SWARM – MUSIC FOR TWO VIOLINS

Description

We are happy to present this fine collection of works for two violins, recorded in 2008 in one exhilarating 6-hour session.
The players – Guillaume Tardif and Ricardo Odriozola) had been on tour with the pieces prior to the recording and had played together in several occasions before that. This shared experience gives these performances a lively, played-in feel.

The repertoire includes music by two Scandinavian and two Canadian Twentieth Century composers. Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996) was the prime Danish symphonic composer in the generation after Nielsen, while Sverre Bergh (1915-1980) was for decades a central figure in the musical life of Bergen (Norway). Violet Archer (1913-2000), was also a pianist, organist and percussionist. She is well-known in Canada and was a much-loved teacher. Sophie Eckhardt-Gramatté (1899-1974) was born in Russia and travelled widely before settling in Canada. She was a virtuoso violin and piano player.

The cover is another stunning job by Isabel Odriozola, as is the recording by Håvard Matland and mastering by Jan Øyvind Hanevik.

Ricardo Odriozola, December 29th 2020 (rev. August 2025)