LEBENSFRIES

Lebensfries by Icelandic composer Hafliði Hallgrímsson is set for release, performed by the acclaimed Norwegian ensemble Ssens Trio. Written as a string trio for violin, viola and cello, Lebensfries stands as one of Hallgrímsson’s most intimate and reflective chamber works, and is dedicated to Ssens Trio, for whom the piece was commissioned.

Composed in 2020, Lebensfries is subtitled Homage to Lars Hertervig, referring to the Norwegian Romantic painter whose life and art are marked by lyricism, fragility and inner intensity. Hallgrímsson translates this painterly inspiration into a musical landscape of long, unfolding lines and concentrated expressive detail, inviting the listener into a meditative space where time feels suspended and memory takes on a central role.

Hafliði Hallgrímsson, born in 1941 in Akureyri, Iceland, is internationally recognised for a body of work that combines Nordic clarity with a deeply personal, lyrical voice. A former principal cellist of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, he has devoted himself fully to composition since the early 1980s, creating music that spans orchestral, vocal and chamber genres. His works have been performed and recorded widely, and he has held prestigious positions including composer-in-residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

Ssens Trio, consisting of violinist Sølve Sigerland, violist Henninge Landaas and cellist Ellen Margrete Flesjø, has established itself as one of Scandinavia’s leading chamber ensembles. Since its founding in 2014, the trio has received international acclaim for its recordings and performances, with multiple award nominations and strong critical reception in leading classical music publications. Their close, communicative ensemble playing and commitment to both the classical repertoire and contemporary music make them particularly well suited to Hallgrímsson’s nuanced and emotionally charged score.

With this release, Ssens Trio brings renewed focus to Lebensfries as a work of quiet power and lasting resonance. The recording highlights the deep artistic relationship between composer and ensemble and offers listeners a compelling encounter with a modern Nordic masterpiece rooted in shared cultural memory and expressive depth.