STAFFAN BJÖRKLUND. Born 1st September 1944 in Njurunda. Studied at the Gothenburg Conservatory 1962-65. Further studies at the Conservatoire Nationale Supérieure de Musique de Paris, 1965-69, under Tony Aubin, composition, and Monique de la Bruchollerie, piano. Björklund also studied composition under Ingvar Lidholm at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, as well as being taught by Per Nörgård and Lars Johan Werle.

Staffan Björklund’s output is copious and varied, ranging from chamber music to oratorios and music drama, but works for organ and piano represent the core of his activity. Peaks of his achievement include the two suites Dialogues pour piano seul (1991) and Modulationer (1999), preceded among other things by four piano sonatas. In performances of his own music he has shown himself to be an outstanding musician and instrumentalist.

Although clearly related to one another, the suites (both in twelve movements) bring out different sides of his nature and thinking. The dialogues have a much freer, extempore imagination of form, while the movements of Modulationer are more disciplined. At the centre of things is an expansive, colourful and often explosively charged harmony. The linear process, melody and polyphony are also lavishly constructed. Both works rank among the foremost achievements of Swedish piano music and have more in common with both French and Russian music (Messiaen, Skryabin) than with Swedish and German tradition.

In a number of works he harks back to the music of earlier periods, e.g. to the Baroque master Dandrieu (Homage ā Dandrieu). Björklund has also composed operas: Oratorium över Carl Fredrik Hill, 1981 (libretto by Lars Norén), Prins Hatt under jorden, 1988 (libretto by Sven Smedberg) and Mästerkatten, 1995 (Libretto by Lennart Hellsing). Melodic fluency and alternation between stern technical discipline and an air of improvisation are among the characteristics of his tonal language.
Hans-Gunnar Peterson (rev. Aug. 2000) Engl. translation Roger Tanner Photo Lars Torndahl