biography SWEDISH |
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JONAS BOHLIN was born on 12 September 1963. He studied composition, acoustic guitar, music and aesthetics at Kappelsberg’s Music School from 1987-90, after which he attended the Royal College of Music in Stockholm from 1990-97, where he studied composition under Daniel Börtz, Sven-David Sandström and Magnus Lindberg as well as arranging (1990-93) and electroacoustic music (1991-97) for Bill Brunson and Pär Lindgren. Even one of his earliest works contains what would become for him characteristic elements. In Trakt (for soprano and chamber orchestra, 1992), he set music to a poem by Katarina Frostenson; this exemplifies his great interest in texts, which has resulted in works of musical drama such as Tre Synder (Three Sins, 1995), and several works for dance and film. Though the expressiveness is strong in Trakt and Camera obscura (for baritone, nine instruments and live electronics, 1997), his pieces often take on the material and technical qualities of the texts with which he works. He utilises a distanced, analytical eye to build up a form and timbre which corresponds to the text, creating a constructive relation to the words rather than concentrating on a message or atmospheric painting. Jonas Bohlin’s feel for tone colour is recognisable in several of his works. The orchestra work Area (1994) presents a shimmering play of colours in light, airy movement. A solo violin enriches the articulation and colour of the piece rather than filling a concertante role. Another important element of his music is a cultivation of material. The saxophone quartet Deep Beeps (1998) is in one movement which is however clearly divided into two parts, where the first consists of repetitions while the second is marked by processes and development. The piece is short, making it somewhat of a calling card for the composer and his technical orientation. The string quartet Nunatak (1995) also takes him into a dualistic world, where expansive and bubbling power is held in check, and rhythms both spur and brake the course of the piece. High timbres give the impression of being a way out from the harsh, inertial strength which gives the work weighted, even coarse features. It is again evident in Nunatak that he prefers to work with the architectural aspects of music rather than its lyrical or propagandistic elements. Hans-Gunnar Peterson, 2000 (Engl. translation George Kentros)
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