Morthenson, Jan b1940

[Alison]

I remember a university friend being into his music.

Recordings I heard spoke of a fresh and engaging composer with an affinity for instrumental timbre.

Someone I’d now like to investigate further.

Any views or suggestions gratefully received.

[Padraig]

I found this Alison. It might fit your phrase 'affinity for instrumental timbre' quite well.
I watched to see what the woman in the ensemble was playing, but could not decide. Maybe next time.
I can't give much of a view, but I'm glad you asked. I got something out of listening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AeJtLYcSeM

[Alison]

I found this Alison. It might fit your phrase 'affinity for instrumental timbre' quite well.
I watched to see what the woman in the ensemble was playing, but could not decide. Maybe next time.
I can't give much of a view, but I'm glad you asked. I got something out of listening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AeJtLYcSeM

Cheers. As before I find the ear is led on.

[Serial_Apologist]

Cheers. As before I find the ear is led on.

But I found, not very interestingly, following on from that Lontano-styled opening. The electroacoustic piece with the erotic ballet video accompanying which followed on my computer was more interesting, I thought. But thanks for introducing me to a new name. Shame the composer's WIKI entry is in Swedish, without any apparent facility for translation.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Wiki, via Google (plus a little ferney help)

Jan Wilhelm Morthenson , born April 7, 1940 in Örnsköldsvik , is a Swedish composer .

Biography
Morthenson studied with Runar Mangs and Ingvar Lidholm . He also studied aesthetics at Uppsala University and with German music theorist Heinz-Klaus Metzger whose critical avant-garde ideas meant a lot for Morthenson.

Mortheson has been very active in Swedish music life through writing articles in daily newspapers and professional periodicals and his talks on Sweden's Radio. He was elected as a member of the Swedish Association of Composer in 1965. He was a member of the Board of Electronic Music Studies (EMS) 1973-1975, chairman of the Swedish section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) 1974-1975, Vice Chairman of the ISCM Presidium Council 1975-1978 and Chairman of the Council 1975-1976.

The man behind the nonfigurative music as well as the metamusics; the latter for which he should be considered the most mentioned in Sweden. Internationally, it is nonetheless the non-figurative music - which is clearly inspired by the music philosopher Theodor Adorno - who established him. [Your guess is as good as mine!]

Morthenson is a very productive composer. He has in addition to works in the above-mentioned styles composed a significant number of electroacoustic works. He is a diligent visual artist and a particularly diligent debator.

Awards:
1977 - Great Christ Johnson Prize for Morendo
1985 - Rosenberg Prize

Works:
Sinfonia da camera op. 1, for chamber ensemble (1960)
Wechselspiel I for cello (1960)
Coloratura I for string orchestra (1961)
Canzona for 6 driving groups and 2 percussionists (1961)
Wechselspiel II for Flute (1961)
Wechselspiel III for piano and percussion (1961)
Chains - Mirrors , Electroacoustic Transformations for Female Voices (1961/63)
New Organ Music for Organ (1961-73)
"Some of These ..." (1961/63)
"Pour Madame Bovary" (1962/1973)
"Encores" (1962/73)
"Eternes" (1964/73)
"Decadenza I", metamusic (1968/73)
"Farewell", Metamusic (1970/73)
Coloratura II for chamber orchestra (1962)
Courante I; II; III for the piano (1962)
Coloratura III for chamber orchestra (1962/63)
Antiphonia I for chamber orchestra (1963)
Coloratura IV for the orchestra (1963)
Antiphonia II for chamber orchestra (1965)
Neutron Star , Electroacoustic Music (1967)
Colossus , metamusic for major orchestra (1970)
Decadenza II for the orchestra (1970)
Senza , metamusic for string orchestra (1970)
Antiphonia III for chamber orchestra (1970)
Ultra Electroacoustic Music (1970)
Labor , Metamusic for Chamber Orchestra (1971)
Life by complesso da camera ed orchestra for tenor and orchestra for nonsenstext (1972)
Video 1 , 8-stroke synestes eters (1972)
Down for Flute (1972)
Five Pieces for Orchestra Orchestra (1973)
All marcia for women's choir and orchestra (1973)
Soli for blue quintet (1974)
Anticanti for mixed choir with 6 solo or string orchestra with 6 solo or mixture thereof (1975)
Cultura , 4 organs metamusic, 2 goose cranes, baritone, electric guitar, electric bass, 2 percussion and electronics (1975)
Unisono: Duo for bassoon and piano / cembalo / harpa (1975)
Morendo for orchestra, choir and tape (1977)
Tremor for Violin (1977)
Attacca for wind band and tape (1977-78)
Intimacy for bass clarinet, bassoon and tape (1978)
Musicians for Chamber Orchestra (1979)
Kindertotenlied for blue quintet and tape (1979)
Stereos for 2 pianos (1979)
Orchestra Monodia (1980)
Stone Movements for Clarinet, Trombone, Cello and Piano (1980)
Concert for organ and orchestra (1981)
Trauma , Radio Metaopera (1981)
Fragment of a People's Vision ("O Silent Solitude"), Electroacoustic Music (1981)
Final word ("Lo I am with you") for mixed choir a cappella to text from the Matthew Gospel (1982)
Ancora , Metamusic for String Quartet (1983)
Aria for Brazilian Quintet (1983)
Diaphonia for piano and tape (1983)
1984 Orchestra (1984)
Strano for blue quintet and tape (1984)
Ernstung for Saxophone (1984)
Memory for saxophone (1984)
Dead Ends for Piano (1984)
Energia I for the wind band (1984/1986)
Après Michaux for string quartet, live electronics and recital to text by Henri Michaux (1985)
Matter for soprano / instrument, mixed choir, instrument or synth and organ (1985)
Improvisation 300 and Estremi , a piano fantasy for a fugitive, BWV 565 (1985)
Restantes for organ (1985)
Frühlingslied for soprano, bass clarinet and piano for text by Heinrich Heine (1986)
Kyrie für Kinder for Kids Riding, Strings and Piano (1986)
Paraphonia for blower orchestra, 3 percussionist, string quartet and synth (1987)
Chorale for Saxophone Quartet (1987)
Spiritual songs for voice, flute, electric guitar, bass and percussion for text from the Swedish psalm book (1988)
Once for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (1988)
Silence XX for Laser and Tape (1988)
Contest for Chamber Orchestra (1990)
Scaena for Saxophone Quartet and Synthesis (1990)
Exit for piano and synth (1991)
Discantus of the organ and chamber ensemble (1992)
Intra for saxophone and guitar (1993)
Resign for saxophone quartet, MIDI scissors and synth (1994)
Internal for the orchestra (1996)
Estonia for string orchestra (1997)
Interior Drums for 6 Percussionists (1997)
Post scriptum , variations for organ over bird ID moll, BWV 565 (1997)
Sonora , Guitar Concert (1999)
Vogler for organ (1999)
Epilogo (String Quartet No. 3) (2007)

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks ferney!

[Richard Barrett]

Some pretty odd "translations" there, however!

Here is an interview (in English) from 2008: http://www.geraeuschen.de/14.html

I'm looking forward to investigating his music, which I don't know at all - his ideas sound at the very least individual and thoughtful. Actually there are many really interesting contemporary composers from the Nordic countries who are hardly ever heard of elsewhere, on account of the well-funded cultural situation in comparison with the rest of Europe, not to mention the rest of the world - there's never any need for them to look outside that zone.

[teamsaint]

I thought there was plenty to enjoy in Contra. Some of it reminded me at times of the atmospheric folk based idioms that Nurymov and others use.

Anyway, there's always a shopping opportunity, and here are a couple of MP3 Bargains.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jan-Wilhelm-Morthenson-Ancora-Strano/dp/B00JMQLGT2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1515229721&sr=8-3&keywords=jan+morthenson

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electro-Acoustic-Morthenson-Sven-Erik-Lars-Gunnar-Blomqvist/dp/B00KEDNUWI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515229721&sr=8-2&keywords=jan+morthenson