Discography
Read Jim O'Rourke's liner note to the Rabe/Bark CD "ARGH!" at the end of this section.
Music by Folke Rabe on commercial CDs:
- ”BASTA”, Phono Suecia PSCD 67:
- Basta /1982/ for solo trombone, 4’13.
Christian Lindberg - Cyclone /1985/ EAM 10’13.
- Naturen, flocken och släkten/
Nature, Herd and Relatives /1991/
Concerto for French Horn and String Orchestra 15’29.
S Hermansson FH, Helsingborg Symph Orch,
cond: G W Nilson - Notturno /1959/ for mezzosopr, fl, ob, cl, 5’19.
Text: E Södergran.
Maria Höglind, members of Sonanza ensemble,
cond: Jan Risberg - Pièce /1961/ for speaking chorus, with L O'Månsson, 9'12 . The Bel Canto Chorus, cond: K E Andersson
- Rondes /1964/ for chorus, 3'53.
Orphei Drängar male chorus, cond: R Sund - Tintomara /1992/ for trumpet & trombone, 5'16.
H Hardenberger & Chr Lindberg - to love /1984/ for chorus, 12'07. Text: e.e. cummings. The Swedish Radio Chorus, cond: M Nilsson
- Två Strofer /1980/ for chorus, 5'54. Text: G Sonnevi
The Swedish Radio Chorus, cond: M Nilsson
- ”WHAT??”, Dexter’s Cigar dex 12
- Va??/What?? /1967/ EAM. Version 1: 25’30,
version 2: 50’45
Chamber Chorus of the Gothenburg Music College,
cond: G Eriksson
- ”PULSE”, Matti Hirvonen piano. Daphne 1012
- With Love /1984/ for pi solo, Part 1: 2’10,
part 2: 3’57
- ”THE VIRTUOSO TRUMPET”, BIS-CD-287
- Shazam /1984/ for solo trumpet, 5’31. H Hardenberger
- ”HEAVY METAL”, BIS-CD-544
- Escalations /1988/ for brass quintet, 11’05.
Stockholm Chamber Brass
C Lindberg, Tapiola Sinfonietta, cond: O Vänskä
- ”HÅKAN HARDENBERGER PLAYS SWEDISH TRUMPET CONCERTOS”, BIS-CD-1021
- Sardinsarkofagen/Sardine Sarcophagus /1994/, concerto for trumpet and sinfonietta,
16’47.
H Hardenberger, Malmö Symph Orch, cond: G Varga
- ”FOLKE RABE/JAN BARK: ARGH!” Håll Tjäften/Kning
Disk
Tjäft 010/KD006 - ARGH! /1965/ EAM, 6’33
- Bolos /1962/ with J Bark for 4 trombones, 7’06.
The Culture Quartet - Joe’s Harp /1970/ for mixed chorus, 8’35.
Bromma Chamber Chorus, cond: B Johansson - To the Barbender /1982/ EAM, 4’00
- N.B. The "ARGH!" CD is a co-production by KningDisk, Gothenburg and Håll Tjäft. Håll Tjäft is a label under Rönnell's Vintage Book Store, Stockholm. Here are links to both labels:
- Kning Disk - Håll Tjäft
- TO BE RELEASED IN THE NEXT FUTURE ON THE KNING DISK LABEL:
- Swinee River /2005/ EAM, 4'
- ”NEW CULTURE QUARTET 1983-97, SHIP OF FOOLS”
Caprice CAP 21619 - Excerpts from the intermedia performances
Ship of Fools /1983/, World Museum /1987/ and Narragonia /1990/.
Instrumental and EAM, 18 tracks, total duration 68’33
You are likely to find several of the records in the Swedish Music Shop (link here).
JIM O'ROURKE'S LINER NOTE TO THE RABE/BARK CD "ARGH!"
Electronic and experimental music have always had two distinct paths of history: those who are there on the scene, able to attend concerts, have national radio enlightened enough to play it, and geographically on the pulse of the music. For others, it was the history of vinyl, and in the last two decades, CDs. The records were a tough road, many times hard to find, many times years after the fact, but they created a landscape of who was out there.
When CDs first arrived, it was a luxury item for more traditional classical music, and with the lowering production costs came the countless supporters who saw the opportunity to make this music available easier and more widely. This had the favorable side effect of not only raising the currency of the upper canon of experimentalists, but also of finally exposing the path that had been obscured: great composers everywhere, existing in a land before unknown to homebound experimental enthusiasts. I personally remember around late 80s early 90s, when a virtual avalanche of recordings by composers such as Morton Feldman and Giacinto Scelsi were released, there was an explosion of interest in their work now that it was finally heard by those who didn't live in major cities, didn't have excellent radio, and couldn't find that damn obscure Italian pressing of this or that.
The two paths converged, and of course split off again, but there was now some sort of bridge. For me, one of the most mysterious composers was Folke Rabe. I had gotten his "Was??" album on Wergo, and was from that moment, hooked. I can honestly say there is probably no piece of music I have heard more in my life than this one. BUT, for years, that was it. That's all there was. I could see concert programs reprinted, I could look for scores, etc, but those 20+ minutes were all that existed for me. Fittingly, those minutes became eternal. Which brings me to this: this CD is one of those bridges.
This is where the past truly becomes present, and continues into the future. Timelines are an obsession for many (my college professor even had one posted to his door, with his name penciled in at the end) but one thing they may overlook, is that time folds back into itself, and more importantly, meets, because there are countless timelines existing out there, unaware of each other, unafraid of each other, and most eloquently stated in this music, timeless.
Jim O'Rourke