Snorri Sigfús
Birgisson:
Orchestral
Works
Symphony Orchestra
Coniunctio
Symphony Orchestra and
piano
Piano
Concerto
String Orchestra
Hymn
Coniunctio
Coniunctio
(1994) was commissioned jointly by the Composers' Fund of
the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service and the Society
of Icelandic Composers to mark its 50th anniversary (1995).
The piece was revised in the summer of 1999.
The alchemists sometimes used the word "coniunctio"
when opposite elements merged or when they tried to create
one metal by melting two different metals together. In
alchemists' treatises one can also read about triunity
("coniunctio triptiva"), and when the four elements
were united it was called "coniunctio tetraptiva".
Even though I don't know much about the alchemists I took
the liberty of borrowing this word "coniunctio" and use it
as a title for my work. In a musical composition there are
usually two things going on at the same time and sometimes
much more than that, but the important thing is to try to
melt everything together in order to create an undivided
whole.
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Piano
Concerto
This piece was commissioned by the
North Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Additional funds
were made available by Eimskip. The piece is dedicated to
Gudmundur Óli Gunnarsson and consists of 3 movements.
Between the first movement and the second movement there is
no brake and the second and third movements are joined
together by a solo-cadenza.
The first movement consists of different
kinds of material. Descriptive words like searching, with
feeling, playful, joyful, freely og delicately are to be
found in the score. The second movement is slow and mournful
but the last movement tries to reach the goal it has set for
itself.
The North Iceland Symphony Orchestra
under the direction of Gudmundur Óli Gunnarsson gave
the first performance of the piece in Akureyri on January
5th 1997. The solo-part was played by the
composer.
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Hymn
was originally (1982) composed with a
small string orchestra in mind ("The New String
Orchestra") but the piece can also be performed by a
large string orchestra. Further
information about
Hymn.
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