The 1960s saw the beginning of the "Caprice," an annual event that soon gained great popularity. It was a wholly new concert form in Sweden: a mixture of musical styles, everything from serious classical music to jazz and folk music, and as time went on it became more and more of a scenic production with dramatizations, choreography and slapstick humor. An important ingredient was the appearance of one or more mystery guest artists. Over the years, many of Sweden's foremost artists within various genres ahve appeared to suprise the audience, and often have the opportunity to present themselves form a new angle. The development of the Caprice would hardly have been possible without the special conditions that Orphei Drangar has to offer: Eric Ericson's musical versatility and curiosity, not to mention his wide-ranging contacts within Swedish artistic circles; Robert Sund's skill as an arranger, of which this CD provides ample evidence; and his brother Hakan's artistry at the piano, or an equally high calibre in classical music and in jazz. |
