Topic: Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

[uffeviking]

Lis were are you when you are needed?

I was trotting from kitchen to studio and back while the Langgaard conversation was lively!

There is one Langgaard I listen to when the weather is dreary, or my mood is in the same shape; it's his Insektarium. Of course if you scream "Yeeeeeeks" when you see a spider, this one is not for you. It's mostly piano works about earwig, locust, dragonfly, housefly and a few more critters! Maybe this is not your cup of coffee, but on the same disc there are also two flower vignettes, closing with a charming Little Sonata for Piano. Mine is on ClassicCD240.

[Catison]

Surprisingly this thread about Scandinavian composers is not on the Composers board, but whatever.

I just picked up a Naxos disc of Alfven with his Symphony No. 2.  I can't wait to hear it actually.  Right now I am listening to some dances from his ballet The Prodigal Son.

[uffeviking]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I blissfully followed Harry's start. Now it's moved! 

[Harry]

Recently played the 5th Symphony from Affven, and Boy that was good. He is one of my favourites.
I have the complete recordings on Naxos, and are well satisfied with it!

[Thom]

I am not sure wether Finnish composers were counted in in this thread but anyway I like to mention the Finnish composer Erki Melartin who wrote 6 symphonies



Nice works I think.

X

[Harry]

Hey, look at the title of the thread!

Melartin is essential, and you brought it to the fore.
Love those symphonies huh?

Tell me some more about your impression, for I think you owe the set right?

[Thom]

Tell me some more about your impression, for I think you owe the set right?

Sorry you're right, I didn't look at the title. Anyway, indeed I own the set. It has been a while since I listened to this music. I think that I like the no. 4 the best. It is unmistakably very romantic music with the notherly touch which I find so characteristic for the scandanavian music. I know I am generalising but I think you know what I mean.

X

[Harry]

I do, thank you my friend!

[Lilas Pastia]

Alfven wrote more memorable tunes than most scandinavian composers except Sibelius. Most are found in those works that are on the fringe of his recorded output: ballets (The Mountain King, The Prodigal Son), short orchestral works (the Swedish Rhapsody # 1). And of course, the scherzo from the second symphony. When you  hear those purple patches you won't believe you didn't know who the composer was.

Another such composer was Stenhammar. I place these two at the top of the romantic scandinavian movement (Atterberg is a bit like a revamped Rachmaninoff in Symphonic Dances or Third symphony mood). Adolf Wiklund too is worth exploring if you like Stenhammar's concertos (or Grieg's for that matter).

Among the giants one should not forget Jon Leifs and Ib Norholm. Both composed extremely original music, superbly written. Leifs' musical llanguage is coruscating, explosive (an icelandic Kancheli?), whereas Norhlom's is almost surgically crafted, with myriads of small musical gestures that interlock to form a fascinating mosaic.

[Harry]

Well I put in a plea for Svendsen also, and his fine Symphonies!

[Siedler]

Kalevi Aho is definitely worth to explore, I heard his wonderfully exciting Symphonic Dances at a concert.

[Thom]

Isn't it amazing but sofar the great Sibelius has been mentioned only once in this discussion, and only in comparison with someone else for that matter. Isn't he one of the greatest, if not the greatest scandinavian composer?

X

[Harry]

Kalevi Aho is definitely worth to explore, I heard his wonderfully exciting Symphonic Dances at a concert.

I bought the complete set of symphonies not to long ago, on the label BIS, but yet have to start the listening.
Thank you for including him.

[Harry]

Isn't it amazing but sofar the great Sibelius has been mentioned only once in this discussion, and only in comparison with someone else for that matter. Isn't he one of the greatest, if not the greatest scandinavian composer?

X

He is great, but there are many!

[Thom]

I happen to notice that you tend to put things into perspective but you are quite right of course. It is silly to stick labels with 'he is the best'. I am very happy that there are many.

X

[Lilas Pastia]

Isn't it amazing but sofar the great Sibelius has been mentioned only once in this discussion, and only in comparison with someone else for that matter. Isn't he one of the greatest, if not the greatest scandinavian composer?

X

IMO it was implied that this thread should be about any scandinavian composer BUT Sibelius or Nielsen 

[Thom]

Didn't read that in Harry's first message of this thread.

X

[Harry]

Didn't read that in Harry's first message of this thread.

X

Sibelius and Nielsen a part of the package!

[vandermolen]

Hurrah, there we go, it is getting interesting now, finally! We are having a difference of opinion, always so welcome at GMG. Your declaration about Pettersen is of course your judgement, your opinion.

In my opinion Rued Langgaard, 1893-1952, is the greatest composer of the 20th century! How do I know? Because I once knew a 15 year old musical genius, a child prodigy studying at a CA conservatory on a special scholarship program, told me so! Serious, I am not making this up. But after I listened to more of Langgaard, I can understand the young man's enthusiasm, without endorsing his judgement of course.

I really like Langgaard, partly because he was a nutter, but symphonies 4-6 and 10 are wonderful works that I often return to (the Chandos CD has nos 4-6 on one CD).  Other Scandinavians, other than Sibelius and Nielsen, I like include Kokkonen (Symphony 4), Klauss Egge (great name, Symphony 1 and Piano Concerto), Madetoja (symphs 2 and 3), Klami (Sea Pictures), Holmboe, Rosenberg and Tubin (is Estonia still Scandinavia?); all great symphonists.  Wiren (symphs 3 and 4), Petterson-Berger (symphs 3 and 5), the great Pettersson of course (symphs 6-8+ VC No 2).

[SonicMan46]

Love these composers from the North, and I've been meaning to reply, but I was not sure who I already owned, and I'm quite interested in obtaining more!  So, just goin' through my database & checking agains the Wikipedia lists from these countries, I've generated just a 'small' list of composers, most of whom I already have recordings of their music - two exceptions that I see right off are Englund & Melartin!

But, already in the pages of this thread is mention of other great sounding composers who I would like to explore - and there are probably more!  In fact, CLICK on each country - this will take you to an alphabetized listing of composers from each place; there are 50+ to 70 individuals listed per country -    I assume many of these are not major figures or may even not be composers, but the nembers are long (and most I do not know). 

BTW - included Kraus & Tubin in Sweden because both spent most of their composing years in that country - but I'll keep a close 'eye' on others mentioned - 

Denmark
 Dieterich Buxtehude (ca. 1637–1707)
 Louis Glass (1864–1936)
 Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996)
 Friedrich Kuhlau (1786 – 1832)
 Niels Gade (1817–1890)
 Carl Nielsen (1865–1931)
 Christopher Weyse (1774-1842)

Finland
 Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838)
 Sven Englund (1916–1999)
 Erkki Melartin (1875–1937)
 Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-)
 Aulis Sallinen (1935-)
 Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
 
Norway
 Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
 Agathe Grøndahl (1847–1907)
 Christian Sinding (1856–1941)
 Rolf Wallin (1957-)

Sweden
 Kurt Atterberg (1887–1974)
 Franz Berwald (1796-1868)
 Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792; born Germany)
 Gustav Allan Pettersson (1911–1980)
 Ture Rangström (1884–1947)
 Eduard Tubin (1905-1982; born Estonia)