“we are surrounded by immense visual and aural beauty for 35 minutes, face-to-face with whatever this beauty constructs in our minds. In each of the four acts, Svenisson’s music gives us a slow-moving atmosphere. Act I opens with a powerful melody in the strings, warm and gorgeously harmonized, gaining in urgency as it repeats and builds. The choir gives Svenisson’s ethereal notes a haunting performance. Each act carries echoes of the acts on either side, and the overall calm of Svenisson’s writing here builds slowly but terrifically. I dare you to take the 35 minutes to listen to this work, stare deep into the artwork, and observe what your mind brings to the stage” - Stephanie Boyd, American Record Guide

“the choral settings are somehow lush and stark at the same time… It is an impressive addition to Sono Luminus’ ongoing commitment to bringing Icelandic culture to the world.”
David Olds, The Whole Note

“Der Klang boasts all the qualities we tend to associate with sweeping modern neo-classical—it's beautiful, reflective, sad...Sveinsson has a light touch, but his work hits a deeper and more visceral level, permeating and lingering long after it’s subsided...Whatever he does, he has already quietly announced himself as a major talent.” – Pitchfork

“Sveinsson, in conjunction with co-author Ragnar Kjartansson, has created an opera for the ages...it finds grace in unexpected places, arriving far after the prayers have ended.” – acloserlisten.com


 "There is such a longing [for beauty] indeed in Sveinsson’s searching score, a meditative sonic canvas for Kjartansson’s exquisite images. Even absent the visual component, Sveinsson’s music summons a hushed awe that makes for a mesmerizing listen on its own.” - WQXR

Track List

1. Teil I 8:03

2. Teil II 8:21

3. Teil III 7:00

4. Teil IV 11:40

Total time: 35:04
Release date: September 25th, 2020
UPC: 053479701725

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Quotes & Reviews

“Neo-classical is perhaps an adequate characteristic. Timeless is probably also a good description.”
Karl Erik Slythe, Audiophile

“The main thrust of this music-as-music is an enchantment that lingers on in the listening mind after the music ends. It is a poetic yearning one experiences, a sad reverie no doubt, that nonetheless beguiles as one experiences the slowness of its presence. Highly recommended.”
Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review

“I am listening to an Icelandic opera. Klang Der Offenbarung Des Göttlichen – Teil I & II, by Kjartan Sveinsson. Gorgeous music. This is my therapy, helping to abate the unease I feel rehashing my feelings.”
Notes From A Father