WorldView Episode 63: Lars-Erik Larsson & Hilary Tann

Welcome to another episode of WorldView, and the first to feature music written for the saxophone! This hour features works by Lars-Erik Larrson and Hilary Tann, composers known for their contributions to 20th century classical music. Enjoy!

Dr. Hilary Tann was born in Glamorgan, Wales, in 1947. She studied at the University of Wales, Cardiff and Princeton University, and spent much of her life living in the United States. Tann served as the John Howard Payne Professor Emeritus at New York’s Union College from 1980 to 2019. Many of her compositions, including the famous “Here, The Cliffs”,  are inspired by aspects of the natural world; Tann was also fascinated by aspects of Japanese and East Asian cultures. This episode of WorldView features Tann’s most well-known saxophone work, “In the First, Spinning Place.” The piece was premiered in 2000 by the University of Arizona Symphony. In this hour, “In the First, Spinning Place” is performed by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, with conductor Kirk Trevor and saxophonist Debra Richtmeyer. 

Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larsson was born in May of 1908, the son of a nurse and a factory worker. Larsson experimented with multiple compositional styles throughout his career, writing Romantic, serialist, and twelve-tone works. He studied and taught at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, and worked for a time in Swedish radio. Larsson is also the composer of three of the most oft-performed pieces of Swedish art music: “A Winter’s Tale”, “Pastoral Suite”, and “God in Disguise”. In this episode, Swedish saxophonist Pekka Savijoki performs Larsson’s “Concerto for Saxophone and String Orchestra” with Jorma Panula and the New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra. 

WorldView Episode Sixty-Three Playlist:

Sohre RAHBARI, “Fantasia for Soprano Saxophone, Three Horns, and Strings”, {Sohre Rahbari, BRT Philharmonic Orchestra, Brussels, Alexander Rahbari} - Naxos

Lars-Erik LARSSON, “Concerto for Saxophone and String Orchestra”, {New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, Jorma Panula, Pekka Savijoki (sax)} - BIS

Glen GILLIS, “Aurora Australis”, {Glen Gillis (sax)} - MSR Classics

Barbara YORK, “Sonata, ‘Making Changes’”, {Glen Gillis (sax), Bonnie Nicholson (pf)} - MSR Classics

Hilary TANN, “In the First, Spinning Place for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra”, {Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kirk Trevor, Debra Richtmeyer (sax)} - North/South Recordings

WorldView is a classical music radio show featuring composers from everywhere in the world - except Western Europe. Tune in to hear works by lesser-known artists such as Jennifer Higdon and Sergio Assad, and widen your knowledge of classical music. Hinke Younger hosts each week’s episode of WorldView on Mondays at 4AM, 9AM and 6PM (with rebroadcasts Saturdays at 2PM and 7PM) on Charlottesvilleclassical.org.