The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson Christian Svarfvar, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Anders Berglund

• Benny Andersson (b. 1946): Anthem:
• 1Andersson: Anthem03:41
• I let the music speak:
• 2Andersson: I let the music speak05:16
• I wonder:
• 3Andersson: I wonder04:43
• Money, Money, Money:
• 4Andersson: Money, Money, Money03:04
• Stockholm by night:
• 5Andersson: Stockholm by night03:55
• Someone else´s story:
• 6Andersson: Someone else´s story03:57
• Chess:
• 7Andersson: Chess04:20
• Ett herrans underverk:
• 8Andersson: Ett herrans underverk05:19
• Flickornas rum:
• 9Andersson: Flickornas rum03:32
• Intermezzo No I:
• 10Andersson: Intermezzo No I04:33
• Vilar glad. I din famn:
• 11Andersson: Vilar glad. I din famn04:42
• You and I:
• 12Andersson: You and I05:48
• Total Runtime52:50

Info for The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson

For the vast majority, he is well known from the Swedish supergroup ABBA. London Philharmonic Orchestra, with the Swedish violin soloist Christian Svarfvar, will release their own selection of Benny Andersson's most beloved compositions this spring.

The symphony orchestra's selection from ABBA, BAO, the musical Chess and Kristina from Duvemåla is a pioneering international initiative by the Swedish arranger and conductor Anders Berglund. – This unique album with Benny Andersson's masterpieces can lead to a broader recognition worldwide for the Swedish violin virtuoso Christian Svarfvar, he says.

The album is recorded with a full orchestral setting in London. The upcoming album "The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson" contains twelve instrumental recordings and will be released on April 14, worldwide.

Already on March 10, the first single will be revealed, which will be Christian’s and The London Philharmonic Orchestra's version of ABBA's "Money Money Money" from 1976. Anders Berglund is the conductor and the executive producer of the album. – I am very proud of this unique project and collaboration, he says.

After international album successes in 2022 with Wagner, Bach and Brahms, the London Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to interpret a contemporary composer in 2023.

Benny Andersson started as a keyboard player and composer in a Swedish rock band in the sixties.

After meeting Björn Ulvaeus in 1966, his writing developed through their creative enterprise and a couple of years later ABBA was born.

With Benny's music, Björn's lyrics and the girls' voices, the success was unparalleled. Benny has since explored and developed his composing skills through musicals, music for film and theatre, folk music etc.

Björn Ulvaeus has been a very important and invaluable partner over the years, but this album is focused on the actual music composed by Benny. Despite a lack of musical training and not reading sheet music, he writes like a classical composer. This has been Anders Berglund's inspiration for these new arrangements and with the beautiful playing of the virtuoso Christian Svarfvar and the great London Philharmonic Orchestra, this album wants to shed new light on Benny Andersson's music.

Christian Svarfvar, violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Anders Berglund, conductor

Photo: Ulrike von Löper/Christian Svarfvar

Christian Svarfvar
is one of Scandinavia's most admired musicians with a succession of critically acclaimed performances and recordings. His creative and exciting attitude to concert programming, paired with the passion and energy he brings to musical interaction, marks Svarfvar as one of the most captivating voices of his generation. ​

Svarfvar was exposed to music from an early age since both of his parents were professional violinists. He began his violin studies with his father, Sven-Ole Svarfvar, former 1st concertmaster of the Norwegian Opera and Swedish Chamber Orchestra and, moreover a respected teacher. Svarfvar's talents developed rapidly, and he made his debut as a soloist in Mendelssohn violin concerto with the Swedish chamber orchestra at the age of twelve.

Svarfvar came to wide national attention when he was appointed "rising star" by the European Concert Hall Organization (ECHO). The nomination led to significant solo concerts in prestigious halls such as the Musikverein, Bozar, Cité de la musique, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Kölner Philharmonie, Birmingham Symphony, Tchaikovsky Hall, and Seoul Art Center. Subsequently, he made his New York recital debut with a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall in the series of Distinctive Debuts. ​

Today Svarfvar Svarfvar appears as a soloist with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Stockholm Sinfonietta, Stockholm Royal Opera Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony, to name a few.

His playing is best defined as lyrical and fragrant, marked by a sensitive and silvery tone. ​

Apart from the established concert repertoire, Svarfvar also has extensive expertise in the contemporary music field, and his close collaboration with composers include such esteemed names as Howard Shore, Steve Reich, Kaija Saariaho, Anders Eliasson, Chaya Czernowin, Anders Hillborg, Bent Sorensen, and many others.

Christian has, for instance, premiered the three-time Oscar-awarded composer Howard Shores violin concerto: Eastern Promises, conducted by Howard Shore himself and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a recitalist, Svarfvar is a frequent performer at significant festivals in Scandinavia and performs as a soloist in the most prestigious halls such as Concertgebouw, Cité de la musique, Musikverein, Palais de beaux arts, Tchaikovsky Hall, Carnegie Hall, Birmingham Symphony, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Kölner Philharmonie, Gothenburg Concert Hall, Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Stockholm Concert Hall, Stavanger Concert Hall, Megaron, Athen and Seoul Art Center. ​

Christian´s debut album, “Grieg Violin Sonatas,” was released on Sterling Records and was greatly praised by the international press.

Since then, Svarfvar has recorded several CDs for BIS Records, of which the latest recording, “Après un rêve” includes music by Fauré, Ravel, and Debussy together with pianist Roland Pöntinen.

The album was blessed by numerous international magazines. The Strad described it as “Breathtaking performances” and called it “An outstanding release. Dagens Nyheter, Swedens largest and most influential newspaper in Sweden named the album "recording of the year" (Årets bästa skiva) ​

In 2018 Christian released an album including the ever-loved Max Bruch´s first Violin Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Wilhelm Stenhammar´s two romances and violin sonata conclude the disc.

The album has been praised by several magazines, such as the Suëddeutsche Zeitung, which admired Christian´s elegance, honesty, and sensual tone.

The Gramophone wrote: "His tone gleams and the way he tugs yearningly on the leading tones draws one in. Svarfvar´s playing radiates tenderness." ​

Christian´s most recent release includes the J S Bach Violin Concertos recomposed by Johan Ullén - recorded in Abbey Road Studios with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The album, which immediately skyrocketed on Apple Music with more than a million streams within a month from release, has been hailed by many voices. For more info, visit https://www.infinitebach.com/

Conductors with whom Christian has worked include Vassily Sinaisky, Hannu Lintu, Lawrence Renes, Jorma Panula, Brett Dean, Douglas Boyd, Christopher Warren-Green, and Joana Carneiro, to name a few.

As a chamber musician, Svarfvar has performed and collaborated with such admired musicians as Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Clemens Hagen, Tabea Zimmerman, Martin Fröst, Frans Helmersson, Maxim Rysanov, and Boris Brovtsyn. ​

While continuing his recital performances and teaching, Christian stays committed to innovative ways of expanding classical music's social and cultural impact; Christian is actively working with various artists and organizations across a multitude of genres.

This album contains no booklet.