Leifs: Edda, Pt. 2, Op. 42 'The Lives of the Gods'

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The sounds of Iceland’s landscape and folklore make their way into Edda II, the second part of the composer’s mammoth Norse myth-inspired trilogy. Expect a raw lyricism, tectonic force and a... — BBC Music Magazine, September 2019, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 28th Jun 2019
Catalogue No: BIS2420
Label: BIS
Length: 65 minutes

Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days

Leifs: Edda, Part 2: The Lives Of The Gods, Op. 42

Work length1:05:07

Album only

Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir (mezzo-soprano), Elmar Gilbertsson (tenor), Kristinn Sigmundsson (bass)
Schola Cantorum Reykjavík, Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Hermann Bäumer

I. Odin

Track length19:08

Album only

$5.15

$7.00

II. Sons of Odin

Track length10:26

$1.50

$3.85

$5.25

III. Goddesses

Track length20:05

Album only

IV. Valkyries

Track length2:56

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

V. Norns

Track length5:05

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

VI. Warriors

Track length7:27

$1.50

$1.30

$1.75

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About

The music of Jón Leifs is often inspired by Iceland’s powerful nature and literary heritage. From early on he was profoundly influenced by the medieval tradition of Icelandic literature, preserved in a handful of manuscripts, including the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. Leifs’ magnum opus is the Edda oratorio, a massive (although incomplete) work in three large parts which occupied him on and off for most of his composing career – from around 1930 to his death in 1968. A partial performance of Edda I – The Creation of the World – met with incomprehension, and Leifs only resumed work on his great project a decade later, completing the second part – The Lives of the Gods – in 1966. He immediately started on the third part of the oratorio, and was still working on it at the time of his death. Neither of the two finished parts were performed in his lifetime, Edda I receiving its first complete performance in 2006 and Edda II in 2018, in conjunction with the recording of the present disc. Leifs’ music is as ruggedly grandiose as its subject matter and the score calls for vocal soloists, choir and large orchestra, making huge demands on the performers. Once again the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the intrepid Schola Cantorum join forces under the baton of conductor Hermann Bäumer, following up on their acclaimed recording of Edda I, which was described by reviewers as ‘one of the recording events of the year’ (Gramophone) and ‘splendid in its craggy and intensely individual lyricism and magnificence’ (MusicWeb-International.com).

Reviews

September 2019

The sounds of Iceland’s landscape and folklore make their way into Edda II, the second part of the composer’s mammoth Norse myth-inspired trilogy. Expect a raw lyricism, tectonic force and a yodelling tenor.

September/October 2020

The performance by Bäumer and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, made the month after the belated premiere in 2018, is sensational—clear, committed, and unrelenting.

September 2019

This is Leifs in concept mode, reacting against Wagner’s ‘terrible misunderstanding of the Nordic character and artistic heritage’ by going in the other direction…the Schola Cantorum and soloists let you hear what a struggle this constantly angular writing is, but to thrilling effect: they are evocative when singing, speaking, shouting and yodelling.

July 2019

As for conductor Hermann Bäumer, on the podium as for Part I, his grip on the music is admirable, momentum never in doubt, even in Leifs’ less propulsive passages, such as those of ‘Goddesses’.

Leifs: Edda, Pt. 2, Op. 42 'The Lives of the Gods'

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