Your Symphony Cycle

[Mirror Image]

Big +1 for the Stenhammar

Yeah, it's such a fantastic work. This is my favorite performance of it of the ones I own:

[foxandpeng]

Yeah, it's such a fantastic work. This is my favorite performance of it of the ones I own:

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll prioritise this for its next outing.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll prioritise this for its next outing.

You're welcome. Do let me know what you think about once you've heard it. I haven't heard the more recent Lindberg and Blomstedt recordings on BIS, but I've read many listeners still preferring this Westerberg performance over those two.

[Maestro267]

Some great lists coming up in this revival.

[foxandpeng]

You're welcome. Do let me know what you think about once you've heard it. I haven't heard the more recent Lindberg and Blomstedt recordings on BIS, but I've read many listeners still preferring this Westerberg performance over those two.

Ah, this is really good. I have usually heard the Paavo Jarvi and Lindberg versions (big fan of Lindberg's Pettersson cycle too), but despite its comparative age, it sounds great. Thanks so much for the recommendation - after listening last night, I'm having another run through as we speak 🙂

[Mirror Image]

Ah, this is really good. I have usually heard the Paavo Jarvi and Lindberg versions (big fan of Lindberg's Pettersson cycle too), but despite its comparative age, it sounds great. Thanks so much for the recommendation - after listening last night, I'm having another run through as we speak 🙂

Very good to read. I can't say I'm too impressed with Lindberg's conducting. His performance of my favorite Pettersson symphony, the 7th, didn't have the same emotional power to it that the Segerstam (my reference) did.

[vandermolen]

I'm watching your recommendations eagerly 🙂

[vandermolen]

Yeah, it's such a fantastic work. This is my favorite performance of it of the ones I own:

That's definitely the best version!

[foxandpeng]

Very good to read. I can't say I'm too impressed with Lindberg's conducting. His performance of my favorite Pettersson symphony, the 7th, didn't have the same emotional power to it that the Segerstam (my reference) did.

I won't pretend to have an attuned ear, but I enjoyed hearing the Segerstam. I do like the way the Lindberg is recorded though. I can more easily put myself 'there' during this performance. The Westerberg is excellent,  however!

Alternative list based on repeated and much enjoyed recent listens:

1. Philip Sawyers
2. Pēteris Vasks
3. Alla Pavlova
4. Sergei Taneyev
5. Carl Nielsen
6. Prokofiev
7. Aulis Sallinen 'The Dreams of Gandalf'
8. Hilding Rosenberg
9. David Matthews

[Mirror Image]

I won't pretend to have an attuned ear, but I enjoyed hearing the Segerstam. I do like the way the Lindberg is recorded though. I can more easily put myself 'there' during this performance. The Westerberg is excellent,  however!

Ah sorry, I was referring to Pettersson's 7th not the Stenhammar 2nd symphony.

[foxandpeng]

Ah sorry, I was referring to Pettersson's 7th not the Stenhammar 2nd symphony.

Again, I do like the Lindberg version of Pettersson 7, but I think that may be familiarity. For years I only owned the CPO, but have listened almost exclusively to the Lindberg recently. Sometimes familiarity wins the day as to how it 'should' sound.

[Mirror Image]

Again, I do like the Lindberg version of Pettersson 7, but I think that may be familiarity. For years I only owned the CPO, but have listened almost exclusively to the Lindberg recently. Sometimes familiarity wins the day as to how it 'should' sound.

Fair enough. I've heard, and own, all of the commercially available recordings of this symphony: Comissiona, Segerstam, Lindberg, Albrecht and Dorati. The Segerstam is the one that hit me the hardest --- there's something about the way he handles those 'lyrical islands' that never sounded any better. I cut my teeth with the Albrecht and Comissiona recordings before hearing any of the others.

[vandermolen]

Fair enough. I've heard, and own, all of the commercially available recordings of this symphony: Comissiona, Segerstam, Lindberg, Albrecht and Dorati. The Segerstam is the one that hit me the hardest --- there's something about the way he handles those 'lyrical islands' that never sounded any better. I cut my teeth with the Albrecht and Comissiona recordings before hearing any of the others.

I grew up with the Dorati LP so that remains my favourite but I also really like the Segerstam and Lindberg recordings - nothing wrong with the others either.

[Mirror Image]

I grew up with the Dorati LP so that remains my favourite but I also really like the Segerstam and Lindberg recordings - nothing wrong with the others either.

Nice, Jeffrey. I should revisit the Dorati --- I remember liking it quite a bit.

[vandermolen]

Nice, Jeffrey. I should revisit the Dorati --- I remember liking it quite a bit.

The original Decca LP release had a very striking cover image:

[Brian]

1. Berlioz
2. Borodin
3. Sibelius
4. Brahms
5. Beethoven
6. Bruckner
7. Prokofiev
8. Dvorak
9. Shostakovich
10. Rontgen
11-37. Haydn
38-41. Mozart
42-106. Haydn
107-285. Segerstam (especially #265 "Ei! No!, Ei-no Lei(f)-no... despite 2x grandioso Masses of Morte!... (More Tea... hahhahh)...")

Decided to do a new list to contrast with the 6 year old one - and as an added challenge, banned myself from choosing any of the same symphonies that I chose last time.

1 - Walton
2 - Rachmaninov
3 - Vaughan Williams
4 - Nielsen
5 - Tchaikovsky
6 - Martinu
7 - Dvorak
8 - Beethoven
9 - David Matthews
10 - Shostakovich