Ek, (Fritz) Gunnar (Rudolf)
Ek, (Fritz) Gunnar (Rudolf)
Ek, (Fritz) Gunnar (Rudolf), Swedish cellist, organist, and composer; b. Asarum, June 21, 1900; d. Lund, June 21, 1981. After training in Lund, he studied with Gustaf Hagg and Otto Olsson (cello and organ) and Ernst Ellberg (composition) at the Stockholm Cons. (1920–26). He was a cellist in the orch. of the Swedish film industry (1928–37); after serving as organist in Ostra Eneby, near Norrkoping (1938–42), he was organist and director of music at All Saint’s Church in Lund; he also was cellist in the Skane Quartet. His output reveals a sure hand at contrapuntal writing.
Works
ORCH 3 syms.: No. 1 (1922–24; rev. 1940), No. 2 (1928–30), and No. 3 (1931–32); Svensk fantasi (1935); Fantasi for Violin and Orch. (1936); Koralsvit (1936); Fantasy and Fugue for Strings (1939–40; rev., 1963, as Fantasy, Fugue, and Coda); Concert Overture (1940); Piano Concerto (1944); Dorisk Suite for Strings and 5 Winds (1966; rev. 1968–69); Variations on a Chorale Theme for Strings (1969); Concertino for Strings (1971). CHAMBER: Wind Octet (1970); Organ Suite (1966); organ pieces. VOCAL: Doomsday Cantata (1946); Dig vare lov och pris, O Krist, choral fantasy with organ and strings (1950; Malmo, Dec. 13, 1964); songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire