Martin Bagge

Martin Bagge (born 29 November 1958) is a Swedish musician and composer known for his interpretations of Carl Michael Bellman's songs.

Biography

Martin Bagge was educated at the Academy of Music at the University of Gothenburg. As a songwriter, he specializes in older Swedish songwriters such as Carl Michael Bellman, Olof von Dalin, and Lasse Lucidor, but he has also set to music lyrics by writers such as Harry Martinson and Elisabet Hermodsson. He also performs Bellman songs abroad, for example in Germany and Denmark. As a choral composer, he has attracted attention for his settings of poems by Federico García Lorca and Ebba Lindqvist.

His recordings include many of Carl Michael Bellman's 1790 Fredman's Epistles and 1791 Fredman's Songs, such as "Glimmande nymf", "Ack, du min moder", "Vila vid denna källa", and "Fjäriln vingad syns på Haga". Like Bellman, he plays a cittern. His approach, in the opinion of Ingrid Strömdahl, writing in Svenska Dagbladet, is respectful of the poetry and of Bellman's sharp observation of human nature, the environment, and unusual ways of being; he interprets the work "with heart and soul".

Together with the literary scholar David Anthin, he has during the summers of 2015, 2017-2019 carried out four sailing trips on the cruiser Flory on Sweden's west coast, and performed songs by Evert Taube on beach trips, and as lunchtime theatre in Gothenburg, in a program called "Cruising with Taube".

Martin Bagge has collaborated with musicians including Alf Hambe, Lars Jansson, Lars Danielsson, Dan Berglund and Cajsa Román.

Prizes and distinctions

2001 – Member of 2001 – 2001 – 2009 – 2019 – Honorary doctorate at the University of Gothenburg

Discography

1984 – Så drivs vi 1986 – Till ett barn, en vind, ett träd 1989 – Kärlek och Bacchus 1992 – Om sommaren 1993 – Blåsen nu alla 1995–97 – Fredmans Epistlar och Sånger 1997 – Kom fria sinnen hit 1998 – Martin Bagge gör Carl Michael Bellman levande: 'Upptåger' från ungdomsåren 1999 – Till Isagel 2000 – Till Undrans land 2001 – Fredmans Epistlar och Sånger 2002 – Fredmans Episteln und Gesänge 2002 – Fredman's Epistles and Songs 2005 – Wärldslige och Andelige Sånger 2007 – ...vid denna strand, vid detta hav, vid detta vatten 2012 – Ack, libertas! – wisor av 2014 – Vägen ut (with Trio Isagel)