Åke Parmerud

Jeu d’Ombres collects six works by Åke Parmerud written between 1986 and 1999, four for fixed medium and two for instruments with electronics. Several belong to what he describes as a series about his relation to musical artefacts of the past: a film melody, a jazz solo, the string quartet, renaissance instruments and old analog synthesizers each become material for a new piece. Five of the six received awards at Ars Electronica, Bourges or Métamorphoses.

Strings & Shadows, commissioned by NOMUS for the harpist Sofia Asunción Claro, treats the harp strings as gates that release a stream of other sounds, and derives its melodic material from Herbert Stothart’s score for Queen Christina; its poetic image is an old actress dancing a last pas de deux with death. Retur is built on transcribed phrases from a Charlie Parker solo, a musical letter addressed back to its sender, played by the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet. Stråkkvartett, commissioned by Swedish Radio in 1988, organises everything around the number four and moves the string quartet onto tape with sampling technology of the time.

Renaissance, a GRM commission, sets a Serge modular synthesizer against drums, lute, krumhorns and viola da gamba. Les flûtes en feu, made partly at the IMEB in Bourges, treats simple flute sounds as an alchemist would treat a substance and won first prize ex æquo at Métamorphoses 2000. Repulse grew from material rejected while writing Isola for the Asko Ensemble, with up to five layers of texture at once, and took first prize at Bourges in 1988.

Born in Lidköping in 1953, Åke Parmerud trained as a photographer before studying music in Gothenburg. Since Närheter won first prize at Bourges in 1978 he has received seventeen international prizes, two Swedish Grammis awards and a seat in the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and works widely in dance, theatre and interactive installations.

CD in OGpak, empreintes DIGITALes IMED 0367, 2003.