| Played by Staffan Scheja, 1969. Dag Wirén (1905 - 1986) studied at the Stockholm conservatory from 1926 to 1931, which gave him much exposure to music from all periods; hearing Honegger's oratorio King David in 1927 was an important experience. In 1932 won the state stipend and used the award money to continue his studies in Paris, where he lived from 1931 to 1934. While there, he studied composition under the Russian composer Leonid Sabaneyev, though he admitted later that his endless attendance of concerts, and not his tutoring with Sabaneyev, had the greater impact on his own work. In Paris he also met Stravinsky and encountered the music of Prokofiev and Honegger. He was music critic at the "Svenska Morgonbladet" from 1938 to 1946, and in 1947 became Vice-Chairman of the Society of Swedish Composers. Upon his return to Sweden, he composed his first two symphonies and his most famous work, the Serenade for Strings (1937); the spirit of this serenade may also be found in the finale of his 2nd Symphony. Wirén went on to compose five symphonies, string quartets, and orchestral pieces, music for the stage and film scores. His compositions range from neoclassic through to popular (such as the Swedish entry for the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest). He commented that his first desire was to entertain and please, and compose listener-friendly 'modern' music. His musical style on return from Paris was broadly traditional; melodic, energetic and with high spirits. Towards the mid ... |
