Eckerberg, (Axel) Sixten (Lennart)

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Eckerberg, (Axel) Sixten (Lennart)

Eckerberg, (Axel) Sixten (Lennart), Swedish conductor, pianist, and composer; b. Hjaltevad, Sept. 5, 1909; d. Göteborg, April 9, 1991. After training at the Stockholm Cons. (1927–32), he studied conducting with Weingartner in Basel (1932–34) and piano with Sauer in Vienna and Philipp in Paris. From 1937 to 1969 he was chief conductor of the Goteborg Radio Orch. His auto-biography was publ. as Musiken och mitt lif (Stockholm, 1970). In his compositions, his contrapuntal writing tended toward the austere with occasional impressionist elements.

Works

DRAMATIC Anger, musical (1972; Swedish Radio, July 22, 1975); Det stora bankranet, opera (1975); Uppstdndelse, opera (1975–76). ORCH.: Melodi for Piano and Strings (1935); 3 syms. (1941; 1943–45; 1966); Sommarmusik (1941); Sub luna (1942); 3 piano concertos (1943, 1949, 1971); Visione (1961); Piano Concertino (1962); La danza della vita (1970); Promenade Suite for Winds and Percussion (1971); Sagan om asarna (1971); Serenade (1972); Skogssuset (1973); Cello Concerto (1974). OTHER: Nocturne for Alto and Orch. (1970–71); chamber music; piano pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire