ĆVI
TÓNLISTIN
JÓN Í DAG
VERKASKRÁ ITMNÓTNASÝNISHORN
TÓNSMÍĐAVINNAN
TÓNLIST
Rímnadanslög
Guđrúnarkviđa
Baldr
Orgelkonsert
Sögusinfónían
Hekla
Requiem
Vita et mors
Ýmis verk
GEISLADISKASKRÁ
BIS
TÓNLEIKAR Á NĆSTUNNI
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Nokkur orđ frá Robert von Bahr forstjóra BIS útgáfunnar um kynni hans af tónlist Jóns: I first came into contact with the music of Jón Leifs through the efforts of Carl-Gunnar Ĺhlén, one of the leading musicologists and critics in Sweden. He is very persuasive, which was precisely what was needed to convince me, since BIS had one or two other things to do. However, when, finally, I had listened to the unique sounds of this one-of-a-kind composer, I was hooked for life and immediately decided to record his entire oeuvre, as far as it is possible, given the state of his manuscripts and impossible demands. It is virtually impossible to describe music, which is a very good thing, since music should be listened to, not talked about. This is also very true about Jón Leifs?s music. However, it has to be said that for me the music is floating forward with the same kind of unstoppable force as a lava stream or a geysir eruption (two things that Jón Leifs liked to dress in music). His music is most oftenly quite violent ? actually, he did compose the loudest pieces ever written ? and demands total commitment from all the performers. As could be expected, the music has generally been received with first a stunned shock and then with either derision or, most oftenly, with a huge welcome, as soon as the listener has plunged into this particular soundscape.I first came into contact with the music of Jón Leifs through the efforts of Carl-Gunnar Ĺhlén, one of the leading musicologists and critics in Sweden. He is very persuasive, which was precisely what was needed to convince me, since BIS had one or two other things to do. However, when, finally, I had listened to the unique sounds of this one-of-a-kind composer, I was hooked for life and immediately decided to record his entire oeuvre, as far as it is possible, given the state of his manuscripts and impossible demands. It is virtually impossible to describe music, which is a very good thing, since music should be listened to, not talked about. This is also very true about Jón Leifs?s music. However, it has to be said that for me the music is floating forward with the same kind of unstoppable force as a lava stream or a geysir eruption (two things that Jón Leifs liked to dress in music). His music is most oftenly quite violent ? actually, he did compose the loudest pieces ever written ? and demands total commitment from all the performers. As could be expected, the music has generally been received with first a stunned shock and then with either derision or, most oftenly, with a huge welcome, as soon as the listener has plunged into this particular soundscape. Personally I feel a great sense of pride and fulfilment with every Jón Leifs CD we release, for several reasons, one of which is the superb recordings my people are constantly managing to do ? the sound is unsurpassable in timbre, depth and dynamics (!!). However, even more importantly, it is my belief that this is precisely what a serious record company should be doing: instead of rehashing everything that has been said so many times before, we producers should find the exceptions in the grey mass, pick them up and deliver them for the world to enjoy, to hate, to cherish or to be disgusted by, but to get a reaction from. Only time will tell what is good and what isn?t, but it is my firm opinion that the world will be a better place now that Jón Leifs?s music finally has been discovered. Robert von Bahr, CEO, BIS Records, Sweden 
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