January 29, 1928 in Stockholm, Sweden. Bengt Hambraeus dies on September 21, 2000 at his Hambræhill Farm in Glen
Roy Apple-Hill, near Montreal in Canada.
Basic biography
From 1944 to 1948 Bengt Hambraeus studied organ with Alf Linder. In the years from 1947 to 1956 he studied musicology with
Carl-Allan Moberg at the Uppsala University.
From 1957 until 1972 he worked with the Swedish Radio in Stockholm. In 1967 he became a member of the Royal Swedish
Music Acedemy and from 1972 he has been professor of musical composition and theory at the McGill University in Montreal,
Canada.
On his music
Bengt Hambraeus is basically a composer for the organ, notwithstanding his extensive output in other fields as well.
His music is related to the compositions of Anton Webern and Edgar Varèse and is influenced by Japanese
and European traditions as well.
Hambraeus was the first Swedish composer to work with electronic music. His organ music developed in new directions, and also
in his orchestral compositions he has experimented with new forms, such as the principle of "music in space", with different
groups scattered around the auditorium. Another feature in his music is the composition of 'families' of works (e.g. Constellations,
Rota, Invenzioni) that may be performed seperately or together.
The use of percussion instruments is essential in most of his compositions, using
a wide range such as bells, gongs, cymbals, church bells, etc. Apart from these explorations, there always is the sense
of tradition in his music, making him a composer with a very personal voice and one of the pivotal figures in the modern
Swedish music world.
Principal Works
1948 - Koralförspel Op.4, organ (contents: Christus ist uns selig macht;
Jesus Christus unser Heiland der den Tod überwand; Warum betrübst du mich mein Herz?; Es sungen drei
Engel; Ingen hinner fram till den eviga ron (Norwegian folksong).)
1947-49 - Toccata Op.7:1, piano
1948 - Toccata pro tempore pentecostes Op.12:2, organ
1948 - Music for ancient strings Op.15:3, cembalo and strings (8')
1948 - Konsert för orgel och stråkorkester Op.16, organ and strings (18-20')
1949 - Cantigas de Santa Maria Op.17, soprano, alto, baritone and 3 instruments
1949 - Kleine Musik Op.18:1b, Oboe, strings and timpani (8')
1949 - Musique pour trompette, violon et piano Op.18:2, trumpet, violin and piano
1949 - Introitus et Tritychon Op.19, organ (12'30)
1949 - Stringquartet nr.2 Op.21: A fancy homage to Henry Purcell, stringquartet (12')
1950 - Cantigas de Santa Maria Op.17b, mixed choir and organ
1947-51 - Concerto for organ and harpsichord , organ and harpsichord (16')
1950 - Recitativ och Koral, violin and piano (8'30)
1950 - Musik för orgel Op.24:2, organ (18')
1950 - Recitativ och Koral Op.25:1, violin, strings and piano (8')
1950 - Triptychon Op.26, mixed choir (10')
1950 - Kammarmusik för 6 instrumenter Op.28, flute, oboe, clarinet, alto-saxophone, viola and cembalo (10').
1951 - Cantata pro defunctis Op.32, baritone and organ (16')
1951-52 - Liturgia pro organo Op.24:3, organ (15')
1985 - Trio sonata, free bass accordion, trombone and prepared piano (17')
1985 - Variations sur un theme de Gilles Vigneault, organ (15'30)
1986 - Symphonia sacra in tempore passionis, soloists, mixed choir, winds and percussion (35')
(parts: 1. Traditio; 2. Inquisitio; Ad mortem; 3. Lux aeterna)
1986 - Three dances, free bass accordion and percussion (15')
1986 - Vortex per due pianoforti, 2 pianos (18')
1986-87 - Mirrors, tape
1987 - Apocalipsis cum figuris secundum Dürer 1498, bass, mixed choir and large organ
1987 - Canvas (meta-music) with mirrors, large organ and tape (17'30)
1987 - Five psalms, mixed choir (20'). Parts: 1. Cantate Domine (Psalt 97); 2. God be
merciful unto us (Psalt 67); 3. Laudate dominum (Psalt 150); 4. The earth is the Lord's (Psalt 24); 5. The heavesn declare
the glory of God (Psalt 19)
1988 - Après-Sheng, organ (9')
1988 - Cadenza per organo grande, large organ (9'30)
1988 - Cinque studi canonici per due flauti, 2 flutes (12')
1988 - Dos recercadas para guitarra y violoncelo, guitar and cello (8')
1988 - Echoes of loneliness: four choirs, mixed choir, viola and 1 percussionist (19'). Parts:
1. Hand of night; 2. Loneliness; 3. My mind dances; 4. Out beyond
1989 - Tiento para oboe y tres tomtoms, oboe and 3 tomtoms (2')
1991 - Loitsu: Incantation, soprano and piano (5')
1991 - Rondeau , guitar (9')
1992 - Concert for piano and orchestra, piano and orchestra
1992 - Missa pro organo: in memoriam Olivier Messiaen, organ (17-24', 2 versions)
1992 - St. Michael's liturgy, liturgist, mixed choir, community singing, 3 trombones,
electric bass, percussion and 2 organs (60')
1993 - Meteoros, large organ (10'30)
1993 - Organum Sancti Jacobi, large organ (10')
1993 - Songs of the mountain, the moon and television, choir and orchestra (16')
1994 - Due rapsodie, piano (24'30) parts: I.Con alcuni riflessi della tempesta di 31:2; II.
Quasi una leggenda drammatica
1994 - Triptyque pour orgue avec MIDI, In memoriam Michael Hambraeus, organ and midi (14'). Parts:
1. Nénies; 2. Pérepétie; 3. Dithyrambe
1994-95 - Sonate per cinque, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
1995 - A solis ortus cardine: variations sur une hymne de noël du Ve siècle,
organ (11'30)
1995 - Concentio, windensemble (3333 4331 12) and percussion (9')
1995-96 - Concerto per corno principale ed orchestra, horn and orchestra (3333 4331 14 1
strings) (32')
1996 - Klavidar, piano (8'30)
1996-97 - Archipel pour 15 musiciens-solistes, chamber orchestra (1121 1110 01 0 strings and
piano) (20')
1997 - FM 643765, large organ (15')
1998 - Labyrinth: a concerto grosso, 15 strings (5-4-3-2-1) (22')
1998 - Lukas IV: 23-30, mixed choir, liturgist and organ (6')
1999 - Riflessioni per organo grande, large organ (20')
2000 - Varianti per liuto, lute. Work commissioned by The Swedish Concert Institute.First performance
in February 2002 by Peter Söderberg, probably in Malmö (thanks to Göran Bergendal for this information).
