Grosso for String Quartet and String Orchestra: 20 minutes
1986:      Divertimento for orchestra: 16 minutes
1987:      Fantasia breve for orchestra
                Piccola Serenata for wind band: 10 minutes
                "L'Estate" for strings: 11 minutes
1988:      Due Pezzi for orchestra "Zur Musik hab' ich Lust gehabt"
1989:      Mesto for string orchestra: 7 minutes
1990:      "Apertura" for orchestra: 9 minutes
1992-93:Symphony No.9 "Sinfonia Introvertita": 25 minutes
1994:      Symphony No.10 "Sine Nomine": 23 minutes
1994-95:Symphony No.11 "Sinfonia Piccola": 28 minutes
1995-96:Symphony No.12 "Frescoes"
1996:      "Toccata ostinata" for orchestra
                "Hotch-Potch: a Little Fun Music" for small string orchestra
1997-98:Symphony No.13 "Sinfonia Bianca-Negra"
1998-99:"Ferro e idillio" for orchestra

[Balapoel]

Chamber

   String Quartet No. 1, 1950
   String Quartet No. 2, 1951
   String Quartet No. 3, 1960
   String Quartet No. 4, 1965
    4 stycken, bn, 1973
    Miniatyrer, cl, 1973
    4 bagateller, ob, 1973
    Toccata e ciacona, vc, 1974
    Canto–Presto–Ostinato, va, pf, 1975
    Mazersk serenad, pf qnt, 1978
    Serenata per cinque, brass qnt, 1979
    Sonata solo-vn 2, 1981
    Serenata per dieci, wind qnt, brass qnt, 1982
    Elegia, db, 1983
    Serenata, 12 va, 1986
    Duo, gui, pf, 1987
    Piccola serenata, 4 tpt, 2 hn, 2 trbn, 2 tuba, 1987
    5 pezzi, cl, 1988
    Fyra humoresker, bn, 1989
    Serenata, fl, pf, 1990
    4 aspetti, cl, 1995

Opera/Incidental

   Moder svea (radio op), 1971;
   Den fula ankungen (1, K. Sundén, after H.C. Andersen), recit, 3 S, children's chorus, orch, 1976

Keyboard

Invocatio, org, 1979
Pezzo espansivo, pf, 1967
3 preludier, pf, 1974

Vocal

Requiem, S, Bar, chorus, orch, 1977–8;
IV canti, S, military tambourine, pf, 1981;
Homofoni (H. Gullberg), chorus, 1987;
Tre dikter om havet (Gullberg, G. Palm, H. Martinson), chorus, 1988;
Frammenti senza parole, vocalise, S, 1995

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Given the work list (once again, huge thanks to Dundonnell and supplemented by Balapoel) does not Eklund qualify not only as an unsung composer but also (and reason to lament) the least recorded one? In my own library, now filling the loft, I just have the deeply impressive Requiem and nothing else.

Naxos, for example, which aspires to be both truly 'global' and all-inclusive, could have a field-day here.