Rangström, (Anders Johan) Ture

Rangström, (Anders Johan) Ture , prominent Swedish conductor, music critic, and composer; b. Stockholm, Nov. 30, 1884; d. there, May 11, 1947. He studied counterpoint with Johan Lindegren in Stockholm (1903–04), then went to Berlin, where he took courses in singing with Hey and in composition with Pfitzner (1905–06); continued his vocal training with Hey in Munich (1906–08). He was a music critic for Stockholm’s Svenska Dagbladet (1907–09), the Stockholms Dagblad (1910–14; 1927–30), and the Nya Dagligt Allehanda (1938–42). He was conductor of the Göteborg Sym. Orch. (1922–25), and thereafter made guest conducting appearances in Scandinavia. His music is permeated with a lyrical sentiment, and his forms are rhapsodic; in his syms. he achieved great intensity by concentrated development of the principal melodic and rhythmic ideas; his songs are also notable.

Works

DRAMATIC : Opera : Kronbruden (The Crown Bride; 1915–16; first perf. in German as Die Kronbraut, Stuttgart, Oct. 21, 1919; first perf. in Swedish, Göteborg, March 25, 1936); Middelalderlig or Medeltida (1917–18; Göteborg, May 11, 1921); Gilgamesj (1943–44; unfinished; completed and Orch.estrated by J. Fernström; Stockholm, Nov. 20, 1952). ORCH.: Dityramb (1909); Ballad for Piano and Orch. (1909; rev. 1937); Ett midsommarstycke (1910); En höstrång (1911); Havet sjunger (1913); 4 syms.: No. 1, August Strindberg in memoriam (1914; Berlin, Jan. 4, 1922), No. 2, Mitt Land (My Country; Stockholm, Nov. 20, 1919), No. 3, Sång under stjärnorna (Song under the Stars; 1912; Stockholm, Jan. 8, 1930), and No. 4, Invocatio (Göteborg, Nov. 20, 1936); Intermezzo drammatico, suite for Small Orch. (1916); Divertimento elegiaco, suite for Strings (1918); Partita for Violin and Orch. (1933); Vauxhall, miniature suite (1937); Pâ nordisk sträng, prelude (1941); Värhymn (1942); Festpreludium: Tempest, Youth, Poetry, and Song (1944). CHAMBER : Improvisata: Vårnätterna for Violin and Piano (1904); Ver sacrum for Cello and Piano (1906–07); String Quartet: Ein Nachtstück (Notturno) in E.T.A. Hoffmanns Manier (1909); Suite (No. 1) in modo antico for Violin and Piano (1912) and Suite No. 2 in modo barocco for Violin and Piano (1921–22); piano pieces. VOCAL : Choral Works; over 250 songs.

Bibliography

A. Helmer and S. Jacobsson, T. R.: Life and Work (Stockholm, 1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire