Traditional music and dance
In addition to kveða and syngja, two major styles of vocal music and sung poetry, the Icelandic musical tradition is particularly marked by rímur. These epic sung poems - usually a cappella - with alliterative rhythms are considered to be one of the pillars of Icelandic poetry. With its roots in the Scaldic (7th or 8th century) and Eddic (13th century) poetic forms, the rímur is characterized by its complex metaphors and narrative style, inspired by elements of Icelandic literature and folklore. While Skáld-Helga, Skíðaríma, Bjarkarímur and Lokrur - all from the 15th century - are some of the most famous old rímur, there are many famous ones written between the 18th and early 20th centuries, including by poets such as Sigurður Breiðfjörð (1798-1846), a specialist in the genre. Nowadays, it is common for contemporary musicians to use rímur in their works. This is notably the case of Steindór Andersen, whose collaboration with Sigur Rós on an EP aptly titled... Rímur (in 2001) is particularly memorable. Let's also mention the avant-garde Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson who, in some of his musical experiments, summoned the rímur. Also, the rímur continues to inhabit the Icelandic language today, and sometimes jokes are told in its form
The Icelandic musical tradition also includes some great songs. A good example is Sprengisandi, an eternal classic written by Grímur Thomsen (1820-1896) and known to all Icelanders since their early childhood. Particularly popular with horsemen, it tells the story of the farmers who gather the sheep in the high mountain pastures of the country, with the fear of darkness and outlaws. As for the dances, it is impossible not to mention the vikivaki, undoubtedly one of the most important in the country. Performed in a circle, it sees participants holding hands or shoulders and taking two steps to the left and one to the right. The term " vikivaki " can also be used to describe the songs sung during the dance as well as the event at which it is performed.
There are few folk instruments in Iceland other than the langspil, a kind of zither with one melody string and two drone strings, and the fiðla, a cousin of the langspil but shaped like a long box. Because of Iceland's isolation, foreign influences were minimal until the 15th century. This is what made it possible to preserve for so long some specificities like the hákveða, a very particular rhythmic accent on certain words of a song - often the last one of each sentence or verse. This isolation was broken during the 15th century, when European dances such as the polka, waltz, reel and schottische began to be introduced via Denmark, causing a slow decline in the indigenous dancing and singing traditions. In order to prevent their disappearance, a great movement of collection and inventory was carried out between the two world wars, notably by Bjarni Þorsteinsson (1861-1938), a composer, who became interested in Icelandic folk music at the end of the 19th century
In Siglufjörður, a folk music centre bears his name, located in the house where he lived between 1888 and 1898. The centre's aim is to showcase local folk music. It features videos of Icelanders singing epic poems, five-songs and nursery rhymes or playing traditional instruments. In Reykjavik, the Nordic House, an institution created to strengthen cultural ties between the Scandinavian countries through exhibitions, concerts, performances and lectures, occasionally presents traditional Icelandic music or groups that offer a new interpretation
Classical music
The history of Icelandic classical music is as small as the country itself, but packed with treasures. Starting with Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson (1847-1927), the great Romantic composer and author of the national anthem Lofsöngur. Apart from Sveinbjörnsson, most of the great names in Icelandic composition are to be found in the 20th century. These include Jón Leifs (1899-1968), perhaps the most important composer of Icelandic art music, and the initiator of a nationalist music that incorporated elements of Icelandic folklore into orchestral(Saga Symphony) and choral(Edda Oratorio, Requiem) works. As a conductor, he led the first symphony concert in 1926. Also from the same period, Pall Isolfsson (1893-1974), a virtuoso organist who composed a number of German-inspired pieces, including the Althing Cantata. In the lyric arts, Jon Asgeirsson composed Iceland's first opera, Thrymskvida, in 1974. Among contemporary composers, Icelandic composition is doing well in the hands of Daníel Bjarnason, who is taking classical music into new territories and whose works have been performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Páll Ragnar Pálsson, a child of the avant-gardes of the last century, and Anna Þorvaldsdóttir, who, like her two peers, is also seeking to push back the boundaries of the genre.
The latter has seen some of her creations performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the country's leading ensemble, founded in 1950 and comprising around 90 musicians. Since 2020, it has been led by Finnish conductor Eva Ollikainen, the first woman to head the orchestra, taking over from the Frenchman Yan-Pascal Tortelier. Although it suffers from a slight image deficit, the orchestra deserves a closer look, if only to appreciate its bold choices - as do the country's composers. The ensemble is in residence at the famous Harpa, an incredible glass auditorium designed by Danish-Icelandic architect Olafur Eliasson. Located in the old port, the building stands out as a unique landmark in constant interaction with its surroundings. In addition to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the building is home to the Icelandic Opera, with four halls, the largest of which can accommodate up to 1,800 seated spectators. The Salurinn Concert Hall in Kópavogur is another venue that offers plenty of space for classical music.
Current music
Of course, there's Björk. A fairy godmother who managed the incredible feat of achieving critical and public success - and becoming an international celebrity - with experimental electronica, it was she who showed the world that Iceland, that small island with a population less than that of Toulouse, has a giant, audacious and dynamic scene. And it was she who paved the way for several generations of local artists, affirming to them that they too could dare to be giant, bold and dynamic. The other pillar of the Icelandic scene is, of course, Sigur Rós. Extremely famous in the United States and Europe, where they fill the biggest venues, Sigur Rós is one of the most important post-rock groups, a soaring, minimalist rock into which the band infuses a particularly Icelandic, fairytale soul.
Björk and Sigur Rós are two Icelandic monuments who have paved the way for numerous artists and groups such as Hildur Ingveldardóttir Guðnadóttir, the fabulous cellist now renowned for her soundtracks to The Joker and the Chernobyl mini-series; FM Belfast, an electropop band that - as the name suggests - is Icelandic; Mugison, the country's unclassifiable rock star; GusGus, with his crazy experimental electronica; Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, one of the faces of Múm, writing poignant solo songs; and Bjarki, a beloved name in techno. An endless list of young talents that also includes (worth mentioning) Ásgeir Trausti, Rökkurró, Hjaltalin, Kaleo, Berndsen or Of Monsters and Men, Mammut or Agent Fresco.
Interestingly, the Berlin label Morr Music has been a springboard for many Icelandic bands. There are even a few post-Björk pundits on the roster, such as Múm, a falsely naive experimental folk enchantment; Pascal Pinon, a tearful folktronica; Seabear, a dreamy folk band that once included Sóley, now a solo act whose electrofolk delights audiences the world over; and Sin Fang, also a former member of Seabear, now a solo act with a sorrowful pop sound.
Another notable aspect of Iceland is its particularly porous boundary between contemporary classical, minimalism/serialism, ambient and electronic music. The best-known example is, of course, Ólafur Arnalds, who is just as capable of working on a techno project as he is of releasing a tribute album to Chopin with Alice Sara Ott. Less famous but no less important is Valgeir Sigurðsson, who has composed for television, film and theater, and whose works have been performed by symphony ensembles. He is also the founder of the Bedroom Community label, dedicated to avant-garde artists straddling contemporary and electronic music.
With such a rich and active scene, it's not hard to imagine that the country has some great events in store. The best-known (and most popular) is the Iceland Airwaves festival, held every autumn in Reykjavík. People come from all over the world - Europe, North America and even Japan - to see the best of foreign and local bands in various downtown venues (including numerous bars). All styles are welcome: hip hop, rock, electro, hard rock, pop, experimental, blues..., making the event a fairly faithful panorama of the incredible local creative energy. The latter can also be admired at Reykjavik's Sónar Festival - a cousin of the Barcelona festival of the same name - also devoted to digital arts, electronic music and musical avant-gardes. Less well known, but just as good, is the Lunga Art Festival in Seyðisfjörður, dedicated to the young guard of art, design and music. In terms of addresses, music lovers will want to check out Dillon, a local institution renowned for its weekend rock concerts; the trendy Kex Hostel, set up along the waterfront in a former cookie factory and offering a wide range of concerts; and Prikið for rap and R6013 for a taste of Reykjavík's underground.
