Gunnar Idenstam: Lofoten Meditations
In 2019 the Swedish organist and composer Gunnar Idenstam was commissioned to provide the music to a film, The Vegan Toothbrush, by the Norwegian film-maker Trygve Luktvasslimo, which takes seriously the issue of climate change itself but satirises the quasi-religious intensity of climate activists. Idenstam is one of the few remaining organists who maintain the centuries-old tradition of improvisation at the console, and his extemporisations for the film, all of which are concerned with water, developed into a kind of powerfully atmospheric sea symphony.
Gunnar Idenstam, Allen Quantum Q350 digital organ
Listen To This Recording:
- Prelude (1:38)
- Chorale Theme I (2:54)
- Water Vortex (0:51)
- Water Landscapes (3:25)
- Poem I (19:28)
- Chorale Theme II (5:43)
- Poem II (19:13)
- Scandinavian Air: A Meditative Recitativo (3:45)
- Bubbles (1:15)
- Chorale Theme III (2:10)
- Hymn (3:35)
First Recordings
Fanfare Magazine :
‘ Idenstam proves that he has a vivid imagination in these works that range in duration from less than a minute to almost 20 minutes. Some of the harmonies he conjures up during these are nothing short of stunning. One of my favorite movements in this respect is the longest of the set, the fascinating “Poem I,” itself having several distinct sections, including a most impressive climax. This imagination, plus his dexterity as an organist and desire for contrasting styles of music (including Renaissance chorales, Baroque dances, French Impressionism, Messiaen-ic harmonies, and even Minimalism) keeps the listener engaged throughout this improvised recital. […]
I thoroughly enjoyed this program of “music of the instant,” every bit as much as I did a previous CD of Idenstam’s written-down works […]. The appeal of the disc should certainly transcend the community of organ aficionados to reach a wider music-loving public. Solidly recommended.’
—David DeBoor Canfield, Fanfare Magazine, February 2024