As of: February 28, 2024, 12:56 p.m
By: Sven Trautwein
Georg Riedel enriched Astrid Lindgren's stories with his melodies.
Now the popular composer has died at the age of 90.
Georg Riedel, the jazz composer whose melodies enriched Astrid Lindgren's children's stories, passed away at the age of 90.
After a long illness, he fell asleep on Sunday evening in the presence of his family, as his relatives told the Swedish news agency
TT
on Monday .
The famous film musician Georg Riedel has died at the age of 90.
He wrote numerous classics for Astrid Lindgren film adaptations.
© TT NYHETSBYRÅN/Imago
Riedel shaped the childhood of many people in Scandinavia and far beyond.
In Sweden he is one of the most prominent composers of children's songs.
One of his most famous works is the song “Idas Sommarvisa”, which comes from the stories of Michel and Ida from Lönneberga, or as the original says, “Michel from Lönneberga” and “Emil i Lönneberga”.
This song is sung in Sweden in various contexts, such as kindergartens, schools or even graduation ceremonies.
Songs for Pippi Longstocking
Riedel composed a variety of film scores for Astrid Lindgren's books, including the theme music for "Karlsson from the Roof" and songs from the famous Pippi Longstocking stories, such as "Här kommer Pippi Långstrump" ("Hey, Pippi Longstocking").
Riedel was born in 1934 in Karlsbad, then Czechoslovakia.
About four years later his family moved to Stockholm.
Riedel originally learned to play the violin, but found more joy in the double bass and discovered his true passion: jazz, according to the German Press Agency.
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Riedel met the composer Jan Johansson, the creator of the iconic music for “Hey, Pippi Longstocking,” at a young age.
The two jazz musicians worked together on numerous projects.
In the mid-1960s they recorded Johansson's album “Jazz på svenska” (“Jazz in Swedish”) together.
According to TT,
this album is
the most famous and best-selling Swedish jazz record.
In the past few months, changes to classic children's books have come up again and again.
Anke Engelke is committed to modernizing the classics.
And Astrid Lindgren's granddaughter also wants to revise her famous grandmother's books.