Anders Hillborg: A Major Contemporary Composer

Anders Hillborg is yet another significant contemporary composer who is bringing extraordinary new ideas to our musical world. His background in popular music, film scoring, and choral writing serves him well in his development as a colorist of the highest level. He is currently in Los Angeles with the world premiere of a stunning work commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and dedicated to Esa-Pekka Salonen, his longtime colleague and friend - the work being ELEVEN GATES. This 1999 recording of earlier pieces suggest the power of his current work and as such this CD is highly recommended as an introduction to a very important composer.

This CD offers a good sampling of Hillborg's powers as a colorist, from the very fine choral work 'Muoodaeyiywooum' conducted by Eric Ericson, to the experimental work 'Haut-Posaune for trombone & tape' with Christian Lindberg, to three solely orchestral pieces - 'Lamento', with violin obbligato performed by Kari Kriikku with the Osthrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, and 'Clang and Fury' with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and 'Celestial Mechanics' with Salonen at the helm of the Stockholm Chamber Orchestra.

Hillborg's orchestrations involve massive scans of atmospheric, mobile tone clusters that allow ideas to emerge from the glacial aqueous matrix like whirlwinds or tornados. His use of percussion is as widely expressive as any composer working today and the effect of his compositions is one of wonder and 'other-worldly' sounds.

The recording is superb in sound and in variation and serves as a fine introduction to Hillborg's gifts, gifts which are maturing to a level of sophistication as evidenced by his newest 'Eleven Gates' premiere, a work that hopefully will reach the recording stage quickly. Highly recommended. y. Highly recommended.

Grady Harp Los Angeles, CA, May 06, 2006, Amazon.com reviews

A fascinating sound-world...

Hilborg's choral writing is nothing short of phenomenal--minimalism taken to eerie sonic heighs--the northern lights painted in sound, icy cold yet drenched in interior warmth.

As for the orchestral pieces, they are obsessed with microtonality, out-sounds, and atmosphere. The solo pieces are steeped in a similar aura. Although not as effective as the choral piece (whose name can't be typed without an IPA keyboard!), they are nonetheless intriguing masterpieces. Highly recommended.

(Fanfare Magazine, The Want List 1993 -- Paul Rapoport)

...there is no end to the brilliant sonic invention this composer exhibits. Often serene, sometimes wild, always vivid, the music flows and lives...The end is shocking.

Fanfare/april 1993 -- Paul Rapoport

There has never been an ABA piece like this...It's indescribably wacky. Any trombonist with the chops to do this would bring down the house as an encore.

Fanfare/april 1993 -- Paul Rapopor

...a real find...I've never heard anything like this, and that's a compliment. Although uniqueness is no guarantee of anything, the curious orchestrophile will be amazed by this stunning display of orchestrartistry.

Fanfare magazine/april 1993 -- Paul Rapoport

Eine Entdeckung ist der schwedishe Komponist Anders Hillborg...Großartig ist die Klangphantasie des Komponisten

Darmstädter Echo 8/1 1993

Än mer än den tekniska skickligheten imponerar en fantasi, som verkligen får ta ut svängarna. Här finns allt: skönhet och brutalitet, smått & gott, mycket och mäktigt, allvar och humor

Expressen 13/12 1992 -- Camilla Lundberg

Elementär urkraft ...

ett personligt och nyskapande tonspråk...ett musikaliskt vulkanutbrott... (Helsingborgs Dagblad 17/12 1992 -- Henrik Halvarson) ...Ett modernt mästerverk jag kommer att återvända till när jag har kurage nog...

Musikrevy 1992 -- Tomas Roth

...Revolution är ett stort ord. Men vad ska man säga om en tonsättare som skriver ¨elektronisk¨ orkestermusik utan elektroniska hjälpmedel!...

Musik 1992 "MS"

En enastående skönhetsupplevelse.

Kristianstadsbladet 18/11 1992

En tripp med Hillborg till paradiset.

Det ligger nästan ett helt 80-tal bakom de här 72 minuterna, men så är resultatet också sensationellt...

Expressen 1/10 1992 -- Camilla Lundberg