Pettersson's Pavilion

[staxomega]

Hey, that's awesome news. While I'm not sure that I need to hear every note Pettersson ever wrote, at least at this stage in my life, it's always amazing to see a more or less neglected composer receive this degree of advocacy.

I agree, I doubt I need to hear everything, but it will be nice to have it in an attractively priced box. Also for works like Symphony 3 where I was comparing Alun Francis (CD) with Segerstam (streaming) I found Segerstam's performance superior and it will be nice to have things like this duplicated rather than have to buy individual CDs.

[vers la flamme]

I ended up accumulating a bunch of the CPO recordings: the 6th, 7th and 8th, the String Concertos, and the Barefoot Songs. They're all so good. I don't doubt that the BIS recordings of the aforementioned might be better—I've never been let down by a BIS recording of anything—but the CPO series is damn good, good enough to keep me looking for the rest of them. Too bad I pretty much have to track them down one by one. I've got plenty of Pettersson for now, I think. But I am curious about the earlier symphonies, and the later ones, though I'm more intimidated by those.

[Karl Henning]

My foray into the Concerti for String Orchestra has been so positive, I started listening to the Ida Haendel/Herbie Blomstedt recording of the Violin Concerto No. 2 on YouTube. I'm definitely going to finish that, and report.

[Lisztianwagner]

My foray into the Concerti for String Orchestra has been so positive, I started listening to the Ida Haendel/Herbie Blomstedt recording of the Violin Concerto No. 2 on YouTube. I'm definitely going to finish that, and report.

Good to hear that, Karl, the Violin Concerto No. 2 is an absolutely striking composition and the Blomstedt/Haendel recording is impressive, I hope you'll like it!

[Karl Henning]

Cross-post

Pettersson
Concerto № 2 for Violin & Orchestra (1977/78)
Ida Haendel, vn
Swedish Radio Symphony
Herbert Blomstedt

I cannot say for absolutely sure, but this is what I think I remember: I had bought the cpo recording of the Concerto, listened (or tried to listen) once, came away feeling that the piece and probably the composer were awful. Was resolved as a consequence simply to avoid Pettersson.

I really enjoyed this, today. As with the String Concerti, I need to go back, as there is too much to "digest" on a single hearing, but I expect my enjoyment to deepen over time.

[vers la flamme]

Bit of a Pettersson kick this weekend: listened to 6, 7 and 8 over the past couple days. All three are so good, though are fairly similar to one another. I think 7 is still my favorite, though they're all very, very good.

I downloaded the Klassik Haus needle drop of Pettersson's 9th with the Gothenburg under Sergiu Comissiona. I don't know if I'm up for it just yet, it's a massive symphony. I'm tempted to get the Comissiona 8th as well, but I ought to spend more time with the one I already have, Thomas Sanderling/RSO Berlin on CPO, first.

Anyone else listening?

[foxandpeng]

Bit of a Pettersson kick this weekend: listened to 6, 7 and 8 over the past couple days. All three are so good, though are fairly similar to one another. I think 7 is still my favorite, though they're all very, very good.

I downloaded the Klassik Haus needle drop of Pettersson's 9th with the Gothenburg under Sergiu Comissiona. I don't know if I'm up for it just yet, it's a massive symphony. I'm tempted to get the Comissiona 8th as well, but I ought to spend more time with the one I already have, Thomas Sanderling/RSO Berlin on CPO, first.

Anyone else listening?

Well, I am now! Pettersson envy, despite the late hour. Symphony 15 and the Viola Concerto. I concur with your present favourites, but find all of his symphonic output deeply compelling. Even I don't fancy #12, 'The Dead in the Square', at this time of night, however.

[vandermolen]

Bit of a Pettersson kick this weekend: listened to 6, 7 and 8 over the past couple days. All three are so good, though are fairly similar to one another. I think 7 is still my favorite, though they're all very, very good.

I downloaded the Klassik Haus needle drop of Pettersson's 9th with the Gothenburg under Sergiu Comissiona. I don't know if I'm up for it just yet, it's a massive symphony. I'm tempted to get the Comissiona 8th as well, but I ought to spend more time with the one I already have, Thomas Sanderling/RSO Berlin on CPO, first.

Anyone else listening?

Yes, I've been listening to No.6 several times lately (CPO).

[Lisztianwagner]

Out of curiosity, about Pettersson's symphonies, which one do you think is better, the BIS recordings or the CPO edition?

[vers la flamme]

Well, I am now! Pettersson envy, despite the late hour. Symphony 15 and the Viola Concerto. I concur with your present favourites, but find all of his symphonic output deeply compelling. Even I don't fancy #12, 'The Dead in the Square', at this time of night, however.

I think I may get this as my first foray into the BIS series. I'm curious about that Viola Concerto.

[Maestro267]

One of the last works he completed, and for his own instrument.

[vandermolen]

Out of curiosity, about Pettersson's symphonies, which one do you think is better, the BIS recordings or the CPO edition?

I've recently listened to the BIS and CPO recordings of Pettersson's 6th Symphony, enjoying (if that's the right word!) both. They both held my attention throughout the gruelling hour of the 6th Symphony - leading to that wonderfully cathartic last few minutes where the hymn-like theme emerges from the chaos as the disruptive elents sink into the background. The BIS seemed to be the more 'close-up' recording but the less spot-lit CPO version is also fine. Neither entirely displace my memory of Kamu's CBS LP recording.

[J]

I prefer both the Kamu & Stig Westerberg performances of No.6 (the Westerberg is of the premiere, I believe) to BIS and CPO, though find CPO fine in its own right.  The more recent (Lindberg) BIS series just doesn't grip me like so many of the older recordings do, though i need to craft an explanation for why not.

[vandermolen]

I prefer both the Kamu & Stig Westerberg performances of No.6 (the Westerberg is of the premiere, I believe) to BIS and CPO, though find CPO fine in its own right.  The more recent (Lindberg) BIS series just doesn't grip me like so many of the older recordings do, though i need to craft an explanation for why not.

I see where you are coming from here Greg. I didn't know that there was a Westerberg recording - that's most interesting. I often prefer older LP recordings, as with Kamu in Pettersson's 6th Symphony and Comissiona's DGG LP of the 8th Symphony and Dorati in Symphony 7. The same applies to Westerberg's recordings of Atterberg's 2nd and 5th symphonies.

[foxandpeng]

I prefer the immediacy of the BIS recordings, despite having greater time with the CPO.

[vers la flamme]

I prefer the immediacy of the BIS recordings, despite having greater time with the CPO.

Fox, what's your absolute favorite of the BIS Pettersson CDs? I'm asking because I really want to hear some of it, and I can only afford one 

[J]

I see where you are coming from here Greg. I didn't know that there was a Westerberg recording - that's most interesting. I often prefer older LP recordings, as with Kamu in Pettersson's 6th Symphony and Comissiona's DGG LP of the 8th Symphony and Dorati in Symphony 7. The same applies to Westerberg's recordings of Atterberg's 2nd and 5th symphonies.

Dorati in No.7 & Comissiona in No.8 I agree are unrivalled, Jeffrey (if that's what you're suggesting), and I'd apply the same encomium to Westerberg's 2nd also.

My second favorite 7th is the Netherlands Radio PO performance with Roman Kofman (hearable on YouTube) - utterly different from Dorati, with the tempos stretched out way beyond anyone else (even Segarstam), but which I think works wonderfully well here.

Among 7th's, the one I simply cannot endure is CPO's, which I find a complete mess (I realize an explanation would be helpful), and perhaps the WORST performance of a Pettersson Symphony I've heard.  The "lyrical island" section about 25" in is altogether mangled and unmoving (which takes some doing), and in general (comparing to Dorati's seamlessness and inevitability,for instance) the entire work comes off fragmented and incoherent (poorly played too).  Just a thoroughly bad outcome, I'm sorry to say.

Is it even possible anyone here favors it?       

[vers la flamme]

Dorati in No.7 & Comissiona in No.8 I agree are unrivalled, Jeffrey (if that's what you're suggesting), and I'd apply that encomium to Westerberg's 2nd also.

My second favorite 7th is the Netherlands Radio PO performance with Roman Kofman (hearable on YouTube) - utterly different from Dorati, with the tempos stretched out way beyond anyone else (even Segarstam), but which I think works wonderfully well here.

Among 7th's, the one I simply cannot endure is CPO's, which I find a complete mess (I realize an explanation would be helpful), and perhaps the WORST performance of a Pettersson Symphony I've heard.  The "lyrical island" section about 25" in is altogether mangled and unmoving (which takes some doing), and in general (comparing to Dorati's seamlessness and inevitability,for instance) the entire work comes off fragmented and incoherent (poorly played too).  Just a thoroughly bad outcome, I'm sorry to say.

Is it even possible anyone here favors it?       

I like it! But I haven't heard any of the others. The Doráti appears to be hard to find. Edit: And I seem to recall an old post in this thread where Sgt Rock called the Albrecht his desert island pick for the 7th.

[vandermolen]

Dorati in No.7 & Comissiona in No.8 I agree are unrivalled, Jeffrey (if that's what you're suggesting), and I'd apply the same encomium to Westerberg's 2nd also.

My second favorite 7th is the Netherlands Radio PO performance with Roman Kofman (hearable on YouTube) - utterly different from Dorati, with the tempos stretched out way beyond anyone else (even Segarstam), but which I think works wonderfully well here.

Among 7th's, the one I simply cannot endure is CPO's, which I find a complete mess (I realize an explanation would be helpful), and perhaps the WORST performance of a Pettersson Symphony I've heard.  The "lyrical island" section about 25" in is altogether mangled and unmoving (which takes some doing), and in general (comparing to Dorati's seamlessness and inevitability,for instance) the entire work comes off fragmented and incoherent (poorly played too).  Just a thoroughly bad outcome, I'm sorry to say.

Is it even possible anyone here favors it?     

Must look out for the Kofman (need to catch up on my You Tube listening). Apart from the classic Dorati recording (which I had on LP, taken out of a record library - my first encounter with Pettersson)) I remember thinking highly the Segerstam recording on BIS. Probably my favourite Pettersson cover image (Dorati's Decca LP).

[Spotted Horses]

This is the sort of discussion that gets me listening to Pettersson, against my better judgement.

FWIW, I have the cpo cycle (which I collected as individual discs) with a few other scattered recordings. Perhaps I will listen to some Lindberg, which is available to stream.