Allgén: Sonata for solo violin

In his liner notes, Ulf Wallin describes his reactions towards Allgén’s huge sonata for solo violin, composed in 1989, as well as the challenges of recording it:

“The sonata unites every conceivable opposite: emotional and highly intellectual, devout and heathen, lyrical and dramatic. It contains all the facets of the soul and for that very reason is brilliantly constructed, a natural and organic structure, an architectural masterpiece. It encompasses the entire development of music since the Renaissance, not only in purely musical terms but also intellectually and spiritually … It is a pilgrimage through and an examination of music in its entirety, one that refuses to bow to conventions or recognize borders.”