Gramophone magazine, november 2019:
TRACHEA
Most notably in the title-track by Martin Ødegaard, a wordless, vibrating Rothko of a piece for the multiple windpipes of double choir and four rasping horns, in which the spatial sound emphasises Ødegaard’s ability to momentarily hold something in the air even as his waves of sound keep coming. There is a fine line between fluffy stuff and cloudbursts of real invention; I’m not convinced by Ståle Kleiberg’s Alt i universet or Frøy Aagre’s Gloria. Karin Rehnqvist’s When I Close My Eyes I Dream of Peace makes a marginally better impression in the generous acoustic of Uranienborg Church than it did at the 2018 Nordic Music Days in Helsinki, but there’s far more fertility in Bjørn Morten Christophersen‘s Oak and Mayfly, which claws its way up through a story by Hans Christian Andersen with sure counterpoint that takes the long view. Schola Cantorum under Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl sound impressive and know how to work the atmospheric sound.» — GRAMOPHONE NOVEMBER 2019
Moving choir concert with Schola Cantorum
MUSIC: Musical magic at the Trinity ChurchThe Norwegian Chamber Choir Schola Cantorum delivered an extraordinary musical experience last Friday at the Trinity Church. Conductor Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl conjured musical magic with a choir that lifted its sound like a crown of seldom-seen beauty and poignant expressiveness. The piece by Karin Rehnqvist that they premiered received a magnificent baptism!
The Schola Cantorum choir has strong ties to the Norwegian Academy of Music. It was founded by Knut Nystedt in 1964 and has been led by choral virtuoso Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl since 2002, who has elevated the choir to the top with awards and subsequent recordings. They always feature contemporary music in their repertoire.
Slightly perplexing for the audience, they unexpectedly opened with the second piece on the program: Pierre Villette’s «Hymne à la Vierge» from 1954. The piece, composed as a motet for double quartet, isn’t modernist in style but rather a warm homage to Mary with colorful harmonies that have resonated with both performers and audiences. It is often sung nowadays, even though Pierre Villette (1926-98) isn’t among the more renowned French composers.
Dynamic Composition Tone B Sparre Dahl led the premiere of Karin Rehnqvist’s music, with the choir spread throughout the entire church. Some members were even positioned behind the conductor! Following was Frank Martin’s «Kyrie for Double Choir,» a dynamic composition that skillfully captured the essence of the text through intertwining melodic loops and powerful outbursts, invoking cries for help against the vaults with a strong emotional resonance.
The magical choir sound rose and fell; the concert was at times ascending towards the heavens, then turning a compassionate gaze towards inner struggles, sorrow, and darkness, and again offering solace to burdened hearts. The music evoked and dried tears, constricted and opened throats. The consolation of religion and its imagery, as seen in Dvorak’s «Stabat Mater» from 1876 and Mozart’s «Dies Irae» from Requiem, and Villette’s «O sacrum convivium» (1956), clashed with the sentiments of a symbolically evocative piece, «Dream for Winter» by Frank Havrøy from 2015. The eternal questions emerged like rocky islands in a cultivated landscape.
Premiere
From Karin Rehnqvist (1957-), they premiered a major work from 2015: «When I close my eyes I dream of peace.» Rehnqvist creatively employed standalone phonemes as the sonic foundation for a mood of «pax huminibus,» allowing language to emerge from this ancient dream, as old as war itself. Archetypal sounds, echoes of the calls of ptarmigans in the mountains, drew closer as the music unfolded. The choir’s movement within the space deepened the music like a natural phenomenon and a church in itself, culminating in lively calls, now tinged with the undertones of longing: Peace! A fantastic piece of music!
James MacMillan (born 1959) presented his «A Child’s Prayer» from 1996. Soloists for the choir were Synnøve Sætre and Maria Dale Johannessen.
Mixed Style
Here, time and society were distinctly present, and the blend of melodic radio and cathedral style highlighted the child’s prayer with an intensity that defied words, leaving writing silenced; the music grew unapologetically like a lump in the throat. A feeling that Julian Skar (born 1981) unleashed in his enchanting composition «Å ikkje høyramed regntrummor, regnrør idiofoner av skiftande slag og hemlegt og dramatisk brukte røyster» (And not high-raptured with rain drums, rain pipes idiophones of varied kinds and secretly and dramatically used voices). A dirge inspired by Marie Tryti Vennerød’s poem. It was as if one’s sorrow was eternally vanishing into the wind, the exhalation of the shaman…
«Sverre Bergh’s «And Death Shall Have No Dominion» (1977), a musical fantasy based on Dylan Thomas’s text, condensed the themes of the concert into a sentence; it lifted the spirits and straightened the spines. The well-attended church creaked. The miracle of rejuvenation resounded through the body. The encore by Martin Ødegaard – a modern interpretation of «Kristallen den fina» – with youthful painterly enthusiasm, restored the melody’s old contours with the audacity of the new world.
Sverker Magnusson
Gripande körkonsert med Schola Cantorum
MUSIK: Musikalisk magi i Trefaldighetskyrkan
Den norska kammarkören Schola Cantorum bjöd i fredags på en oerhörd musikupplevelse i Trefaldighetskyrkan. Dirigenten Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl skapade musikalisk magi med en kör som lyfte sin klang som en krona av sällan skådad skönhet och gripande uttryckskraft. Det verk av Karin Rehnqvist man uruppförde fick ett ståtligt dop!
Kören Schola Cantorum har starka kopplingar till Norges Musikhögskola. Den startades av Knut Nystedt 1964 och har sedan 2002 letts av köresset Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl, som tagit kören till toppen med priser och skivinspelningar som följd. De har alltid modern musik på programmet.
Något förvirrande för publiken öppnade man oannonserat med andra numret på programmet: Pierre Villette Hymne à la Vierge från 1954. Stycket som är skrivet som en motett för dubbelkvartett är inte modernistiskt i stilen men en varm Mariahyllning med färgrik harmonik som funnit både utövare och publik. Den sjungs numera ofta trots att Pierre Villette (1926-98) inte hör till de mer namnkunniga franska tonsättarna.
Dynamisk komposition
Tone B Sparre Dahl leder uruppförandet av Karin Rehnqvists musik; kören spridd över hela kyrkan. Några står till och med bakom dirigenten!
Frank Martins Kyrie för dubbelkör som följde, är en dynamisk komposition som med stark känsla för textens bottnar gestaltar mässans bön i melodiska slingor som flätar sig om varandra och i kraftfulla protuberanser slungar rop om undsättning mot valven.
Den magiska körklangen steg och sjönk; än var konserten på väg mot himlen, än vände den ett förstående öga mot inre plågor, sorg och mörker, än gav den lisa åt kramade hjärtan. Musiken fällde och torkade tårar, knöt och öppnade strupar. Religionens tröst och sinnebilder som hos Dvoraks Stabat Mater från1876 och Mozarts Dies Irae ur Requiem och O sacrum convivium (1956) av Villette, bröts mot stämningar hos en symboliskt verkande Dröm för vintern av Frank Havrøy från 2015; de eviga frågorna gick i dagen likt klippöar i ett odlingslandskap.
Uruppförande
Av Karin Rehnqvist (1957-) uruppförde man ett storverk från 2015: When I close my eyes I dream of peace. Rehnqvist använde kreativt fristående fonem som klanglig grund för en stämning av ”pax huminibus” och lät språket födas ur denna uråldriga önskedröm, lika gammal som kriget. Arketypiska klanger, insamlade ekon av Stintornas rop i fjällen kom allt närmre under musikens gång. Körens rörelse i rummet fördjupade musiken som ett naturfenomen och en kyrka i sig själv, för att landa i högst levande lockrop, nu bemängda med drömmens längtande undertoner: Fred! En fantastisk musik!
James MacMillan f 1959 lät höra sin A Childs Prayer från 1996. Solister till kören var Synnøve Sætre och Maria Dale Johannessen.
Mixad stil
Här var tiden och samhället tydligt närvarande, och stilens mix av melodiradio och katedral lyfte fram barnets bön med en intensitet som passerar alla försök att tala, förstummar skrivandet; fullständigt osentimentalt växte musiken som en klump i halsen. En känsla som Julian Skar (1981-) förlöste i sin trolska tonsättning Å ikkje høyramed regntrummor, regnrör idiofoner av skiftande slag och hemligt och dramatiskt använda röster. Ett sorgespel inspirerat av Marie Tryti Vennerøds dikt. Det var som att få sin sorg evigt förflyktigad i vinden, schamanens utandning…
And death shall have no dominion (1977) av Sverre Bergh var en musikalisk fantasi över Dylan Thomas text, som i en sentens förtätade konsertens tematik; lyfte anden och rätade ryggarna. Det knakade i den välbesatta kyrkan. Föryngringens mirakel sjöng i kroppen. Extranumret av Martin Ødegaard- en modern tolkning av Kristallen den fina – gav med ungdomlig målarlust melodins gamla konturer den nya världens frimodighet åter.
Sverker Magnusson
Sara Terrell writes a book review for my book «The Choir» in
The Choral Scholar, which is the journal of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (USA)
THE CHOIR: SINGING, LEADING, COMMUNICATING
TONE BIANCA DAHL
Andrew Smith, translator Cantando Musikkforlag AS,
This slim, but powerfully written volume was originally published as Korkunst (literally “choir art”) in 2002 in the author’s native Norway. The 2008 translation by Andrew Smith, a native UK choral artist and composer who has spent his life in Norway, brings this important book to a wider audience. Author Tone Bianca Dahl states, “This is not a book about conducting, but about being a conductor.” More specifically, Dahl focuses on key aspects of conducting a choir that go beyond what we do with our arms. The ideas presented by Dahl steered my research in useful directions as I investigated the ways in which a choral conductor must adapt communication style based on the makeup of the choir being conducted. I recommend the book as a library resource for departments seeking to equip rounded leaders and interpreters of music. It would also be an effective source of readings for a rehearsal techniques class.
Tone Bianca Dahl is a conductor of over 25 years experience, during which time she has been active as both a conductor and solo performer. Trained at the Norwegian Academy of Music, she is currently a professor there. She is also the conductor of Schola Cantorum, one of Norway’s finest choirs, and she has a thriving role as clinician for choirs and conductors throughout Europe. The beginnings of The Choir came about when she was asked to design a course in Choral Didactics. Her research for the course led her to examine why she does things the way she does, followed by an analysis of how and what exactly it is that she’s doing as a conductor. Dahl advocates for beginning with the why and letting the how and the what follow. The result, she finds, is a deeper effectiveness and more meaningful connection to her choirs.
Intended for use by conductor training programs as well as lay choral leaders, The Choir is written in an easy-to-read, first-person style, and the text is interspersed with inspirational quotations, art, and poetry by Norwegian author, composer and sociologist Lise Knudsen. A quick flip through the pages draws a distinct comparison to books of the self-help genre and the comparison is apt; the light style makes it a joy to read and it is organized in such a way as to make specific information easy to find for later reference.
The book is divided into three areas that correspond to the subtitle of «Singing, Leading, Communicating.» The first area is devoted to voice production and warming up, with a detailed but easily understood description of the physiological process by which the singing voice is formed. In the second segment, on Leading, Dahl deals with the role of the conductor in getting the choir from first rehearsal to performance. She discusses choosing repertoire, dealing with intonation (with a wonderful section on tuning individual notes in a chord), and practical aspects of planning a concert.
The final portion of the book, on Communication, is arguably the most powerful. Dahl reminds us that we are working with a living, breathing organism made up of a collection of individuals with different backgrounds, relationships, experiences, education levels, and emotions. The effectiveness and empathy with which we as choral leaders communicate with this collective has a direct impact on the musical product we are able to create together. Dahl deals with issues such as how we speak to our choirs, how we inspire them, and how we distribute responsibility. Handling more sensitive issues such as dealing with choir committees, taking over leadership of an established choir and the removal of choir members are also given careful attention. Conductors who want to be more mindful of their own balance as a gateway to effective communication will find Dahl’s set of personal exercises for developing physical and emotional balance valuable. I find that they have given me more control and expressiveness in my gesture and a greater ability to approach my role as a conductor with an open and affirming mind.
The Choir is an effective and engaging book, and I firmly believe that it serves a valuable purpose within choral education programs in North America. As yet, there has been no American publication of the book, but the translated volume is quite easily obtained online from the Norsk Korsenter AS. The book’s translator, Andrew Smith, who is associated with the Norsk Korsenter states that they regularly ship the book outside of Norway and that those wishing to purchase the book should email the Korsenter directly at korsenteret@korsenteret.no to place an order.
— Sara Terrell
Omtaler av Hymn to the Virgin, utgitt på 2L i 2013 – på engelsk.
Dette albumet ble nominert til Grammy i 2014 for «best engineering» fra Morten Lindberg i 2L.
Reviews on Hymn to the Virgin, released by 2L in 2013. The album was Grammy-nominated in 2014 in best engineering cathegory.
Hymn to the Virgin [TrackList follows] – Schola Cantorum/ Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl – 2L Pure Audio Blu-ray DTS-HD MA 192k/24-bit 5.0 + multichannel SACD MCH 5.0 DSD 2L-095 (2 discs), 62:20 [Distr. by Naxos] *****:
This is an outstanding album of devotional music centered on the Virgin Mary. As you can see in the track listing, the selections are both catholic and wide-ranging in their appeal and style. Just a cursory glance will show that there are many selections here which are standards of the trade, and a few new ones as well. All performances are top grade; as good as I have ever heard any of them done on record, with the sensational Schola Cantorum performing at an exceptionally high level, solid vocalizing in each section with a control and balance that must be the envy of many choral groups around the world.
This album was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Engineering” category, and it is easy to see why. Two discs are offered, a high quality Blu-ray Pure Audio disc, and a multichannel SACD, each also containing a standard stereo option as in all hybrid SACDs now. As is usually the case in my experience, the SACD presents a little warmer soundstage with a definite increase in breadth, though the Blu-ray is also superb, both discs making use of the rear speakers with almost equal strength (the notes say that there is a -10dB level decrease in the rear). I cannot recommend this set highly enough, spectacular music—and I cannot emphasize this enough—with marvelous performances in state-of-the-art sound in two different formats. Mandatory. Period.
—Steven Ritter
http://sa-cd.net/showreviews/8800
Reviews on «Audiens»
Into the Spotlight
Emerging from the shadows, buoyed by magnificent performances in the Norwegian music scene, is intense. Thankfully, Schola Cantorum has now stepped into the spotlight. By Magnus Andersson
The Norwegian music scene holds many secrets. Two of the greatest are Tone Bianca Dahl and Schola Cantorum. The latter is the choir of the Institute of Musicology at Blindern, recruiting singers from various places, especially from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Thus, the vocal material is good, though not quite in the elite class. The strength lies in how the vocal ensemble can appear as a unified sonic body and how Dahl challenges her singers to prioritize musical considerations over a purely technical approach to singing. The intonation is flawless and the sound is rich, but it’s through Dahl’s musical imagination and the singers’ ability to follow her impulses that the choir is a natural contender for the international awards they have won. Nevertheless, despite their accolades, they have been nearly ignored by the Norwegian press.
Naive Pope. The album «Audiens» is a collection of music by young composers. Swedish composer Karin Rehnqvist, born in 1957, is the oldest represented with her lyrical composition for Bo Bergman’s poem «Bara du går över markerna» («Only You Walk Over the Fields»). Otherwise, the focus is on Bjørn Morten Christophersen, who is also a member of the choir. He often employs cryptic texts, and the musical response is correspondingly humorous and reflective. At the heart of the album stands his title piece «Audiens – it’s not always easy being the pope,» sung together with Nordic Voices. Gro Dahle has written about a rather naive pope who smells of birds, eats alphabet biscuits, and talks to dogs. Christophersen’s musical language ranges from the naive and simple to the dramatic and nearly psychedelic. The effect is a gripping story where we as listeners are forced into dialogue with this poor pope, who has a challenging job but might not be entirely in his right mind.
New Music. On the one hand, the choir deserves credit for recording new music on their debut album. Dahl can stretch and shape the music in a way that interpretations become not only propaganda for choral art but for how music as a whole can be molded. New music needs to be interpreted this way to survive its embryonic stage. On the other hand, the album’s potential reach is limited precisely because they sing works far outside the center of the standard repertoire. I would have liked the choir to truly challenge themselves on a larger stage by recording something from the core repertoire. Let’s hope that another album, slightly more consistent and conservatively programmed, arrives quickly.
Flawless Sound. Lindberg Lyd is responsible for the sound production. Once again, they have been nominated for not just one but two Grammy Awards for their unquestionably flawless sound. Many music enthusiasts boast that they are not audiophiles, but such a statement comes from those with either exceptionally unmusical ears or lacking knowledge. Anyone who listens to the album gets the feeling of sitting right in front of the ensemble, in a room that has grown ten times larger. It is a joy that Norway’s most intriguing choir has had their debut album recorded by Lindberg Lyd at 2L.
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Morgenbladet, 2009:
Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl - conductor 