Hugo Alfven

Hugo Alfven (1872-1960), Swedish composer and painter, studied at the Stockholm Conservatory before becoming choirmaster and musical director at Uppsala University, posts he held for nearly 40 years.

He wrote music that is mostly evocative of the Swedish countryside, and life. As a painter he saw things with a painter’s eye and his music is “coloured” accordingly”. There are five symphonies, some sonatas and piano music, and songs and choral music mostly on Swedish themes. He is widely known for the first of three “Swedish Rhapsodies” – usually known as “Midsummer vigil”.

See also:

• Edvard Grieg
• Niels Gade

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