Reflections of a River Valley

Six decades of music by Erik Fordell The annual round has many faces, but the one we remember most clearly is the weather at any particular time, the delicate feel on the skin. The name Erik Fordell still arouses many emotions in this region of Ostrobothnia. He is mostly remembered as a versatile, sharp-witted reporter on culture and music and a composer who blazed a lonely, self-critical trail of his own, making a very edgy impression on those he passed on the way. Because of his large-scale works, he regarded himself above all as a symphonist, but further examination of his prolific output reveals a very different picture: gazing at his scores, the reader sees a master of nature lyricism and miniatures who sought refuge in notes and spoke in warm and earthy tones.