Hedwall, Lennart

Hedwall, Lennart, Swedish pianist, organist, conductor, teacher, writer on music, and composer; b. Göteborg, Sept. 16, 1932. He received training in organ and piano. He was a composition student of Back and Blomdahl at the Stockholm Musikhögskolan (1951–59), and also studied conducting with Mann and in Vienna with Swarowsky He also pursued composition studies abroad with Former, Krenek, and Jelinek. He conducted at the Riksteatern (1958–60), the Stora Teatern in Göteborg (1962–65), the Drottningsholmteatern (1966–70) and the Royal Theater (1967–68) in Stockholm, and with the Örebro Orchestral Foundation (1968–74). After teaching at the Göteborg Coll. of Speech and Drama (1963–67), he taught at the school of the Royal Theater in Stockholm (1968-70; 1974-80; 1985-97). He also served as director of the Swedish National Music Museum in Stockholm (1981–83). As a performing musician, he was very active as an accompanist. His writings include 2 books on Alfvén (monograph, 1973; pictorial biography, 1990), a study of the Swedish symphony (1983), and a pictorial biography of Peterson-Berger (1983). The idiom of his music ranges from the traditional to the audaciously modern.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Herr Sleeman kommer (1976-78; Örebro, March 16, 1979); Amerika, Amerika (1980–81). ORCH.: 4 pieces for Strings (1950–69); Oboe Concerto (1956; Swedish Radio, Dec. 21, 1961); Variazioni piccoli (1958); Canzona for Strings (1965); Concerto for Cello and String Orch. (1970); Fantasia on Veni redemptor gentium for Strings (1972); Uvetyr till Fortunios visa (1980); Sagan, symphonic fantasy (Örebro, Sept. 13, 1986); Jul igen en Uten tid: En lätt säsongsbetonad rapsodi (1992); Concerto for Flute and Strings (1996); Sym. No. 1, Sinfonia retrospettiva (1996–97). CHAMBER: 2 string trios (1952, 1960); 2 sonatas for Solo Flute (1954; 1989-90); Trio for Flute, Viola, and Cello (1955); Sonata for Solo Violin (1957); Partita for 13 Winds (1961); Trio for Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1962); Wind Quintet (1965); String Quartet (1965); 2 sonatas for Solo Bassoon (1977, 1992); Circuii II for Cello (1980); Arioso for Flute and Organ (1982); Une petite musique de soir, wind sextet (1984); Sonata for Solo Oboe (1990); Sonata for Solo Clarinet (1991); Vârvinter, alto saxophone sonata (1994–95). keyboard: piano: Sonata (1960).o r g a n: 2 suites (1958-59; 1970); Sonata (1971); Triptyk (1984). VOCAL: Lyric Music for Soprano and Orch. (1959); cantatas; choral pieces; songs

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntireDM