Åke Uddén (1903-1987) was a composer and professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. During the 1920s, he studied at the Paris Conservatory and included Caussade and Tournemire among his teachers. He was greatly inspired by Ravel and "Les Six". The basic characteristics of Uddén's compositions, mostly for chamber and vocal music, come from the French role models on which his education was based. A balanced, sober and technically-driven tonal language therefore characterizes his work, where linear playing and harmony are colored by impressionistic impulses. Uppsala Chamber Soloists have taken on this previously seldom-performed repertoire with enormous enthusiasm. With the release of this album, it achieves its major breakthrough. The Uppsala Chamber Orchestra – regarded by many as one of the finest chamber orchestras in Sweden – is part of Musik i Uppland, the county musical foundation. The Uppsala Chamber Orchestra is characterized by its flexibility in various styles, from early baroque to contemporary music, and its exquisite orchestral sound, both warm and lustrous. The orchestra includes a number of soloists who ensure its high quality.
