A leading ensemble for contemporary art music, Duo Gelland cuts a unique profile. Since its inception in 1994, Duo Gelland has revived an 18th-century concept, the violin duo, and turned it into a driving force of contemporary exploration.
Duo Gelland made its international debut with the highly acclaimed recording of Swedish composer Allan Pettersson's utterly demanding and dramatic hour-long cycle from 1951 (BIS CD 1028).
Radical expression!... No less radical is Cecilia and Martin Gelland's interpretation, profound in all its nuances and dashing in its technical perfection even on this mercilessly direct CD-production. In places where tonal beauty is deliberately set aside, precisely there, they proceed to the core and show the true creative potential of these early wayward compositions. The interpretation has reference character. (Fono Forum, Germany)
The ensemble has received more than 100 dedications - mostly violin duos, but also several concertos for violin duo and orchestra or choir. It has given the first performance of a handful of these compositions in the Berliner Philharmonie. Parallel to this work, the Gellands research and revive the vast forgotten violin duo repertory of the 18th century. That fruitful interplay between new and old is central in how Duo Gelland operates.
The concern of Duo Gelland is not one single aesthetic direction, but the particular well of sounds and aesthetics of sounding individual to each single composition. (MGG)
Cecilia and Martin Gelland’s remarkable stage presence has been taken in demand in a series of crossover collaborations with stage directors and choreographers. Duo Gelland records extensively, appears at international festivals, gives master classes and lectures and can be heard on radio and television. They perform James Dillon’s Traumwerk for Johan Ramström’s camera in his experimental art music film, also available on DVD.
This DVD of Duo Gelland is a landmark in the live filming of contemporary music. (Musical Pointers, London)
Granted numerous awards and stipends, Duo Gelland enjoys the continuous support of
the Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs and of the Swedish Arts and Grants
Committee.
Since 2002, Duo Gelland has been artist-in-residence in Strömsund, northern Sweden,
where the Gellands also have their home. This is where composers and other artists come
to work together with them. Meeting the community’s children in classroom performances
and workshops has high priority. A number of works on this disc have been presented to
the children in such a context.
In 2003 nosag records released Vol 1 of Swedish duos for violins on nosag CD 075 and in 2006 Vol 2 on nosag CD 121.
On nosag records the Duo Gelland perform also on nosag CD 141, nosag CDVD 142, nosag CD 152 and nosag CD 181.
(Check all Gelland nosag CDs)
On this the Third Volume, Duo Gelland perform pieces (first recordings) by Birgitte Alstedt, Rolf Martinsson, Berndt Franke, Max Käck, Ingvar Karkoff and Olov Franzén.
