Pettersson's Pavilion

[Mirror Image]

A sidebar to this thread, but who is your favorite composer, snyprrr? Don't give me a list of 20. I want to know who your numero uno is.

[The new erato]

You,of all people,should know how impossible such a question is.

[Mirror Image]

You,of all people,should know how impossible such a question is.

I'm just trying to figure out whose music snyprrr really loves. That's all and, yes, for many this is an incredibly difficult question.

[snyprrr]

A sidebar to this thread, but who is your favorite composer, snyprrr? Don't give me a list of 20. I want to know who your numero uno is.

but, how can there be a heaven without a hell? I can't really play favs anymore these days,... it's just who's on at the moment.

Finzi! There, how's that?

[snyprrr]

Symphony No.5 (1960-62; BIS/Atzmon, 40:42)

I haven't listened to this in many years (have you?!). It was suitably overcast for Pettersson today, so, off we go!

I've gotten to the third marker on the cd, basically the coda, after the final Big Climax of the main middle section. I was already expecting the first, 7min. section to be a brooding introduction, so I have nothing much to add other than one begins to feel this is the sparest Pettersson of all. Everything is one-thing-at-a-time.

So, then, the main middle section begins, and, it too proceeds with the utmost economy of material, always varied, always proceeding with bits and shards and fragments of Pettersson-to-come, this Symphony is filthy littered with Petterssonian guideposts and trademarks that are to show up in 6-9 and beyond. It's almost Lachenmannian!

It almost seems as if GAP is Byzantine, bridging the gap between occidental and oriental melodies? So much of GAP's melodic MO is distilled here in its pure essence. As I said, everything moves in a funereal lyricism to the extreme of brooding Expressionism as no one else. The Big Climax is an exhausted two chord whack job with the low strings finally breaking the decibal barrier in the grandest BIS tradition. Even the climaxes in this Symphony are transparent, clear, concise, and short: the outbursts here are deliberately measured, and oddly frozen, as if looking at the horror as distant past? I can see where some might criticize the apparent lack of development (Penguin). If Penderecki's Romantic language was ascetic (@ No.2), I think you would have this. I sometimes felt GAP was toying with models, setting up aggressive clashes, and then quickly moving to the next scenario.

I cut it there just from  the excitement of hearing your well thought out and deeply penetrating insights into this most enigmatic gravestone. In a way, it reminds me of Schnittke's 11th (or 13th?), as perhaps the sparest-longest work in history?

By the way, what do you think of Atzmon here? Did I here some 'flagging' in the Malmos in those long lines of string ostinatos? Anyone compare all three recordings?... or are there only two?...

[Karl Henning]

Your favorite composer is Finzi? (Not that that's a bad thing . . . .)

[mszczuj]

I was rather iritated by the symphonies nos. 2, 3 and 4 and not very impressed by the 5 and 16.
But the 6 is really very funny, as if the coda of Bruckner adagio lasted the whole hour. I have heard it today for the first time and imediately started to relisten. And then have listened with pleasure to the 7, 8 and 9.

[vandermolen]

I have a friend who rates Symphony No 4 very highly. For me it is nos 6 to 8 and VC No 2. I must try to get my head round No 9.

[snyprrr]

I have a friend who rates Symphony No 4 very highly. For me it is nos 6 to 8 and VC No 2. I must try to get my head round No 9.

We really just need a Bible Account,...ggyyaaaah , isn't there a Celibidache 9??

The CPO is ok, but one DOES want a second opinion.


I think I pegged No.4 as the least 'slow' one? It certainly doesn't START in the depths, as so many others do, and, as such, it stands out. I would also rather have a second opinion of this one (only CPO at the moment).

I was rather iritated by the symphonies nos. 2, 3 and 4 and not very impressed by the 5 and 16.
But the 6 is really very funny, as if the coda of Bruckner adagio lasted the whole hour. I have heard it today for the first time and imediately started to relisten. And then have listened with pleasure to the 7, 8 and 9.

I like No.3. Maybe, out of 2-5, I like 3 the best. For some reason it reminds me of American Gothic?,... Roy Harris on pharmas?

No.2: slow intro- 'grotesque' march for @25mins.- slow coda

No.3: only Symphony in... gasp!... MOVEMENTS!! ... with a dark ending

No.4: only pre-9 Symphony to start rhythmically,... lots of 'signposts' of later developments

No.5: isn't this like No.2, but with the slow sections lengthened and the march shortened?


Then, No.6 comes of as a perfect integration of the decay of the Viennese Tradition (your Bruckner allusion)?

[snyprrr]

And here I thought we might be getting an annoucement of Lindberg's Ninth!!


(shhh,... none would dare mention... gulp... 'Lindberg's Ninth', as it had already gone down in legend as the second coming of AGP)

[pencils]

Pettersson Day in my house. Complete cycle attempt. 4-8 already down. Nine now playing. Coffee made, latakia pipe tobacco loaded, headphones on, everyone else out doing other things. Razor blades and paracetamol hidden.

*straps on helmet*

[Sergeant Rock]

Razor blades hidden.

Sarge

[pencils]

Sarge

No. 11 now. Thoroughly enjoying my day!

[Mirror Image]

Pettersson Day in my house. Complete cycle attempt. 4-8 already down. Nine now playing. Coffee made, latakia pipe tobacco loaded, headphones on, everyone else out doing other things. Razor blades and paracetamol hidden.

*straps on helmet*

Lol...I love these descriptions, pencils. What are your favorite Pettersson symphonies?

[kyjo]

Pettersson was far too uneven to be amongst my favorite composers. That said, I treasure his masterworks, which are his Symphonies 6-8 and his VC 2. What makes these works so special amongst Pettersson's other works is that they contain glimmers of light in the abysmal darkness that give the listener the sense of a journey and struggling for a barely achievable hope. His other works, however, just seem to be never-ending blackness and agony that becomes rather wearisome as the listener is never rewarded by those brief glimmers of hope. That's just my two cents worth.

[Mirror Image]

Pettersson was far too uneven to be amongst my favorite composers. That said, I treasure his masterworks, which are his Symphonies 6-8 and his VC 2. What makes these works so special amongst Pettersson's other works is that they contain glimmers of light in the abysmal darkness that give the listener the sense of a journey and struggling for a barely achievable hope. His other works, however, just seem to be never-ending blackness and agony that becomes rather wearisome as the listener is never rewarded by those brief glimmers of hope. That's just my two cents worth.

My sentiments exactly, Kyle. Those works you mentioned are my favorites as well. What's your favorite performance of the masterful Symphony No. 7? Mine is a toss-up between Comissiona and Segerstam.

[kyjo]

My sentiments exactly, Kyle. Those works you mentioned are my favorites as well. What's your favorite performance of the masterful Symphony No. 7? Mine is a toss-up between Comissiona and Segerstam.

My favorite is Comissiona, with Dorati and Segerstam following close behind. BTW Dorati's excellent performance can be found on this Swedish Society disc, coupled with Yuri Ahronovitch's near-convincing performance of Pettersson's weakest symphony IMO, his Sixteenth:



I think it's high time I revisit the entire Pettersson cycle; perhaps my opinion will change for the better of the other symphonies (besides 6-8)? I'll have to carefully space out such a project, for obvious reasons!

[pencils]

What are your favorite Pettersson symphonies?

I guess you can live with the predictability of 6-8, but I very much enjoy 9, 4, 11 and 15-16. I have be honest in admitting that it is the bleakness of Pettersson that attracts me. I appreciate that he faces futility with such tenacity.

Highlight of today was 9 on full volume.

[pencils]

Actually, I would be remiss if I didn't include 2 in there. Listening for the second time today, and I find it is holding my attention more than ever.

[Mirror Image]

My favorite is Comissiona, with Dorati and Segerstam following close behind. BTW Dorati's excellent performance can be found on this Swedish Society disc, coupled with Yuri Ahronovitch's near-convincing performance of Pettersson's weakest symphony IMO, his Sixteenth:



I think it's high time I revisit the entire Pettersson cycle; perhaps my opinion will change for the better of the other symphonies (besides 6-8)? I'll have to carefully space out such a project, for obvious reasons!

Ah yes, I own that Dorati recording. I own four 7th performances. I'll have to plan a revisit through Pettersson's cycle as well. I have had problems with Symphony No. 9. It will be interesting to see if I still encounter the same problems, or even possible new ones, with this symphony. Time to break out the Pettersson symphony set on CPO.