Movimento pastorale (1983)

Stig Gustav Schönberg (b. 1933) — Movimento pastorale (1983) for organ

The composer writes: “When a visual artist seeks to reproduce a landscape, whatever technical means he is employing, he uses also his mind’s eye to bring out the essence of the landscape through its atmosphere: the province of the soul. It seems to me possible that music can also express an innate sense of something figurative and atmospheric, even though it operates only with sound. In this case, I have sought to reproduce an impression from a trip south, resulting in a little ‘ortsimpression’ or a mountain pastorale.”

Swedish composer Stig Gustav Schönberg (b. 1933) was born in Västry Husby, Norrköping and was educated at the State Academy of Music in Stockholm, where he studied with Lars-Erik Larsson, Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Erland von Koch, and Valdemar Söderholm. He also studied organ in Belgium with Flor Peeters. Schönberg was active in Stockholm for many years as an organist at St. Göran’s Church (1963–98), composer, and teacher, numbering Thomas Åberg among his students. Hans-Gunnar Peterson has written: ‘Schönberg’s style radiates austerity and objectivity. In form, he inclines towards classical models, and especially the less restricted, quasi improvisatory forms of the Baroque (toccatas and preludes) and various models of thematic development.’” Schönberg’s output includes numerous works for organ (his primary focus), though he has composed actively also for other media, including four orchestral symphonies and seven string quartets.