#sono luminus

Ravel and Bartok Go Electric

Sono Luminus SLE-70028 While this album is not likely to cause as much of a stir as Bob Dylan did when he went electric in 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival it is revelatory in its own way. Of course Ravel and Bartok did not write for even acoustic guitar but they, like all western classical musicians, were very familiar with the art of transcription. Functional electric instruments wouldn’t…

The best thing about Atmospheriques Vol. 1 is that it is only the first installment.  With this set, Sono Luminus continues to shine a spotlight on Icelandic music, this time through the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, fresh from the success of triptych Recurrence, Concurrence and Occurrence.  Four of these five pieces come from Icelandic composers, the exception being Missy Missoli (U.S.); tonally,…

Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson Moonbow Sono Luminus CD Caput Ensemble Icelandic composer Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson’s second CD, Moonbow, presents a  selection of pieces written during the past decade for sinfonietta and chamber forces. Clarinetist Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson joins Caput Ensemble, conducted by Guðni Franzson, in Sisyphos. Written in 2014, this is the composer’s most acclaimed piece,…

Iceland Symphony Orchestra ~ Occurrence

Occurrence is the conclusion of a masterful trilogy that began with 2017’s Recurrence and continued with 2019’s Concurrence.  All three are published by Sono Luminus, who has captured lightning in a bottle with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra.  Over the past two decades, Daniel Bjarnason has gone from strength to strength as conductor and composer, and this series has been a showcase for the…

Gyða Valtýsdóttir ~ Epicycle II

Many of our readers have heard Gyða Valtýsdóttir without learning  her name.  As a co-founder of múm, she injected mystery into the band’s early releases.  On her own, she’s gone from strength to strength, building her reputation through original works and collaborations.  2018’s Evolution was a stunner, albeit mostly vocal; the more instrumental-minded Epicycle II is her crowning achievement to…

Páll Ragnar Pálsson, Caput Ensemble, Tui Hirv ~ Atonement

Páll Ragnar Pálsson‘s new album is dark and mysterious, reflecting the ravages of war and the uncertainties of time.  Yet one can’t help but view it through the lens of love.  This is because the album would not exist without the love story of the Icelandic composer and the wife he met in Estonia.  Tui Hirv‘s operatic, internationally-recognized voice graces the majority of these movements, and…

International Contemporary Ensemble Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottir ~ AEQUA

What a treat to hear new music from Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir, teaming up once again with the International Contemporary Ensemble, who made 2015’s In the Light of Airsuch a delight.  ICE has an obvious love for the composer’s music, drawing out its intentional intricacies as well as its emotional resonances.  Thorvaldsdottir has been one of the most consistent composers of the…