Because Hilding Hallnäs' music was shaped by Nordic tradition and, for most of his maturity, tempered by Schoenberg's twelve-tone system, it often has a hard, steely edge and emotional reserve that many will find solemn, severe, and somewhat distancing. There are a few minor pieces in other styles, such as the quasi-Impressionistic, folk-flavored excerpts from En vintersaga, subtitled "Little Preludes for Children" (1946); the modal, mildly lyrical Triptyk (1947); and the delicate Pas de deux (1955), but these are exceptions to Hallnäs' largely dodecaphonic output, and their naïveté and comparative simplicity make them seem contrived as indifferent light music, nothing more. The majority of this program, though, is devoted to more typically rigorous fare, and the opening Largo from Pasteller (1970-1971), the four Piano Sonatas (1930-1983), and the Short Suite (1955) all display serious contrapuntal applications of the series, though with tonal leanings that some listeners may notice, especially in Hallnäs' frequent use of thirds and thinly disguised cadences.
Jörgen Amsö's performances date between 1968 and 2002, and consequently vary in recording quality, venues, and instruments played; the analog tapes have been cleaned of hiss, and volume levels are reasonably balanced. However, such dipping into the archives suggests that Hallnäs' music is seldom played, and
Amsö or some other pianist might give these pieces a fresh, all-digital recording some day.