Pettersson's Pavilion

[André]

Then you should checkout his 7th symphony. This is the only work of his I actively like. You can keep the rest of it.

I actively like symphonies 2-11, the rest less so. Symphonies 6-8 are good entry points, but the 3rd Concerto for strings (with the magnificent Mesto movement) and 2nd concerto for violin are on the same level.

[Mirror Image]

I actively like symphonies 2-11, the rest less so. Symphonies 6-8 are good entry points, but the 3rd Concerto for strings (with the magnificent Mesto movement) and 2nd concerto for violin are on the same level.

I like music that is darkly tinged hence why Britten, Schnittke or Lutoslawski appeal to me so much, but their music isn't completely shrouded in darkness. Also, Pettersson's writing style is rather relentless as there's no variety in it --- it's one constant phrase that develops until the point of where I'm thinking "Okay, Pettersson you've developed that bit as much as you could now move on!" Anyway, his idiom is one that I don't find as attractive now as I did when I first discovered him and even then I approached him with a good bit of caution.

[vandermolen]

I actively like symphonies 2-11, the rest less so. Symphonies 6-8 are good entry points, but the 3rd Concerto for strings (with the magnificent Mesto movement) and 2nd concerto for violin are on the same level.

6-8 are my favourites and the magnificent VC No.2. I have a friend who rates Symphony No.4 very highly.

[aukhawk]

If you can find the recording for a good price, go with Segerstam on BIS.

If you can find it, go with Dorati


(also intermittently available on CD)

[calyptorhynchus]

I'm sure I've said this before on this thread but with Pettersson I prefer the later symphonies. My reason is that if you are going to experience the dark night of the soul with Mr P then it might as well be as dark as possible.

[Mirror Image]

If you can find it, go with Dorati


(also intermittently available on CD)

Not for me. Segerstam finds all sorts of nuances in the music that Dorati misses and the slower sections don't have the same kind of emotional weight under his baton.

[vandermolen]

Not for me. Segerstam finds all sorts of nuances in the music that Dorati misses and the slower sections don't have the same kind of emotional weight under his baton.

I like both performances. The Dorati is special to me as it was my first encounter with the work, taken out of the local record library on LP. I much preferred the LP cover of that original Decca release rather than the rather insipid one which came out later (posted above):

[71 dB]

If you can find the recording for a good price, go with Segerstam on BIS.

Good price and BIS rarely go hand in hand but one can try, thanks!

How is the Christian Lindberg on BIS? It is a new SACD so sonics should be superior to Segerstam... 

[vers la flamme]

Good price and BIS rarely go hand in hand but one can try, thanks!

How is the Christian Lindberg on BIS? It is a new SACD so sonics should be superior to Segerstam... 

Ain't that the truth. One of the barriers between me and Pettersson's music. 

I've listened to the 7th symphony and rather enjoyed it. But this is music that requires multiple listens, I think, to get everything out of it.

[71 dB]

Ain't that the truth. One of the barriers between me and Pettersson's music. 

I don't have as much BIS in my collection I'd like to have. Collecting all 55 discs of Bach's church cantatas by Suzuki was two decades worth of financial burden and now I have the secular cantatas to get (nice box just released) 

I've listened to the 7th symphony and rather enjoyed it. But this is music that requires multiple listens, I think, to get everything out of it.

I suppose. The first time I listened to Pettersson's sixth Symphony I get hardly anything out of it and it didn't help it's an hours long one movement, a big block. The second time I now revisited it I quite liked the latter half. in time I may learn to appreciate Pettersson's darkness even more... 

[André]

I don't have as much BIS in my collection I'd like to have. Collecting all 55 discs of Bach's church cantatas by Suzuki was two decades worth of financial burden and now I have the secular cantatas to get (nice box just released) 

I suppose. The first time I listened to Pettersson's sixth Symphony I get hardly anything out of it and it didn't help it's an hours long one movement, a big block. The second time I now revisited it I quite liked the latter half. in time I may learn to appreciate Pettersson's darkness even more...

You will, I'm sure. You have the right attitude: time and patience are of the essence with this composer  .

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I like both performances. The Dorati is special to me as it was my first encounter with the work, taken out of the local record library on LP. I much preferred the LP cover of that original Decca release rather than the rather insipid one which came out later (posted above):

I prefer the Dorati, it's more intense. Segerstam is good though.

I wouldn't call the Swedish cover insipid, it's a rather nice pic of Stockholm. But I remember when I bought that LP ages ago, as a "special import," it smelled funny - unlike any other vinyl I had ever smelled.

[Daverz]

No love for Comissiona in the 7th?

https://www.youtube.com/v/UxQyUzOXPiY

I was listening to my own needle drop of his 8th (DG Lp) last night.  Almost seems like light Pettersson now. 

One among several YT transfers:

https://www.youtube.com/v/DUcn1Lny1BY

[Mirror Image]

Good price and BIS rarely go hand in hand but one can try, thanks!

How is the Christian Lindberg on BIS? It is a new SACD so sonics should be superior to Segerstam... 

Honestly, I haven't been too impressed with any of Lindberg's Pettersson recordings. Yes, the sonics are fantastic, but the performances are missing something. Get the Segerstam and there's absolutely nothing remotely poor about the audio quality in his recording.

[vandermolen]

I prefer the Dorati, it's more intense. Segerstam is good though.

I wouldn't call the Swedish cover insipid, it's a rather nice pic of Stockholm. But I remember when I bought that LP ages ago, as a "special import," it smelled funny - unlike any other vinyl I had ever smelled.

Sorry about the Stockholm comment - especially as my brother-in-law and his family live there. It is a most beautiful city, as I discovered on my visit in 2013. Arriving on the overnight ferry from Helsinki was very special. I'll make sure to have a sniff of the Dorati vinyl when I next come across it.

[vandermolen]

No love for Comissiona in the 7th?

https://www.youtube.com/v/UxQyUzOXPiY

I was listening to my own needle drop of his 8th (DG Lp) last night.  Almost seems like light Pettersson now. 

One among several YT transfers:

https://www.youtube.com/v/DUcn1Lny1BY

I like Comissiona's performance of 7 (incongruously coupled with Mozart) on CD and No.8 on my old DGG LP.

[71 dB]

Honestly, I haven't been too impressed with any of Lindberg's Pettersson recordings. Yes, the sonics are fantastic, but the performances are missing something. Get the Segerstam and there's absolutely nothing remotely poor about the audio quality in his recording.

Thanks for this info. 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Honestly, I haven't been too impressed with any of Lindberg's Pettersson recordings. Yes, the sonics are fantastic, but the performances are missing something.

I disagree with this. I have Lindberg in 6 and 14. On the whole I prefer his 6 to the old Kamu, although Kamu is superior in some details. I find Lindberg's 14 vastly superior to the other one I've heard (on CPO).

[vandermolen]

I'm fond of Kamu's old CBS LP of Symphony No.6 and wish it was on CD. I find 'the long struggle towards the sunrise' at the end of the work (as the sleeve-note puts it) very affecting in that performance:

[The new erato]

Thanks for this info. 

I wouldn't call it info, more an opinion. Pettersson like all composers are open to a variety of interpretations, and withe the scarcity of available recordings, Lindberg's are a valuable addition. I find his smallerscale approach and superb acoustics to bring new and vaulable insights to some of the works.

I wish Kamu's 6th and Commisiona's 8th were available on CD as well. I have the LPs of course.