THE CRITICS:

MusicWeb: "Stellan Sagvik must be one of the most prolific composers in Sweden with a production spanning almost all genres. Besides that he has studied singing, acting, woodwind instruments and journalism. He has been a music teacher and theatre musician and also runs his own record company, releasing a steady stream of both classical and contemporary music. This mass was a commission from Judith Linder, choir leader at Maria Magdalena Church, situated just south of Stockholm’s Old Town. The church is big and Sagvik utilized the whole space of the building with choirs and soloists spread out at distances up to 30 metres. Since the mass was recorded at actual performances everything had to be set in advance and it says a lot about the competence of those responsible that the sound-picture is in the main impressively well balanced and atmospheric. (---) The Stockholm Wind Symphony is an impressive band and the choirs more than live up to the expected high standards of choral singing in Sweden. Stellan Sagvik’s free-tonal musical language often gives them a hard time but they negotiate the complexities superbly. Of the soloists the versatile Olle Persson, who is an eager champion of contemporary music, sings his demanding role with impressive tone and sings with excellent enunciation. Annika Skoglund, whose repertoire spans most genres, from opera to jazz, sings Maria Magdalena’s part with such confidence and such intensity that I doubt I’ve heard her better and the young Hannah Holgersson’s crystal clear soprano sails beautifully through Martha’s high-lying part. High-lying are also the Evangelist’s readings and Carl Unander-Scharin, who also is a successful composer, can’t quite avoid sounding strained sometimes but he too is extremely articulate. Among the minor roles Staffan Alveteg makes his mark with his dark-hued bass. So much for the performance. In other words: it could hardly be bettered. And the music? I have been lucky to review quite a number of NOSAG records, among them also several Sagvik compositions, which have always seemed to me quite accessible, without in any way rubbing the listeners the right way. His free-tonal harmonies and his way of structuring the compositions need a good share of bravery to come to terms with, but in the end I have always felt he has something to say and says it personally and with finesse. Missa Maria Magdalena is the largest-scale work of his I have encountered and a time-span of almost 80 minutes needs a lot of substance to become meaningful and engaging. (---) this mass must be counted as an important work and the Credo especially is something I will often return to. I could also imagine the mass movements to be performed separately to great effect. "

C-G Åhlén: "With strong accents from wind and percussion (—) with close changing of beat, a kind of gasping declamation with an adventurously high tessitura that heats the tone language so it almost burns (—) as the choral parts are among the best being written in several years!"

Svenska Dagbladet: "Here the assiduous Sagvik has written a music often among the most beautiful from his hand that ever sounded."