Brev till Ragna

I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Laima Olsson and Paulus Barokk, later Nivalis Baroque, since 2009. Once after a rehersal Daniela Braun showed me her viola d'amore. Eventually a new project took shape: a work for viola d'amore and ensemble. After several variations, a nyckelharpa was added and the ensemble became a string quintet (without basso continuo).

The nyckelharpa and viola d'amore are similar in that they both have resonance strings. The viola d'amore has seven strings and the same number of resonance strings. The instrument was used during the Baroque period and later. The nyckelharpa is a Swedish folk music instrument that has four strings and resonance strings. The pitch is changed by pressing down keys that press against and thus shorten the strings for different pitches. Hans Björkroth helped me with the nyckelharpa and Daniela helped me with the viola d'amore.

The work was sketched out in the fall of 2024. It is based on a canon and the harmonies formed by the weave of voices. The foundation is a long sequence of eighth notes. The character is inspired by the light, fast eighth notes found in Mozart's symphonies, for example. In some sections, a concise rhythm is created when certain eighth notes are accentuated and others are omitted. The order and density of the canon entries vary. The two soloists sometimes move freely against the eighth notes, and there are two duos that are free. The double bass is often free. The coda is played in pianissimo possibile. The short, slightly bouncing strokes are very beautiful and perhaps this ending section should have been much longer. One enters a different emotional state.

Composing the work began in the fall of 2024 between two trips to cancer clinics, one near Munich and one near Riga. It was completed in the spring of 2025 after the passing of my wonderful wife Ragna. When my friend, the singer Sofia Jernberg, asked, "What are you composing now?" I replied, "It feels like I'm writing a letter to Ragna."

HS