Daníel Bjarnason: Processions (Bedroom Community, 2/1/10)
Daníel Bjarnason: “Bow to String I: Sorrow Conquers Happiness”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Daniel_Bjarnason_Bow_to_String_I_Sorrow_Conquers_Happiness.mp3|titles=Daniel Bjarnason: “Bow to String I: Sorrow Conquers Happiness”]
Best known as a conductor and arranger for indie groups such as Sigur Rós, composer Daníel Bjarnason also holds a lofty classical résumé. Processions, his proper debut, is, at many points, a challenging classical work. Powerful cellos scale and race with crackling percussions before settling into gently bowed and pizzicato string accompaniments; easily half a dozen strings battle for dominance in a sorrowful, harmonic piece that resonates long after hearing it. Undoubtedly, Processions is a daring and original debut.