Jon Leifs' Requiem

[ardcarp]

The Icelandic-born composer Jon Leifs (b.1899) was featured on Saturday's CD Review. He was a composer with a wide palette of musical styles, but an extract from his Requiem was played, and it struck me that it could almost have been written by Tavener or Part or another of today's minimalists. Has anyone sung it? Does anyone know anything about it? I found this on Youtube:

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

Does this constitute the whole piece (i.e. is it very short) or is this just an extract?

[Black Swan]

I checked for a recording and I think the work is very short. I was intrigued by the program.

[Bryn]

There now appear to be 3 threads treating with the Leifs item on this weeks Summer CD Review. Perhaps they could be amalgamated?

Requiem is indeed a short work, taking but 4'55"in the En Shao conducted recording on BIS.

I was alerted to Leifs's work by a CD Masters broadcast in which Rob Cowan played the first recording of the work, (Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Paul Zukofsky). Yesterday the later Segersstam recording was mentioned as being of faster tempo than the En Shao played for illustration. That Segerstam recording had nothing on the Zukofsky for speed. The latter takes but 7'46" compared to Segerstam's 9'18" and En Shao's 11'22". That Zukofsky recording, made in 1989, had quite a tale attached to it. Rob related how the recording session was in a large cinema in Reykjavík. At the time a major building project was under way outside. The recording producer requested and got a cessation of construction work for the duration of the takes, however, in riposte, the building workers complained about the level of noise coming from the cinema during the takes for Hekla.

If you are considering getting a recording of Hekla, the En Shao should be first choice. Unlike the Zukovsky, it includes the brief choral contribution to the conclusion. That said, I do have a soft spot for the swift, unruly Zukofsky recording.

[DracoM]

A remarkable piece. Delighted to have heard the R3 feature on him on CD Review.

[Roslynmuse]

The Requiem, which has a text based on Icelandic folk poetry and lines by Jonas Hallgrimsson, runs to a mere six pages of score (103 bars). I bought a copy from the incredibly helpful Icelandic Music Information Centre some years ago.