Swedish composers who played Chopin

When discussing Swedish composers Ludvig Norman and Wilhelm Stenhammar, we often bring up their studies of German music. Both were pianists, and in addition to the German repertoire, they were pleased to perform music by Frédéric Chopin. In their works for piano, we can hear Chopin’s piano technique, which provided them with opportunities for expression in their own music.

Here, we will get to hear Lifvets Åldrar (“Ages of Life”), a suite which Norman played himself on his final concert tour, and Nights of Late Summer, Stenhammar’s last piece for piano.

Chopin moved from his beloved homeland of Poland to live in Paris, where he focused on composing music for his instrument: piano. Polonaise-Fantaisie is one of his last major works. Variations on Là ci darem la mano made the young Chopin known throughout the European music scene, thanks largely to Robert Schumann’s review: “Hats off, gentlemen – a genius!”

As a bonus, Kiyo and guest cellist Klas Gagge will play rare cello music by Stenhammar and Norman. We will hear fragments from Stenhammar’s cello sonata, edited by Kiyo Wada based on Stenhammar’s notes for a cello sonata that was never completed. We will also hear Norman’s Lied ohne Worte, an unpublished piece he composed at the age of 15.

This concert is a collaboration with Friends of Stenhammar.