SODERMAN August

Bio

(Johan) August Söderman (17 July 1832 in Stockholm – 10 February 1876 in Stockholm) has traditionally been seen as the pre-eminent Swedish composer of the Romantic generation, known especially for his liederand choral works, based on folk material, and for his theatre music. The son of a musical father and a pupil of the Royal Swedish Academy in Stockholm, he studied piano, but mastered the oboe and violin as well. In 1856–57 he studied counterpoint at the Leipzig Conservatory with Ernst Richter; there, in a musical culture that bore the imprint of Mendelssohn, he became familiar with the music of Robert Schumann and also with that of Richard Wagner. On his return to Stockholm he worked as a theatre conductor, and at the Royal Swedish Opera as choirmaster and eventually assistant conductor. Swedish Folksongs and Dances - Svenska Folkvisor och danser August Söderman (1832-1876) was one of the greatest ever Swedish composers. This work was originally written for symphony orchestra and is divided in eight short parts:

• I Sung a Lifetime
• Do You Think You Lost Me?
• I Don't Trouble a Girl
• Polska from Öland
• Promenade in The Evening
• Polska from Såarna
• Bright as The Stars in The Firmament
• Polska from Östergötland