Askell Masson

Caput Ensemble

Details:

Joel Sachs, Conductor
Jens Björn-Larssen, Tuba
Gudrun Olafsdottir, voice

Widely travelled and eclectic in his influences, Áskell Másson can be considered the epitome of the Icelandic composer, his distinctive sound infused with the traditional music of his homeland.

Elja is the title of an ancient Icelandic folk-poem, its energy and sense of struggle reflected in music with fierce momentum and calm tranquility.

Ymni is a seductively simple and gently melancholic setting of sonnet fragments.

Maes Howe evokes the windswept landscapes of Orkney and its Neolithic landmarks through the dark voice of the tuba.

Kammersinfonia is Másson’s second symphony, its song-like folk music influences expressed in contrasting episodes which build to a rollicking scherzo and liberating apotheosis.

Reference: Naxos 9.70203

• Ymni for flute, oboe, clarinet, piano, mezzo-soprano, violin, cello & contrabass
• Elja for chamber orchestra
• Kammersinfonia for chamber orchestra
• Maes Howe for tuba and chamber orchestra