Helena Mathilda Munktell (b. 24 November 1852, d. 10 September 1919) was a Swedish composer. She was born in Grycksbo

Grycksbo

Grycksbo is a locality situated in Falun Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden with 1,781 inhabitants in 2005....

, Dalarna

Dalarna

', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....

, into a wealthy family, the youngest of nine children of Henry and Augusta Munktell. Her mother lived separately in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

 and after her father died, the family moved there.

Munktell studied music at the Stockholm Conservatory with Conrad Nordqvist, Johan Lindegren, Ludwig Norman and Joseph Dente, and then in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 with Julius Epstein

Julius Epstein

Julius Epstein may refer to:* Julius Epstein , Austrian pianist and Professor at the Music Conservatory, Vienna* Julius J. Epstein , American screenwriter...

. She studied both piano and voice, and continued her education in composition in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 with Benjamin Godard

Benjamin Godard

Benjamin Louis Paul Godard was a French violinist and Romantic composer.-Biography:Born in Paris, Godard was a student of Henri Vieuxtemps. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1863 where he studied under Vieuxtemps and Napoléon Henri Reber and accompanied Vieuxtemps twice to Germany...

 and Vincent d'Indy

Vincent d'Indy

Vincent d'Indy was a French composer and teacher.-Life:Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy was born in Paris into an aristocratic family of royalist and Catholic persuasion. He had piano lessons from an early age from his paternal grandmother, who passed him on to Antoine François Marmontel and...

. Her debut as a composer took place in Sweden in 1885. She suffered from eye disease and died at the age of 57 in Stockholm.

Works

Munktell composed for orchestra but tended to vocal, choral and operatic works. Selected compositions include:

• Violin Sonata opus 21
• In Florence, opera (1889}
• Bränningar (Breaking Waves), Symphonic Poem (c. early 1890s)
• Suite for Large Orchestra (c. early 1890s)
• Valborgsmessoeld Poem Op.24 (1922)
• Suite dalécarlienne/Dalsuite (Dala Suite) Op.22
• Far on the solitary path, Text: Daniel Fallström
• Isjungfrun (Polar Queen, "Over there in the blinding light"), ballad, text: Emma Sparre
• May night Voices ("Hear how it calls us"), Text: Erik Axel Karlfeldt
• Serenade ("You-rays up on the balcony"), Text: Daniel Fallström
• Sleep, sleep ("Sleep, sleep, sleep calmly")
• Magic Power ("Look not at me"), Text: Emma Sparre
• Old coffee-o name-day show ("So have we")
• Cantata for Women's Congress, 1897 ("Forward-walking") Text: H. Widmark
• Song of the woods ("The tears stood bathed")

Her music has been recorded and issued on CD, including:

• Helena Munktell (1852-1919): Symphonic works (January 2005) STERLING CDS