Composer

:

Wilhelm Stenhammar

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Cantata

Compose Date

:

1921

Average_duration

:

35:30

Sången, Op. 44 is a choral work composed by Swedish composer Wilhelm Stenhammar. The piece was composed in 1914 and premiered on December 13th of the same year in Stockholm, Sweden. The work is divided into four movements and is scored for mixed choir, soloists, and orchestra. The first movement, titled "Vid havet" (By the Sea), is a setting of a poem by Swedish poet Verner von Heidenstam. The movement begins with a gentle, flowing melody in the orchestra, which is soon joined by the choir singing the poem's opening lines. The soloists then enter, singing a dialogue between a man and a woman, with the choir providing a lush harmonic backdrop. The movement ends with a return to the opening melody, this time sung by the choir. The second movement, "I seraillets have" (In the Seraglio's Garden), is a setting of a poem by Danish poet Adam Oehlenschläger. The movement begins with a lively, dance-like melody in the orchestra, which is soon joined by the choir singing the poem's opening lines. The soloists then enter, singing a dialogue between a man and a woman, with the choir providing a rhythmic accompaniment. The movement ends with a return to the opening melody, this time sung by the choir. The third movement, "Sången" (The Song), is a setting of a poem by Swedish poet Erik Gustaf Geijer. The movement begins with a solemn, hymn-like melody in the orchestra, which is soon joined by the choir singing the poem's opening lines. The soloists then enter, singing a dialogue between a man and a woman, with the choir providing a rich harmonic backdrop. The movement ends with a return to the opening melody, this time sung by the choir. The fourth and final movement, "Drömmen" (The Dream), is a setting of a poem by Swedish poet Gustaf Fröding. The movement begins with a haunting melody in the orchestra, which is soon joined by the choir singing the poem's opening lines. The soloists then enter, singing a dialogue between a man and a woman, with the choir providing a sparse, ethereal accompaniment. The movement ends with a return to the opening melody, this time sung by the choir. Overall, Sången, Op. 44 is a lush, romantic work that showcases Stenhammar's skill as a composer of choral music. The work's use of soloists and orchestra, as well as its incorporation of poetry, gives it a rich, multi-dimensional quality that is both moving and memorable.

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