Mark Pentleton » kristina från duvemåla

104/365 Songs: Här har du mig igen (Kristina från Duvemåla)

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:01:34 +0000

Today I’m marking the première of the musical Kristina in the Royal Albert Hall with the final song in our Kristina series, and it’s one of the pieces from the show which combines a number of themes heard previously. At this stage Kristina has lost her child and her husband is a stranger to her. Kristina longs for her husband and is convinced that she should be together. He resists her until she uses the words she used to pledge her love so many years before (apologies for my poor translation!):

Jag hör ditt hjärtas jämna slag
Mitt huvud mot ditt bröst
i nattens timmar
Vi ska va tillsammans
när dag läggs till dag
För dit du går går också jag

“I hear the steady beat of your heart,
my head against your chest in the night hours.
We shall be together every day
For wherever you go I will go too.”

102/365 Songs: Du måste finnas – Kristina från Duvemåla

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:27:30 +0000

All musicals need an “eleven o’clock number”, the song which is a turning point towards the end of the second act. There’s no doubt that Du måste finnas is exactly that! Kristina has miscarried and she sits alone under the stars contemplating all the bad things which have happened to her. For the first time in her life she wonders if God really exists: “Now that I need more than ever my God to be near me, do you hear when I call? Are you there after all?” This is a wonderful song – there’s a great montage video on YouTube combining images from the Swedish (non-musical) film and the English language recording performed by Helen Sjöholm. If you prefer the original Swedish, this live performance version also has English subtitles.

101/365 Songs: Ett Herrans Underverk – Kristina från Duvemåla

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:13:05 +0000

I’m continuing the series of songs from Kristina från Duvemåla today (more information here). In a work full of tender moments, this song represents one of the most tender. Ulrika is a changed woman since her arrival in Minnesota. Back in Sweden her reputation meant that no man would consider marrying her, but in America she is spoiled for choice. She accepts the proposal of Reverend Jackson and in this song, Ett Herrans Underverk (A Miracle of the Lord), Kristina and Ulrika contemplate how their relationship has gone from one of hatred to close friendship given the struggles they have gone through together. Kristina wishes Ulrika many years of happy marriage.

100/365 Songs: Hemma – Kristina från Duvemåla

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:05:49 +0000

This week I’m doing a series of songs from the Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvæus musical Kristina which premières next week at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Today we’re at the hundredth song of the 365songs project, and I’ve recorded the song Hemma (Home). By this time, Kristina and Karl Oskar have arrived in America. Kristina is sitting resting in Battery Park, quite overwhelmed by the journey and the family’s new life. She wonders when she’ll be able to call somewhere “home” again. I think this song really shows Benny’s folk roots as it’s very much in the style of a Scandinavian folk melody. (YouTube link from the Minnesota concert a few years ago – Swedish with English subtitles).

99/365 Songs: Stanna – Kristina från Duvemåla

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:51:24 +0000

Next Wednesday evening in the Royal Albert Hall the UK première of the concert version of Benny and Björn’s musical Kristina will take place. As I explained in a previous post when I performed Guldet Blev till Sand, the epic musical is based on Vilhelm Moberg’s series of books, Utvandrarserien, which tell the story of one family’s migration from Småland to Minnesota. In many ways it’s a Swedish Les Misérables!

I’ve loved the music from Kristina since I first heard it fifteen years ago, and I’ve decided to do a little series on 365songs over the next week in which I’ll record a few songs from the show. Today I’ve chosen to begin with Stanna (Stay). During the journey from Sweden to the New World, the title character Kristina who is pregnant with her fifth child has fallen ill to scurvy. Her husband, Karl Oskar, sits with her throughout the night. (YouTube link from the Minnesota concert a few years ago – Swedish with English subtitles).

365 Songs: Guldet Blev till Sand – Kristina från Duvemåla

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:20:36 +0000

Sticking with the musicals theme from yesterday, Guldet Blev till Sand is one of many beautiful songs from the Swedish musical Kristina från Duvemåla, written by (my musical hero) Benny Andersson and with lyrics by Björn Ulvæus. The musical is based on the novels of Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg which tell of a Swedish family’s migration to America in the 19th century.

The musical was premiered in Malmö in 1995 and received a 10-minute standing ovation. Since then it’s been staged in Gothenburg, Stockholm and in Minneapolis. Last year an English version was staged in Carnegie Hall and a this version will be performed in the Royal Albert Hall on 14 April this year. Unfortunately I won’t be there (I’ll be Apple Teacher Instituting in Cheltenham…) but the English-language soundtrack apparently comes out a couple of days before the concert.

The song Guldet Blev till Sand (”The gold turned into sand”) is taken from the second act of the show. The family has moved to the New World and the character Robert has set out in search for gold with his friend Arvid. They end up lost in the desert and after drinking poisoned water, Arvid dies. Robert returns and explains to his sister-in-law Kristina what has happened. There’s a version on YouTube with English subtitles sung by Peter Jöback if you’re interested.

I better think of something a bit cheerier for tomorrow!