Bjarnason: The Grotesque & The Sublime

Daníel Bjarnason is a central figure among the composers who could be described as the first Icelandic school. Yet he also stands out slightly from his colleagues. As the country's leading conductor, he has premiered and recorded works by key protagonists such as Jóhann Jóhannsson, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, and others. Bjarnason's own music, however, has long since transcended the boundaries of this school's distinct aesthetic, integrating non-abstract forms such as opera, dance, and film scores. Furthermore, Bjarnason conducted the London Symphony Orchestra on the Rosalía album "Lux," which is widely considered one of the most important and best pop albums of 2025.

Bjarnason’s orchestral works often hold onto a solid, clearly defined musical object that may be distorted or obscured before re-emerging intact, which is also the case for the three works collected on this album, "The Grotesque & The Sublime."

The soloists featured are percussionist Vivi Vassileva (on "Inferno," which is dedicated to her colleague Martin Grubinger) and the highly renowned pianist Frank Dupree (on the piano concerto "Feast," originally written for Víkingur Ólafsson). "Fragile Hope" is dedicated to Bjarnason's friend and colleague Jóhann Jóhannsson, who passed away in 2018. Daníel Bjarnason conducts the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.