Åke Uddén
Encyclopedia
Åke Olof Sebastian Uddén (18 August 1903 in Lossa (now Låssa), Upplands-Bro Municipality
, Stockholm County
– 28 April 1987 in Stockholm
) was a Swedish
violist
, composer
, conductor
and music educator.
Uddén studied in Stockholm with Henrik Melcher Melchers and Julius Ruthström, and subsequently from 1926 to 1928 with Georges Caussade
and Charles Tournemire
at the Conservatoire de Paris
.
Uddén played viola in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
from 1943 until 1956. He was a teacher of counterpoint at the Royal College of Music
from 1934 to 1970, and was also conductor of the Stockholm Academic Orchestra (1955–1985).
His limited output, influenced by French music, includes a number of orchestral, vocal and chamber music works, among them a string trio written during his studies in Paris, and two string quartets.
Chamber music
Vocal
Upplands-Bro Municipality
Upplands-Bro Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Kungsängen....
, Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
– 28 April 1987 in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
) was a Swedish
Swedes
Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...
violist
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and music educator.
Uddén studied in Stockholm with Henrik Melcher Melchers and Julius Ruthström, and subsequently from 1926 to 1928 with Georges Caussade
Georges Caussade
Georges Caussade was a French composer, music theorist, and music educator. Born in Port Louis, Mauritius, he joined the faculty of the Conservatoire de Paris in 1905 as a teacher of counterpoint. He began teaching fugue at the school as well in 1921; a position his wife, composer Simone...
and Charles Tournemire
Charles Tournemire
Charles Tournemire was a French composer and organist, notable partly for his improvisations, which were often rooted in the music of Gregorian chant...
at the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
.
Uddén played viola in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra is a radio orchestra based in Stockholm, Sweden, and affiliated with Sveriges Radio . The orchestra broadcasts concerts on the Swedish Radio-P2 network....
from 1943 until 1956. He was a teacher of counterpoint at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music, Stockholm
The Royal College of Music, Stockholm is the oldest institution of higher education in music in Sweden, founded in 1771 as the conservatory of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music...
from 1934 to 1970, and was also conductor of the Stockholm Academic Orchestra (1955–1985).
His limited output, influenced by French music, includes a number of orchestral, vocal and chamber music works, among them a string trio written during his studies in Paris, and two string quartets.
Selected works
Orchestral- Nocturne
- Vår (Spring) for chamber orchestra
- Menuett (1932)
- Saraband
- Gavotte (1935)
- Lustspels-Uvertyr (Comic Overture) (1935, revised 1950)
- Introitus academicus (1971)
Chamber music
- String Trio (1928)
- Sonata in D major for flute and viola, Op.2 (1931)
- Duo "Småprat" (Small Talk) for 2 violas (1933)
- Sonatina for viola solo, Op. 3 (1933, revised 1986)
- String Quartet No. 1 (1940)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1956)
Vocal
- Är jag intill döden trött (I Am Tired unto Death) for voice and chamber orchestra (1930); words by Harriet Löwenhjelm
- En gammal vårvisa (An Old Spring Song) for 3 female voices and piano (1939)
- Midsommarvisa: Folkvisa från Västmanland (Folk Tune from VästmanlandVästmanland' is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.The name comes from "West men", referring to the people west of Uppland, the core province of early Sweden.- Administration :...
) for 3 female voices and piano (1939) - Tre sånger ur Chansons de Bilitis (3 Songs from Chansons de BilitisSongs of BilitisThe Songs of Bilitis is a collection of erotic poetry by Pierre Louÿs and published in Paris in 1894 .The book's sensual poems are in the manner of Sappho; the introduction claims they were found on the walls of a tomb in Cyprus, written by a woman of Ancient Greece called Bilitis, a courtesan and...
) for voice and piano (1941–1945); words by Pierre LouÿsPierre LouÿsPierre Louÿs was a French poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who "expressed pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection."-Life:... - Nocturne for tenor and piano (1946)
Sources
- Lönn, Anders, "Åke Uddén", in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 20 vols., ed. Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan, 1980. ISBN 0-333-23111-2.
- Swedish Music Information Centre: Åke Uddén biography