Sandström: Sonnets of Darkness and Love

Nils Landgren & Swedish Radio Choir
Sandström: Sonnets of Darkness and Love

CD / digital

Nils Landgren trombone & vocals
Swedish Radio Choir
Kaspars Putniņš music director

ALBUM NOTES BY NILS LANDGREN

On October 18, 2018, I received an email from the Danish choir leader and former trombone colleague Mogens Dahl. He wrote: “I have this idea to have the Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström write a piece for mixed choir, plus your trombone and vocals — nothing else. As a former trombone player, I have a certain affinity for the instrument, and I really like the way you play and sing. Sven-David is unwell but is willing to start writing immediately. Can we meet, maybe at the publisher’s office?”

That was the beginning of this wonderful project. We met on November 13 at 10:00 a.m. at the office of the publisher Gehrmans in Stockholm, and it was a very special and heartwarming encounter. Mogens and the librettist, Jakob Holtze, were new acquaintances, but I already knew Sven-David from several events at the Royal Academy of Music, where we had often expressed mutual appreciation for each other’s work.

Despite his illness, Sven-David was full of energy, and it was an exhilarating experience to sit down with one of the great composers of our time, discussing a piece he would write specifically for Mogens’ choir and me, with lyrics curated by Jakob. What an incredible honor. On April 4, 2019, we received an email from the CEO of Gehrmans, Gunnar Helgesson, stating: “Astonishing news. Sven-David has already finished the piece! A scanned manuscript will be available at your next meeting.” On May 6 of that same year, I met with Mogens, Jakob, and Sven-David’s wife, Anne-Marie, at Dalen Hospital outside Stockholm. Sven-David, though visibly marked by his illness, still had a spark in his eyes. He showed us some of the music, and it was deeply moving to witness the master at work.

It was also the last time I saw him. On June 10, Sven-David passed away, surrounded by his family — a sad day indeed. I often recall something Sven-David said during our first meeting, a comment that lingers in my mind and still brings a smile to my face: “Your voice is really weird, but hey, it sounds good anyway, and I like it!” Perhaps Sven-David was right about my voice—it doesn’t appeal to everyone, but to some, it surely does. I feel deeply connected to this piece of music. Although Sven-David never got to hear it performed, his widow, Anne-Marie, once said he would have loved our version had he been around. That thought comforts me, as do the music and the lyrics chosen by Jakob Holtze—Shakespeare, Lorca, Nietzsche, and Sandström. What an extraordinary combination.

My next step was to contact Christian Kuhnt, the intendant of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, to gauge his interest in presenting the project. He was indeed interested. I then approached Östersjöfestivalen at Berwaldhallen in Stockholm, and the head of the concert hall, Staffan Becker, suggested we collaborate with the world-famous Swedish Radio Choir, who had a long and fruitful history with Sven-David Sandström. The ball was rolling. Then the pandemic hit, and everything came to an abrupt stop.

Years later, I was approached by the Swedish Radio. Would I consider taking up Sonnets again, with two performances in Berwaldhallen featuring the Radio Choir? I certainly would. This marked the start of a wonderful collaboration with the choir and the Latvian conductor Kaspars Putniņš. Both performances sold out and Swedish Radio P2 recorded them. What you hear on this album is live!

Nils Landgren, Skillinge, January 2025

Credits
Recorded live on March 15–16, 2024, at Berwaldhallen in Stockholm, Sweden
Recording Producer: Jens Braun
Sound engineer: Johan Hyttnäs
Mixing Engineer: Jens Braun
Mastering: Jens Braun FOH and sound adviser: Jan Ugand
Cover art by Mark Harrington