Tears of Stone: Jon Leifs 1899-1968

[madaboutmahler]

Listened to Reminiscence du Nord and Hekla for the first time this evening. AWESOME!

Reminiscence du Nord was incredibly beautiful. Very powerful and moving. The orchestration just with the strings was incredibly impressive too.
Hekla completely blew my mind! Must contain nearly every instrument possible! In addition to organ, choir, hammers, gun shots etc, I think I also heard the ondes martinot too! Out of this world, and yes John, I think I might have to listen to the Rite of Spring to calm down a little

INCREDIBLE MUSIC! This composer is definitely becoming one of my favourites! GENIUS!

[Cato]

To paraphrase a famous American:

What hath Leifs wrought?

LEIFSMANIA  0:)  continues with...

Hekla via YouTube with the claim "Fastest Rendition"  (Is that better?!)

http://www.youtube.com/v/y4iFB5iW7ks

[Mirror Image]

Listened to Reminiscence du Nord and Hekla for the first time this evening. AWESOME!

Reminiscence du Nord was incredibly beautiful. Very powerful and moving. The orchestration just with the strings was incredibly impressive too.
Hekla completely blew my mind! Must contain nearly every instrument possible! In addition to organ, choir, hammers, gun shots etc, I think I also heard the ondes martinot too! Out of this world, and yes John, I think I might have to listen to the Rite of Spring to calm down a little

INCREDIBLE MUSIC! This composer is definitely becoming one of my favourites! GENIUS!

Yeah, Hekla is a hell of a piece. I believe it uses 19 percussionists and of course the orchestra is huge. So, in a recording, it's no easy feat to capture all of these instruments, but I thought BIS have done an outstanding job. Imagine hearing this work live, Daniel. If you ever do, don't forget to bring your earplugs.

Reminiscence du Nord is, again, one of those works that sheds a different light on Leifs' musical personality. Also, as mentioned, there are many gems like this scattered throughout his oeuvre. I'm thrilled you enjoyed the music as much as I have.

[Mirror Image]

To paraphrase a famous American:

What hath Leifs wrought?

LEIFSMANIA  0:)  continues with...

Hekla via YouTube with the claim "Fastest Rendition"  (Is that better?!)

http://www.youtube.com/v/y4iFB5iW7ks

I wouldn't say a faster rendition would necessarily be "better" per se. I prefer a slow, festering build-up, but it might be nice to compare the Shao and Segerstam at some point. The Shao performance is a minute or so slower than Segerstam's whose performance clocks in a little over nine minutes. This performance you've posted here doesn't state who the conductor or orchestra are so I can't comment on that one since I actually haven't listened to it.

[lescamil]

That fast recording is with Paul Zukofsky, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Rekjavík Male Choir. I personally like the Segerstam most, as I mentioned before. The Zukofsky is too fast and loses some of its impact, the En Shao is too slow and lacks details. The Segerstam is that happy medium that fixes both of those issues. I'm just splitting hairs, though. If you don't know the piece at all, any of them will floor you!

[Mirror Image]

That fast recording is with Paul Zukofsky, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Rekjavík Male Choir. I personally like the Segerstam most, as I mentioned before. The Zukofsky is too fast and loses some of its impact, the En Shao is too slow and lacks details. The Segerstam is that happy medium that fixes both of those issues. I'm just splitting hairs, though. If you don't know the piece at all, any of them will floor you!

I like the slower tempi used by Shao and I don't think it lacks any details in the recording. All of the BIS recordings' audio quality is top-notch.

[Mirror Image]

Listening to Leifs' music is a truly special experience for me. His music sounds like no other composer's. From the opening bars of Geysir or Icelandic Folk Dances, you're catapulted into a different kind of world where convention is left by the doorway. He's an earthy Modernist where rituals, natural phenomenon, heartbreak, and rage are completely intertwined to form a cohesive whole.

[madaboutmahler]

Listened to two more Leifs pieces today: Dettifoss and Fine II. Both incredible! This composer really does amaze me, the landscapes he paints in his music are so evocative and powerful. Such a sense of beautiful nostalgia also, which is so moving. Really excited to continue exploring this composer's output!

[North Star]

Listened to two more Leifs pieces today: Dettifoss and Fine II. Both incredible! This composer really does amaze me, the landscapes he paints in his music are so evocative and powerful. Such a sense of beautiful nostalgia also, which is so moving. Really excited to continue exploring this composer's output!

Excellent, Daniel!
Leifs's musical landscape is definitely austere and rough, but that's not to say that it isn't also beautiful.

Now listening to the Requiem, an exquisite 5 min piece.

http://www.youtube.com/v/ncRi2iXZJEk

[madaboutmahler]

Excellent, Daniel!
Leifs's musical landscape is definitely austere and rough, but that's not to say that it isn't also beautiful.

Now listening to the Requiem, an exquisite 5 min piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncRi2iXZJEk

I think the contrasts in his music are just phenomenal! In a piece like Dettifoss, Geysir or Hekla, how he builds up the atmosphere very gradually and masterfully until everything is let loose like an explosion! Incredible music.

And yes, the Requiem is exquisite. Absolutely beautiful music.

[Mirror Image]

Good to see you're enjoying Leifs music Daniel and Karlo. He's so fantastic.

[Lisztianwagner]

I've enjoyed Leifs' music very much, it sounds incredibly powerfully emotional to me.
So far I've listened to Réminiscence du nord, Trois peintures abstraites, Geysir, Dettifoss and Hekla; I absolutely love the evocative, suggestive atmospheres and the enchanting landascapes depicted in those compositions, as well as the overwhelming energy and the intensity expressed; absolutely amazing. I was quite impressed by the orchestration, very brilliant and beautifully atmospheric, and in particular, by the great use of brass and percussion....it's incredible; in Geysir, that reminded me the Motiv des Sinnens of Wagner's Siegfried, so dark, mysterious and hauntingly thrilling!
I look forward to listening to more Leifs!

[Mirror Image]

Excellent, Ilaria. I had an inclination that you would enjoy the music.

[Lisztianwagner]

Excellent, Ilaria. I had an inclination that you would enjoy the music.

You were right, John. Was Leifs influenced by Wagner?

[Mirror Image]

You were right, John. Was Leifs influenced by Wagner?

Who wasn't influenced by Wagner in the early 20th Century. Of course, there are composers who purposely avoided his influence: Debussy, the members of Les Six, among others.

[springrite]

It is a shame that Iceland did not make it for the first time in its history. I was looking forward to LEIFS at full blast instead of looking at all the checkered flags and shirts that makes me dizzy.

[The new erato]

Who wasn't influenced by Wagner in the early 20th Century. Of course, there are composers who purposely avoided his influence: Debussy, the members of Les Six, among others.

I would say that by expressly aiming be not be influenced by him, they actually were. Taking the opposite direction of somebody actually mean they influence your position greatly.

[Mirror Image]

I would say that by expressly aiming be not be influenced by him, they actually were. Taking the opposite direction of somebody actually mean they influence your position greatly.

Late response, but I agree. You're influenced one way or another by something whether you embrace or oppose it. This thread sure looks rather lonely. Time to put some fire underneath it.

[madaboutmahler]

Indeed, John.. may put on some Leifs tonight! Been ages..!!

[Mirror Image]

Indeed, John.. may put on some Leifs tonight! Been ages..!!

Remind me again, Daniel, what recordings you own of Leifs' music?