Elfrida Andrée: varför och därför

Elfrida Andrée (1841-1927) was a Swedish composer and one of the key figures in the establishment of classical music infrastucture in the South of the country. She was born in Visby, Gotland and studied extensively in Stockholm. She became the first woman in Sweden to be given the official title of an organist. In addition, she also became the first certified woman telegraphist in the country. Her career took her to Gothenburg, where she was the Cathedral Organist for decades until her death in 1927. She organized several "folk concerts", initiated the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, played the violin, piano and harp and conducted orchestras and choirs.
The 1870's were a very prolific period for Andrée. She finished both her symphonies during the decade as well as several chamber music works and the cantata Snöfrid. Varför och Därför (What for and therefore) is based on the second movement of her piano sonata, but it is an independent orchestral composition with colorful and skilled orchestration. The agitated introduction is followed by a tranquil part, where the melodic skills of the composer can clearly be heard. The descending seventh that appears in highly emotional passages is characteristic of Andrée and could even be called her "signature move", as it also appears extensively in the second symphony (third theme group of the 1st movement and second theme group and second development of the finale) and the Snöfrid cantata.
Varför och därför has never been performed and here it is played by the Noteperformer3 Software. Sheet music is available from the Society.
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