Stara: The Music of Halldór Smárason

Siggi String Quartet

17,9930,99
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Original Recording Format: DXD
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STARA features the music of Halldór Smárason.  It is the second DSD release from the Siggi String Quartet on the Sono Luminus label.  Their earlier DSD album, South of the Circle, released in 2019 is also available from NativeDSD Music.

STARA was recorded in Halldór’s hometown of Ísafjörður, in the Westfjords region in the northwestern part of Iceland.  It features works from different stages in the composer’s life, ranging from his student years in New York to this day as a family man and freelance composer. STARA shows Halldór’s development of a characteristic style and unique sense of narrative. All the works on the album are inspired by personal experiences and are often dedicated to people close to the composer himself.

STARA features Halldór’s three string quartets: draw + play, Stara, and BLAKTA; the guitar solo piece Skúlptúr 1; and the chamber works _a_at_na and stop breathing.

Halldór’s music has been described as atmospheric yet aggressive, characterized by simmering energy just beneath the surface that erupts from time to time. His compositional voice is highly original and personal.

STARA is intended to be an insightful portrait of the composer, introducing Halldór’s poetic sonic world. In each composition, Halldór strives for a distinct approach, which is guided by the specifics of the composition (the occasions, space, the instruments, the performer, etc.). As a result, his sonic repertoire is extremely rich. He often includes extra-musical and music-theatrical aspects, which create highly distinct artistic experiences. Additionally, Halldór has been acknowledged for high attention to detail in regards to sound and notation.

Siggi String Quartet is the main performer on the album. The quartet consists of Una Sveinbjarnardóttir and Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir on violin, Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir on viola and Sigurður Bjarki Gunnarsson on cello. Other musicians are Emilía Rós Sigfúsdóttir on flute, Geirþrúður Ása Guðjónsdóttir on violin, Gunnlaugur Björnsson on guitar, Helga Björg Arnardóttir on clarinet and Tinna Þorsteinsdóttir on piano.

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
draw + play
00:07
2.
stop breathing
00:07
3.
Stara
00:09
4.
Skúlptúr 1
00:04
5.
BLAKTA
00:11
6.
_a_at_na
00:08

Total time: 00:00:46

Additional information

Label

SKU

DSL92242

Qualities

, , , , , ,

Channels

Artists

Composers

Genres

,

Digital Converters

Horus, Merging Technologies (Recording)

Editing Software

Pyramix, Merging Technologies

Mastering Engineer

Daniel Shores

Mastering Room

Hapi, Merging Technologies (Mastering)

Instruments

,

Original Recording Format

Piano Technician

Sigurour Kristinsson

Producer

Dan Merceruio

Recording Engineer

Daniel Shores

Recording Location

Recorded June 10-13, 2019 in Hamrar, Ísafjörður, Iceland

Recording Software

Pyramix, Merging Technologies

Recording Type & Bit Rate

DXD

Speakers

Legacy Audio

Release DateJune 26, 2020

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