Andreas Hallén

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Andreas Hallén

Johan Andreas Hallén (born December 22, 1846 in Gothenburg , † March 11, 1925 in Stockholm ) was a Swedish composer , conductor , music teacher and professor.

Life

Hallén received most of his musical training in Germany , including at the Leipzig Conservatory and during private lessons from Joseph Rheinberger . In addition to his artistic work, Hallén is mainly known in Sweden for his organizational work. He made sure that the Gothenburg Music Association was revived and the Stockholm Philharmonic Society was re-established. There he worked as a conductor between 1885 and 1895 and performed Bach's St. Matthew Passion for the first time in Sweden. He also founded the Philharmonic Society of Southern Sweden in Malmö in 1902 . He also worked as a music critic, wasKapellmeister at the Royal Opera in Stockholm and taught at the Conservatory of Music in Stockholm from 1909 to 1919 .

Stylistically he leaned on Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner . Hallén combined these influences with Nordic folk tunes, creating a style of music that was increasingly imitated in Sweden. His compositional work is usually seen as technically skillful, with the ability to write effective choral songs and orchestral works, but without personal idiosyncrasy.

Hallén wrote several operas such as Harald the Viking , Hexfallan (a later revision appeared as Valborgsmässa ) and perhaps his most important work, Waldemarsskatten . He also composed chamber music and choral songs, as well as symphonic works such as Die Toteninsel (inspired by a painting by Arnold Böcklin ) and Sphere Sounds .

Hallén's orchestral arrangements of Brahms' Hungarian Dances Nos. 2, 4 and 7 from 1894 are still part of the standard repertoire today .

Opus

Operas (selection)

  • Harald the Viking (1881)
  • Harald Viking (1884) revised Swedish translation by Harald the Wiking
  • Hexfallan (1896)
  • Waldermarsskatten (1899)
  • Valborgmässa (1902) reworking of Hexfallan

Oratorios and Masses (selection)

  • Ett juloratorium (1904)
  • Missa solemnis (1921)

Symphonic works (selection)

  • The Dead Island (1898)
  • Spherical Sounds (1905)
personal data
SURNAME Hallén, Andreas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hallén, Johan Andreas (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish composer, conductor, music teacher and professor
DATE OF BIRTH December 22, 1846
PLACE OF BIRTH Gothenburg
DATE OF DEATH March 11, 1925
Place of death Stockholm