Tor Aulin

[Joachim Raff]

Would i be correct in saying Tor Aulin is an unsung composer? I would like to know what qualifies? lol
I know he must be underrated because i can only find a limited amount of recordings by him. I find this absolutely extraordinary.
I am currently exploring his 3rd Violin Concerto and i can compare it to any of the mainstream culprits. Looking through the catalogue we have 100's of interpretations of Brahms, Beethoven, Sibelius...
But i struggle to find a handful interpretations of Tor Aulin's 3rd or any other work by him.
Btw his slow movement is some of the best music i have heard 

[Alan Howe]

Aulin is definitely unsung. Please continue!

[dhibbard]

A quick scan on Amazon gives you a recording on Sterling and a couple on CPO.  I like the Sterling rrecording.

[Christopher]

Perhaps you could tell us about him....

[Reverie]

On IMSLP the 3rd concerto seems to have 5 recordings of whole and different parts.

The 2nd violin concerto sounds great too. A beautiful piece of work.

Thanks for bringing this composer to our attention.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Aulin was a (by all accounts) outstanding violinist first and foremost, but also a distinguished conductor and composer. Not surprisingly, most of his compositions involve the violin. There are, in effect, 3 concertos, the first being in one movement and more usually listed as Konzertstuck, Op. 7. There are a few purely orchestral suites. The rest of his output seems to be chamber music (mostly for violin and piano, but there is also a string quartet) + a few songs and solo piano, or piano 4 hands, pieces.

[M. Yaskovsky]

The 3 violin concertos https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/tor-aulin-violinkonzerte-nr-1-3/hnum/3097669
Master Olof suite etc. https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Tor-Aulin-1866-1914-Musik-zu-Strindbergs-M%E4ster-Olof-op-22/hnum/1389801

[eschiss1]

I wasn't aware he composed a string quartet- has it been recorded?

[Santo Neuenwelt]

Aulin was a close friend of the composer and Swedish pianist Wilhelm Stenhammar. Stenhammar often toured with the Aulin String Quartet and wrote several of his string quartets for that ensemble which premiered them. I do not know if he wrote a complete quartet, but he did write a piece for the genre entitled Vaggvisa. It was recorded by the Kjellstrom Quartet on a Caprice CD 21505. His sister Valborg wrote two mediocre string quartets also recorded on that cd.

I tried to paste a picture of the Aulin Quartet with Stenhammar but was unable to do so. Here is the link in case you want to see it.
http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/stenhammar-string-quartet-1.htm

[Alan Howe]

Your wish is my command...

[eschiss1]

I've heard his sister's 2 string quartets. (The first, especially, is often on "Through the Night", originally from Swedish Radio.) They're quite on the level of quite a few works we discuss here that are rarely insulted with the label "mediocre", imho, though like hers they are - admittedly - not at all on the level of Beethoven's late quartets. So goes, though
The Aulin Quartet + Stenhammar, as I think I've mentioned, once played a work by a composer we've discussed often (that terrific Grand Quintet in A minor Op.107, specifically*) according iirc to a diary entry or letter by Stenhammar, I can't remember which offhand... (how I wish they'd recorded it, in however cut and compressed a form as early recordings demanded ... I'd love to hear how they took the opening of the finale, say, and - well, quite a few things.)

*Even though it's an early work by Raff, between his first and second symphonies, it's among my very favorite works of his. (Brioso e patetico (passionately) indeed!)

[Martin Eastick]

Tor Aulin's Violin Sonata Op12 is, IMHO, one of the most attractive of Scandinavian violin sonatas. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M2B01P9?pf_rd_r=VTR67K0FCA79TR1E74TR&pf_rd_p=f20e70b1-67f9-48d1-8c78-ba616030b420. Could the mention of a string quartet here possibly be a confusion with that by Algot Haquinius, which is also included on the CD? However, Aulin's Op1, an unpublished Serenade in 4 movements, IS for string quartet! http://www.swedishmusicalheritage.com/composers/aulin-tor/SMH-W946-Serenade

[britishcomposer]

Eric countered Santo's bold statement very diplomatically, but I must protest vehemently: both of Valborg Aulin's quartets combine excellent craftsmanship with inspired material. They are memorable and  surprise me anew every time I listen to them.
I don't know the recording by the Kjellstrom Quartet but the one done by the Tale Quartet for Musica Sveciae is impeccable.

[Gareth Vaughan]

However, Aulin's Op1, an unpublished Serenade in 4 movements, IS for string quartet! http://www.swedishmusicalheritage.com/composers/aulin-tor/SMH-W946-Serenade

Apologies. It was the Op. 1 Serenade I was thinking of when I wrote that Aulin had composed a string quartet.

[Santo Neuenwelt]

Let me know whether you still think they are so great after you and your fellow quarteters have played through them. I'd be surprised if you thought so. I've played through both twice with two different groups, separated by a year or two and in each case the verdict was that these quartets were nothing special. Don't get me wrong, they are not bad works but hardly outstanding. Just for starters, compare them to quartets of her near contemporary and countryman, Wilhelm Stenhammar and how many of his are getting concert performance outside of Sweden?

Here is a review of these quartets from the soon to be available Guide to the String Quartet Literature.

String Quartet No.1 in F Major dates from 1884. The somewhat lengthy first movement, Allegro con grazia is both lyrical and romantic. The second movement, Intermezzo, Allegro con spirito e capriccioso, is a very original sounding scherzo although the themes are not particularly memorable. The Andante espressivo though attractive, also seems to suffer from themes which are not particularly striking. The finale, Allegro vivace, is full of giocoso sawing. The part-writing is good, but the thematic material does not justify the energy spent on it. It is a decent work but the pedestrian nature of the thematic material prevents the music from embedding itself into the memory.
     String Quartet No.2 in e minor dates from 1889. The exciting opening Allegro appassionato is quite powerful and effective. It is better focused than any of the movements of the prior work. A dark and elegiac Andante con moto follows but the emotional content of the themes does not justify its great length. The Allegro con spirito and Trio alla burla is a more interesting movement. The trio, much of it played in the lower registers, is especially striking and forward-looking tonally. In the finale Presto, Aulin has at last chosen a fetching melody which gives the movement real memorability. This work though much better than No.1 still is not strong enough to justify concert performance with so many more deserving quartets already standing line to get a hearing which may, unfortunately never come. If all four movements were as fine as the last one, the verdict would be different. Nonetheless, it can be recommended to amateurs.

And Eric, any comparison to Late Beethoven is specious. Who else do you want to compare to Late Beethoven? The real question is do these works deserve to revived and programmed in the concert hall and more importantly recommended to amateur quarteters who are the people keeping this music alive. Unlike symphonic and operatic music, the great bulk of chamber music concert goers as well as chamber music cd purchasers are themselves chamber music players.