Ture Rangström

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(Anders Johan) Ture Rangström (30 November 1884 – 11 May 1947) belonged to a new generation of Swedish composers who in the first decade of the 20th century introduced modernism to their compositions. In addition to composing Rangström was also a musical critic and conductor.

Rangström was born in Stockholm, where initially he studied music. He later travelled to Germany, where he studied further in Berlin and Munich. His compositions were chiefly for voice and piano. From 1922 to 1925, he was principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Swedish Society of Composers in 1924, and he was employed to promote the works of the Royal Swedish Opera from 1930 to 1936.

Much of his early works took the form of symphonic poems, including "Dityramb", "Ett midsommarstycke" ("A midsummer piece") and "En höstsång" ("An autumn song"). Following the success of these poems, Rangström began work on his symphonies of which there are four. The first, produced in 1914, is dedicated to the memory of Strindberg - "August Strindberg in memoriam"; the second, from 1919, is entitled "Mitt land" ("My country"); the third from 1929, "Sång under stjärnorna" ("Song under the stars") (1919); and the fourth from 1936, "Invocatio". He composed three operas, entitled "Kronbruden" ("The Crown Bride"), based on a play by Strindberg, which was first performed in 1915, "Medeltida" ("Medieval"), published in 1921, and "Gilgamesj", written during the last years of his life. The orchestration of "Gilgamesj" was completed by the composer John Fernström, and it was premièred in 1952.

Rangström died in Stockholm. He was grandfather of a playwright, also named Ture Rangström (born in 1944), and uncle of author Lars Gyllensten.