Jonathan Östlund: Imago
“Östlund’s 2019 double CD Voyages and 2020’s Mistral elevate him to the status of the 21st century’s Debussy.”– Jan Hocek (His Voice)
Jonathan Östlund (b.1975) is a Swedish composer who has recently been living in Romania and before that London before returning to his home country in 2021. He has manifested an avid interest for music from an early age and has pursued his passion with a BA and MA in Composition at the Luleå Tekniska Universitet, in Sweden. He has studied under the artistic guidance of Prof. Rolf Martinsson, Prof. Jan Sandström and Prof. Sverker Jullander, among others, and has so far completed over 100 works, including several orchestral pieces, a Violin Concerto and a Piano Concerto, and has been awarded many prizes in international competitions.
This new album follows the distinctive format of previous programs in that it features orchestral, vocal, choral, instrumental and chamber music. Östlund’s primary inspiration is nature which is brought out fully in beautiful Impressionist works such as L’eau de l’oubli and La nuit étoilee. He is also fascinated by the art of composing fantasies and paraphrases on classics and several are included here. A large team of soloists (several of whom also gave the world premieres of these works) were gathered in various locations, often having to work through lockdowns, to record this album. Östlund’s music is very accessible and tonal and often full of wit and humor, and is always atmospheric.
Track Listing
- Imago Theme (2:09)
- L'eau de l'oubli (5:14)
- Paraphrase on Bach's 'Sicilano' (2:33)
- Fantasia on Bach's Toccata in D minor
- Les Oiseaux et François (4:31)
- Arrangement of Reger's 'Mariä Wiegenlied' (2:38)
- La Neige de Noël
- Paraphrase on Bach's 'Komm süßer Tod, Komm selge Ruh' (3:11)
- La nuit étoilée (5:02)
- Mondspiegel: Fantasia on Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' mvt. 1 (3:18)
- Turquoise Spring (5:32)
- Rêve et Lune Duet (5:47)
- Night of June (6:49)
- Lumieres de jardin (3:10)
- Will-o'-the-wisp (5:10)
- Midnight Hour: fantasia on a Swedish Carol (2:19)
- Zephyr (6:54)
- Titania (4:32)
- Swedish Folk-dance
- Dance on Glowing Strings - Swedish Rhapsody
- La Sirena (6:15)
- Castel Caracal (4:41)
- A True Love of Mine - Fantasia no. 2 on Scarborough Fair
- I. Fantasisa on Swedish Folk-song (2:33)
- II. Fantasia on Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5 (1:13)
- III. Fantasia on Debussy's 'Afternoon of a Faun (3:39)
- IV. Fantasia on 'The Last Rose of Summer' (2:10)
- V. Fantasia on Mussorgsky's 'Promenade' Theme (2:35)
- VI. Fantasia on Mussorgsky's 'The Old Castle' (4:25)
- VII. Fantasia on Tchaikovsky's 'June' (2:51)
- Traumgewalt - I (2:37)
- Traumgewalt - II (2:49)
- The Jester (2:31)
- La Flûte Rêveuse (4:01)
- Imago Theme 2 (2:07)
Jonathan Östlund (b.1975)
Bouquet (Suite for Two Clarinets):
Reviews
“This is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Östlund’s music is highly beautiful, and he is lucky to have such a skilled group of performers. This is music of filigree beauty [which] traces a journey through the seasons.
” —Colin Clarke
“We always like [Östlund’s] albums. He combines a feeling of nature with some degree of mystery. All his albums bring pleasure and are easy to listen to — he’s trying to create a mood, so it’s often textured and impressionistic. It’s probably a lot of fun to play, as well.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“Listeners unfamiliar with Östlund may be pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of his works and the consistent quality with which he produces them. And all the performances, by a very large number of soloists and ensembles, are engaging and effective. Inviting and pleasant to listen to, staying firmly in a tonal universe.
” —Mark J. Estren
“Music that is attractive, full of wit and humour, and always atmospheric… beautiful Impressionist works, imaginative and accessible music.
” —John Pitt
