Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

[mahler10th]

As a result of some of the stuff in here, today I got this...
and superb it is too.  I'll report back on it properly sometime.

[Dundonnell]

As a result of some of the stuff in here, today I got this...
and superb it is too.  I'll report back on it properly sometime.

Absolutely agree! Kokkonen is a substantial composer of real ability. Do report back when you can!

[Harry]

Absolutely agree! Kokkonen is a substantial composer of real ability. Do report back when you can!

Any recommendations in order here, and maybe some sort of description of the music? Where do I place his sound?
The BIS looks good, is it?

[Dundonnell]

Any recommendations in order here, and maybe some sort of description of the music? Where do I place his sound?
The BIS looks good, is it?

Kokkonen is essentially a neo-classicist, influenced(to an extent) by Hindemith and Bartok but sounding more like Britten or Shostakovich and distinctively Finnish. His is music of power, sincerity and integrity-certainly by no means inaccessible.

The BIS collection has the Lahti Symphony Orchestra with Ulf Soderblom in the 1st and 3rd symphonies and Osmo Vanska in Nos. 2 and 4. You also get the Requiem but not the fine Cello Concerto. These are all very sound and sensitive performances.

The only drawback is that the recordings are getting a little long in the tooth. It looks as though Ondine may be intending its own Kokkonen cycle. ODE 1098-2 was released last year and has Symphonies 3 + 4 and the Cello Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra(Sakari Oramo). I haven't heard that disc but I seem to remember that it was well reviewed.

[The new erato]

The only drawback is that the recordings are getting a little long in the tooth. It looks as though Ondine may be intending its own Kokkonen cycle. ODE 1098-2 was released last year and has Symphonies 3 + 4 and the Cello Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra(Sakari Oramo). I haven't heard that disc but I seem to remember that it was well reviewed.

I have it, and it's very fine indeed. Can't compare with the BIS though as I haven't heard them.

[Lilas Pastia]

Anybody ever heard of Eero Hameenniemi(born 1951)?

I have just bought the Alba CD of his Symphony No.3 and Viola Concerto-

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/hameenniemi_ABCD214.htm

Will report back when I have listened to the CD.

Please do! His ballet Loviisa (Finlandia) left me unimpressed. Maybe the tighter formal structures of a concerto and symphony will bring out a more favourable impression.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

A performance of Kokkonen's First can be found here (I think it's with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra):

http://www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=4&ag=47&t=56&a=831

[Christo]

My favorite Finnish composer is Englund. I also liked Eero Hämeenniemi's 4th symphony when I heard it on TV (premier performance).

seconded

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

seconded

Which Englund symphony should I listen to first?

[Christo]

Which Englund symphony should I listen to first?

Ha! Here my lack of knowledge is revealed.  I only know nos. 1, 2, 4, 5. Of these, the Fourth is my favourite - and the main reason I seconded his nomination. BTW it isn´t totally unlike Léon Orthel
s symphonic style.  The Fourth is available in a fine Naxos version that might be best accessible. I myself would love to hear nos. 6 and 7, but still didn't buy them, as they're only available in expensive Ondine recordings. Ondine is a great label, but a bit costly.

                                       

[Grazioso]

I have it, and it's very fine indeed. Can't compare with the BIS though as I haven't heard them.

Ditto that. And it's very interesting to compare Berglund's take on the 4th, also on Ondine:

[Grazioso]

After Sibelius, I believe Leevi Madetoja was the most important among the national romantic composers. I know him best for his operas, Pohjalaisia and Juha, both of which contain some very lovely melodies.

I've yet to hear his operas but rank his symphonies very highly. In fact, I think his symphonic oeuvre is woefully underrated and will, with any justice, one day be ranked among the best of the early 20th century.

[Dundonnell]

Which Englund symphony should I listen to first?

I am sorry that I did not reply to this question earlier.

Einar Englund is (another!) very fine Finnish composer. Again it has to be admitted that there is a good deal of Shostakovich in his music-the 4th Symphony for Strings and Percussion "Nostalgic"  is dedicated to the memory of the Russian composer-but there is also a freshness about Englund which differentiates his music to an extent from the slightly more European-sounding Kokkonen or the more solemn Sallinen. That may come from the fact that Englund was a pupil of Copland and there is therefore some echo of the lighter touch of North American music. Englund cannot escape too from the obvious influence of Sibelius. The slight generational gap-Englund was five years older than Kokkonen and nineteen years older than Sallinen-renders him a mite more conservative.

I can recommend the sad Symphony No.1 "War"(1946)-available in the Finlandia 'Meet the Composer' series- and the delightful Symphony No.2 "Blackbird"(1948)-available either in the same Finlandia series or in the cheap Naxos CD coupled with Symphony No.4 and the Piano Concerto No.1.

The other symphonies are all available from Ondine: Nos. 3 and 7(ODE-833-2), Nos. 4 and 5 "Fennica"(ODE-961-2), No. 6 "Aphorisms" coupled with the Cello Concerto(ODE 951-2). There is a further CD(ODE-1015-2) coupling the two Piano Concertos and the rousing "Epinikia"(a sort of modern 'Finlandia').

Where to start? The Naxos probably will give you a good(and cheap) introduction. If you like the idiom-as I do-you can go on from there!

[vandermolen]

Which Englund symphony should I listen to first?

No 2 and then No 1 and then No 5.

[Dundonnell]

No 2 and then No 1 and then No 5.

A much more succinct response

[vandermolen]

Other composers I like:

Klaus Egge: Symphony 1

Madetoja: all four symphonies

Rautavaara: Symphony 7 and 8

Klami: Kalevala Suite, Sea Pictures

Kokkonen: Symphony 4

Dag Wiren: Symphony 3 and (especially) 4

Hilding Rosenberg: Symphony 2, 3 and 4.

Langaard: Symphony 4, 5, 6 and 10, Music of the Spheres.

Koppel: Symphony 2

Vagn Holmboe: all symphonies, Cello Concerto.

[vandermolen]

No 2 and then No 1 and then No 5.

Yes, but much less thoughtful than yours 

[Lethevich]

I would like to slip in a good word for Pehr Henrik Nordgren, but sadly at the moment his symphonies elude even vaguely easy description. It's reasonably accessable but it sure isn't friendly sounding I rather like what I've heard, though.

[Kullervo]

I would like to slip in a good word for Pehr Henrik Nordgren, but sadly at the moment his symphonies elude even vaguely easy description. It's reasonably accessable but it sure isn't friendly sounding I rather like what I've heard, though.

Is there no shortage of interesting unknown Danish Scandinavian symphonists?  Another name I've read a lot (in my search for information on Nørgård — he is also mentioned a few times in the collection of essays on Nørgård I have), but have yet to hear. It's probably a good thing I'm on a student's budget — I might end up buying the Da Capo catalogue.

There was a piece on Kyle Gann's blog a few months back about the Swedish composer Karl-Birger Blohmdahl and his opera Aniara, which is set on a space ship headed for Mars. The description sounds interesting enough, but who has heard it?

Edit: nationality fixed

[eyeresist]

Anyone heard of Sæverud? I enjoyed Orchestral Music Vol. 1 on Simax (2 CDs, HMV.jp incorrectly said only one). I'm no aficionado, so it sounds to me like standard mid-20th century (tonal) stuff, quite emotional and warmly orchestrated, not hugely tuneful. This set consists of one-movement symphonies and tone poems, plus the four movement 8th "Minnesota" symphony. A lot of Sæverud's stuff has been recorded for BIS.