Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
0:00 I. Skarphédinn (from Njáls Saga)
16:41 II. Gudrún Ósvifrsdóttir (from Laxdaela Saga)
28:00 Björn ad baki Kára (Scherzo) (from Njáls Saga)
33:25 Glámr og Grettir (Intermezzo) (from Grettis Saga)
41:51 Tormódr Kolbrúnarskáld (from Fóstbraedra Saga and Heimskringla)
This video is intended only for educational use; please email me at pranav.sivakumar@berkeley.edu regarding any copyright issues.
Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vänskä
As with many of Leifs' works, don't turn up the volume too much!
Jón Leifs (1899-1968) was an Icelandic composer, probably the most notable from his country in the 20th century. For more about Leifs, see the description in my score video of his "Reminiscence du Nord" for string orchestra: youtube.com/watch?v=XVdalbh6CWM
While he is most famous for his shorter orchestral works, the "Saga Symphony" of 1941-42 is perhaps the culmination of Leifs' musical style. Portraying five characters from the Norse sagas, the symphony is harsh, fragmented and uncompromising, with the composer's penchant for unusual instrumentation showing in the form of lurs (medieval Scandinavian natural horns), an ocarina, and a wide variety of percussion: multiple hammers, pitched anvils, small high-pitched and large low-pitched stones, a whip, shields of wood, leather and iron...the symphony is undoubtedly a tour de force and one of the most distinct symphonic works of the 20th century.
0:00 I. Skarphédinn (from Njáls Saga)
16:41 II. Gudrún Ósvifrsdóttir (from Laxdaela Saga)
28:00 Björn ad baki Kára (Scherzo) (from Njáls Saga)
33:25 Glámr og Grettir (Intermezzo) (from Grettis Saga)
41:51 Tormódr Kolbrúnarskáld (from Fóstbraedra Saga and Heimskringla)
This video is intended only for educational use; please email me at pranav.sivakumar@berkeley.edu regarding any copyright issues.
Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vänskä
As with many of Leifs' works, don't turn up the volume too much!
Jón Leifs (1899-1968) was an Icelandic composer, probably the most notable from his country in the 20th century. For more about Leifs, see the description in my score video of his "Reminiscence du Nord" for string orchestra: youtube.com/watch?v=XVdalbh6CWM
While he is most famous for his shorter orchestral works, the "Saga Symphony" of 1941-42 is perhaps the culmination of Leifs' musical style. Portraying five characters from the Norse sagas, the symphony is harsh, fragmented and uncompromising, with the composer's penchant for unusual instrumentation showing in the form of lurs (medieval Scandinavian natural horns), an ocarina, and a wide variety of percussion: multiple hammers, pitched anvils, small high-pitched and large low-pitched stones, a whip, shields of wood, leather and iron...the symphony is undoubtedly a tour de force and one of the most distinct symphonic works of the 20th century.
![EDUARD TUBIN - Symphony No. 11 [unfinished] (Score Video)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/l-vYcU8buKo/mqdefault.jpg "EDUARD TUBIN - Symphony No. 11 [unfinished] (Score Video)
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arvo Volmer
Eduard Tubin (1905-1982) was an Estonian composer and conductor, his countrys most prolific and arguably greatest symphonist. Having completed his studies under another very prominent Estonian composer, Heino Eller (whose music I also plan to upload), in independent Estonia, Tubin fled following the Soviet reoccupation of his country in 1944. He settled permanently in Sweden for the rest of his life, writing many of his most important works, being elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and becoming a Swedish citizen in 1961. In addition to an impressive eleven symphonies, Tubin wrote two operas, the first Estonian ballet (Kratt), concerti for double bass and balalaika, choral music, art songs, and chamber and solo works (particularly violin and piano music.)
For those unacquainted with Tubin, his orchestral music - particularly the symphonies of his middle and later period - shares some common elements with Shostakovich, often marrying relatively rigid formal structures like fugues with rather astringent harmonic ideas and an unexpected emotional intensity. He also brought Estonian folk music into several of his works. Although Tubins work was initially somewhat unrecognized outside Estonia (even in Sweden), it has gained prominence in the last few decades due to the efforts of Estonian conductors including Neeme and Paavo Järvi.
The eleventh symphony, which Tubin was working on when he passed away in 1982, combines the aforementioned characteristics with a rather bright orchestration typical of his later music. The last minute or so of the first movement was completed by the Estonian-Canadian composer Kaljo Raid, resulting in the recording here; the score I have available is a copy of Tubins manuscript and thus does not contain this completion.
I now have scores of all of Tubins symphonies except the first; some of them are scans of old and battered copies, so they will take a little longer to upload - especially as most of his symphonic works are quite substantial in both musical material and length. I also plan to post his balalaika concerto soon, so if you enjoyed this work, stay tuned for more!")
