Skogen
The Willow Bends and So Do I
This hour-long ensemble piece from 2024, recorded in Stockholm, marks the twelfth album by Swedish composer Magnus Granberg on Another Timbre. Granberg, born in Umeå in 1974, studied saxophone and improvisation at the University of Gothenburg and in New York, but is self-taught as a composer. He formed his ensemble Skogen in 2005 to integrate experiences, methods and materials from various traditions of improvised and composed musics into a new modus operandi. Apart from his ongoing work with Sk…
Let Pass My Weary Guiltless Ghost
Let Pass My Weary Guiltless Ghost marks another chapter in Magnus Granberg’s ongoing exploration of the borderlands between improvisation and quietly radical chamber composition. Granberg draws from his background in saxophone and deep engagement with traditions spanning classical, folk, and the avant-garde, establishing a musical language marked by reserved urgency and gentle abstraction, performed by his dedicated ensemble Skogen.
The recording is structured to allow strings, clarinet, piano, …
Nun, Es Wird Nicht Weit Mehr Gehn
Nun, es wird nicht mehr geh’n is a quietly arresting work that places Magnus Granberg at the forefront of contemporary, post-Feldman chamber composition. Written for and performed by Skogen, Granberg’s long-running collaborative ensemble, the album develops over extended durations, favoring a distinctive blend of improvisation and composed materials. Drawing inspiration from literary and musical ancestors - including the haunting lyricism of Olivier Messiaen and the structural clarity of Morton …
Rows
Rows marks a unique entry in the Skogen ensemble’s catalog: instead of ensemble founder Magnus Granberg, the composer’s role is assumed by Anders Dahl. The album’s nine movements - each titled as a numbered row - are written out on paper using a systematic twelve-tone approach, but with a radical twist: the focus is on simplicity and the avoidance of expressive gesture. Instead, each musician is asked to plan their individual material before recording, striving to stay within their own predesign…
Ist Gefallen In Den Schnee
Ist Gefallen In Den Schnee documents a landmark collaboration between Swedish composer Magnus Granberg and his ensemble Skogen. Recorded in November 2010, this nonet features an expanded lineup including Angharad Davies (violin), Toshimaru Nakamura (no-input mixing board), and Granberg himself on piano. The title, borrowed from Schubert’s “Winterreise” (“Wasserflut”), signals the work’s reflective engagement with song cycles and memory. Granberg structures the piece using rhythmic and formal mod…