Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974)

[arpeggio]

I have become a big fan of Atterberg. 

He is a great composer who is not great.  He may not be in the same class as a Beethoven but he still composed some great music.  The vast majority of us here have found some wonderful music beyond those of the great masters.

One of my favorite Atterberg works is his Eighth Symphony.  The arch of the work reminds me of the New World.  Here we have a symphony that seems to be similar to the New World but it is still unique in its own way.

I preform a daily walk to keep in shape during the virus crises.  Sometimes I will carry my CD player (No new fangled technology for me) and listen to the Eighth.  Marvolous.

[Mirror Image]

I have become a big fan of Atterberg. 

He is a great composer who is not great.  He may not be in the same class as a Beethoven but he still composed some great music.  The vast majority of us here have found some wonderful music beyond those of the great masters.

One of my favorite Atterberg works is his Eighth Symphony.  The arch of the work reminds me of the New World.  Here we have a symphony that seems to be similar to the New World but it is still unique in its own way.

I preform a daily walk to keep in shape during the virus crises.  Sometimes I will carry my CD player (No new fangled technology for me) and listen to the Eighth.  Marvolous.

I really love the 3rd symphony. This is one work I could listen to any time of the day and everyday and never get bored with it. Absolutely enchanting from start to finish.

[Symphonic Addict]

This may sound shocking, but my love for the 3rd has decreased. I was in an Atterberg marathon some weeks ago and that was my impression. I don't find the first two movements great anymore, only the III still moves me.

Having said that, my favorite Atterberg symphonies are: 1, 2, 6 and 8.

The 9th is definitely the least interesting. I listened to the Chandos recording with Järvi with the hope it would impress me best, but alas, it didn't at all.

[Mirror Image]

This may sound shocking, but my love for the 3rd has decreased. I was in an Atterberg marathon some weeks ago and that was my impression. I don't find the first two movements great anymore, only the III still moves me.

Having said that, my favorite Atterberg symphonies are: 1, 2, 6 and 8.

The 9th is definitely the least interesting. I listened to the Chandos recording with Järvi with the hope it would impress me best, but alas, it didn't at all.

I'm not fond of the 9th either and never listen to it. I also like the concerti. I haven't heard any of his chamber works.

[kyjo]

This may sound shocking, but my love for the 3rd has decreased. I was in an Atterberg marathon some weeks ago and that was my impression. I don't find the first two movements great anymore, only the III still moves me.

Having said that, my favorite Atterberg symphonies are: 1, 2, 6 and 8.

The 9th is definitely the least interesting. I listened to the Chandos recording with Järvi with the hope it would impress me best, but alas, it didn't at all.

I'm somewhat inclined to agree with you about the 3rd, Cesar, after a recent listen. The 1st movement is lovely (though not very "symphonic" perhaps), but this time around I found the 2nd movement to be rather bombastic, even banal, in places (too many cymbal crashes!), and the melodic material to be not some of Atterberg's best. I still think the glorious 3rd movement is one of his finest creations, of course. So, in summary, the 2nd movement somewhat spoils the work for me and, on balance, I prefer his 1st, 2nd, and 5th symphonies overall. Don't get me wrong, I still love the 3rd, I've just become a bit more critical towards it.

[relm1]

I really love the 3rd symphony. This is one work I could listen to any time of the day and everyday and never get bored with it. Absolutely enchanting from start to finish.

+1, it's a magical work from start to finish.  Something very special about it.  It's lonely, atmospheric, epic, dramatic, bold, concise, and ultimately transformative. 

[Mirror Image]

+1, it's a magical work from start to finish.  Something very special about it.  It's lonely, atmospheric, epic, dramatic, bold, concise, and ultimately transformative.

Good to hear you enjoy it as well.

[vandermolen]

This may sound shocking, but my love for the 3rd has decreased. I was in an Atterberg marathon some weeks ago and that was my impression. I don't find the first two movements great anymore, only the III still moves me.

Having said that, my favorite Atterberg symphonies are: 1, 2, 6 and 8.

The 9th is definitely the least interesting. I listened to the Chandos recording with Järvi with the hope it would impress me best, but alas, it didn't at all.

I agree about No.9 Cesar. My own favourites are 2,3 (especially in Ehrling's recording), 5 and 8 (slow moment). My favourite now is probably No.5 'Funebre' which has grown on me in recent years. I enjoy the Jarvi's recordings but feel that his tempo is much too fast in several of the symphonies. I prefer Westerberg's performance:

[71 dB]

I know pretty much nothing about this composer.
I listened to the 1st Symphony on Spotify (Neeme Järvi)

The first movement had very Elgarian orchestration (weird experience), but the other movement not so much. The second movement sounded ridiculously romantic, Tchaikovskian. Movements 3 and 4 didn't remind me of anything. It as if Atterberg but all the colors in movements 1 & 2. The Symphony had little bit a feel of movie music.

Atterberg is another example of "Nordic" composer getting no better treatment from Naxos than some smaller works on "Swedish Favorites" compilations... 

[vandermolen]

I know pretty much nothing about this composer.
I listened to the 1st Symphony on Spotify (Neeme Järvi)

The first movement had very Elgarian orchestration (weird experience), but the other movement not so much. The second movement sounded ridiculously romantic, Tchaikovskian. Movements 3 and 4 didn't remind me of anything. It as if Atterberg but all the colors in movements 1 & 2. The Symphony had little bit a feel of movie music.

Atterberg is another example of "Nordic" composer getting no better treatment from Naxos than some smaller works on "Swedish Favorites" compilations... 

2,3,5 and 8 may be worth exploring.

[André]

I agree about No.9 Cesar. My own favourites are 2,3 (especially in Ehrling's recording), 5 and 8 (slow moment). My favourite now is probably No.5 'Funebre' which has grown on me in recent years. I enjoy the Jarvi's recordings but feel that his tempo is much too fast in several of the symphonies. I prefer Westerberg's performance:

One of the treasures of the Musica Sveciae catalogue ! The Kallstenius and Lindberg works are very fine, too.

[71 dB]

2,3,5 and 8 may be worth exploring.

I am kind of planning to listen to the Symphonies through and it's up to the composer whether I have the interest to listen to them all. Symphony no. 1 was a "neutral" start. I wasn't turned away nor hooked. Could be I am the only one into 4, 7 and 9? Could be I am not. You never know...

[vandermolen]

I am kind of planning to listen to the Symphonies through and it's up to the composer whether I have the interest to listen to them all. Symphony no. 1 was a "neutral" start. I wasn't turned away nor hooked. Could be I am the only one into 4, 7 and 9? Could be I am not. You never know...

We shall see...

[Mirror Image]

71 dB, listen to Atterberg's Symphony No. 3. You'll be hooked.

[kyjo]

I am kind of planning to listen to the Symphonies through and it's up to the composer whether I have the interest to listen to them all. Symphony no. 1 was a "neutral" start. I wasn't turned away nor hooked. Could be I am the only one into 4, 7 and 9? Could be I am not. You never know...

You certainly can't go wrong with listening to the cycle in chronological order. I hope you enjoy the journey! BTW, I love the 4th and 7th symphonies very much (the only one I don't love is the 9th).

[71 dB]

You certainly can't go wrong with listening to the cycle in chronological order. I hope you enjoy the journey! BTW, I love the 4th and 7th symphonies very much (the only one I don't love is the 9th).

Oh, okay. It will be interesting to hear myself why the 9th gets so little love from Atterbergians 
I think I listen to the 2nd tomorrow...

I remember a few years ago I listened to the Bax Symphonies chronologically and it wasn't until the 6th things clicked with me. I got the Naxos disc of it and that's the only Bax Symphony I need.  0:) Could be out of the 9 Symphonies by Atterberg only one ot two resonates with me, but we'll see.

[relm1]

I listened to the Chandos recording with Järvi with the hope it would impress me best, but alas, it didn't at all.

This is the key.  Jarvi was a horrible Atterberg conductor.  He clearly didn't care for the composer or like the music.  He was more about adding more recordings to his list.  To me as a fan of Atterberg, the chandos series said much more about how unreliable Jarvi was as a conductor.  His 1980's recordings were considerably finer than his modern releases which are purely commercially focused as the performers will attest.  Performers on some of these Chandos releases literally said this.  No rehearsing, just recording with a possible patch then move on.  I am very disappointed in his recent Chandos releases and have realized I need to avoid them.

[arpeggio]

This is the key.  Jarvi was a horrible Atterberg conductor.  He clearly didn't care for the composer or like the music.  He was more about adding more recordings to his list.  To me as a fan of Atterberg, the chandos series said much more about how unreliable Jarvi was as a conductor.  His 1980's recordings were considerably finer than his modern releases which are purely commercially focused as the performers will attest.  Performers on some of these Chandos releases literally said this.  No rehearsing, just recording with a possible patch then move on.  I am very disappointed in his recent Chandos releases and have realized I need to avoid them.

I have the same feeling about Jarvi.  I have been listening to the various recordings of Atterberg's Symphonies on the Naxos Music Library Website.  I prefer the recordings with Ari Rasilainen on the CPO Label.  I normally like Jarvi and I have no idea why I do not connect with these recordings.

[kyjo]

Re: the Jarvi recordings of the symphonies, I've avoided them based on overwhelmingly negative opinions, especially from this site. However, a fellow Atterberg enthusiast thinks very highly of Jarvi's recordings of the 4th and 6th symphonies on the first volume in the Chandos series (he prefers them to Rasilainen's), so I'm compelled to check those out, at least.

Despite being a huge Atterberg fan, there's been one major work in his output which I've neglected to listen to until recently, and that is the Sinfonia for Strings. And what a lovely work it turned out to be! Composed between the 8th and 9th symphonies in 1953, it's prime Atterberg and never once did I miss the resources of a full orchestra, so masterful is his writing for strings. The passionately lyrical first movement is particularly wonderful, and the cathartic climax of the last movement giving way to a resigned ending is really memorable. The CPO recording by the Camerata Nordica under Ulf Wallin (who is, by the way, an incredible violinist) is first-rate in every regard - full of vitality and emotional involvement:

[asin]B000E0VNS4[/asin]

[Ratliff]

I have the same feeling about Jarvi.  I have been listening to the various recordings of Atterberg's Symphonies on the Naxos Music Library Website.  I prefer the recordings with Ari Rasilainen on the CPO Label.  I normally like Jarvi and I have no idea why I do not connect with these recordings.

I still value a lot of Jarvi's old recordings for BIS, particularly the Sibelius, which seems to have been supplanted in the BIS catalog by the Vaska recordings, which I find not nearly as convincing.

The later part of Jarvi's career, however, strikes me as mass production. I never felt a need to add to the cpo Atterberg set, which I cherish.