Swedish Concertos Drottningholms Barockensemble

• Johan Helmich Roman (1694 - 1758): Overture in F major to Festa musicale, BeRI 32:
• 1 Roman: Overture in F major to Festa musicale, BeRI 32 05:55
• Johan Joachim Agrell (1701 - 1765): Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in B-flat major:
• 2 Agrell: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in B-flat major: Allegro I 03:45
• 3 Agrell: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in B-flat major: Adagio 03:56
• 4 Agrell: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in B-flat major: Allegro II 03:02
• Johan Helmich Roman: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in G major, BeRI 54:
• 5 Roman: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in G major, BeRI 54: Non troppo Allegro 03:45
• 6 Roman: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in G major, BeRI 54: Larghetto [Siciliano] 02:08
• 7 Roman: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in G major, BeRI 54: Allegro 06:45
• Johan Joachim Agrell: Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra in A major:
• 8 Agrell: Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra in A major: Allegro 05:38
• 9 Agrell: Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra in A major: Un poco Andante 04:12
• 10 Agrell: Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra in A major: Allegro assai 03:52
• Hinrich Philip Johnsen (1717 - 1779): Concerto for Horn and Orchestra in E-flat major:
• 11 Johnsen: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra in E-flat major: Allegro moderato 06:07
• 12 Johnsen: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra in E-flat major: Adagio 04:02
• 13 Johnsen: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra in E-flat major: Vivace 05:05
• Total Runtime 58:12

Info for Swedish Concertos

Swedish Concertos is Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble’s tribute to three of the 18th century’s most significant Swedish composers: Johan Helmich Roman, Johan Agrell, and Hinrich Philip Johnsen. The album presents rarely performed Swedish orchestral music from the golden age of the Baroque and early Classicism, interpreted on period instruments.

The album opens with Roman’s (1694–1758) overture to Festa musicale (BeRI 32), written in 1725 for King Frederick I’s birthday. This is followed by Agrell’s (1701–1765) Oboe Concerto in B-flat major – a brilliant example of the melodic art of the galant style – and Roman’s Flute Concerto in G major (BeRI 54), whose attribution was established in the 1970s by Roman scholar Ingmar Bengtsson. The album concludes with Agrell’s Harpsichord Concerto in A major and Hinrich Philip Johnsen’s (1717–1779) Horn Concerto in E-flat major from 1751, an important but rarely performed contribution to the genre.

The soloists are Ulf Bjurenhed (oboe), former principal oboist of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Olle Torssander (traverso flute), educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague; Björn Gäfvert (harpsichord), the ensemble’s permanent keyboard player since 1989; and Hans Larsson (horn), former principal horn of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble was founded in 1971 by violist Lars Brolin and performs 17th- and 18th-century music in a historically informed manner. Led by concertmasters Nils-Erik Sparf and Stefan Lindvall, the ensemble performs around 40 concerts a year and is documented on some sixty recordings for BIS, EMI, Musica Sveciae, and Naxos. In 2023, DBE released the CD ”6 Works for Orchestra” by Johan Agrell – now the focus is on solo concertos by Agrell, Roman, and Johnsen.

Olle Torssander, flute
Ulf Bjurenhed, oboe
Hans Larsson, horn
Björn Gäfvert, harpsichord
Drottningholms Barockensemble

The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble
was formed by viola player Lars Brolin in 1971. The six original musicians set themselves the goal of playing 17th and 18th century music on period instruments. Today, the number of members has grown and the ensemble can at most present an orchestra with strings, winds, percussion and timpani. The ensemble's concertmaster is the violinist Nils-Erik Sparf, who is also a primary member of Uppsala Kammarsolister, and Stefan Lindvall, a freelance musician based in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Over the years the DBE has had the opportunity to work and tour in several countries and continents including the USA, China, Australia, Spain, Germany, France and Japan. Many famous artists and conductors have chosen to work with Drottningholmarna. In Sweden, concerts have been organised with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir and the Bach Choir. World-renowned conductors include Christopher Hogwood, Andrew Parrott, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Sigiswald Kuijken, Emmanuelle Haim and Alfredo Bernardini, and soloists such as Anne Sofie von Otter, Clas Pehrsson, Malena Ernman and Emma Kirkby. Since 2006, the ensemble has collaborated with soprano Barbara Hendricks. This collaboration has so far resulted in three recordings and several tours in France, Morocco and Japan.

Some 60 recordings have been made for BIS, EMI, Musica Svecia and Naxos with works by Bach, Handel, Telemann and Roman, to name but a few. The recording of Vivaldi's "The Seasons" received international acclaim and was chosen as the best recording of the work by the prestigious German magazine Audio.

Since 2005, the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble has run its own concert series with about 6 concerts per year. Over the years, both different constellations of the DBE and a large number of visiting groups and soloists have participated. As of 2010, the series is a collaboration with Engelbrekt's parish in Stockholm.

Since 2005, the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble has run its own concert series with about six concerts per year. Over the years, various constellations of the DBE as well as a large number of visiting groups and soloists have participated. In 2011, the ensemble celebrated its 40th anniversary with three festive concerts, where both baroque oboist Alfredo Bernardini and composer Carl Unander-Scharin were on the programme.

Booklet for Swedish Concertos