Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

[vandermolen]

Well, I get word that my Holmboe symphonies have shipped, but won't land until after the holiday weekend.

No doubt these minor reverses are sent to us for an improving purpose 

You will enjoy them all the more when they arrive Karl!

Try the beautiful opening of No 6 for starters, the compulsive choral opening of No 4 (written during the Nazi occupation-Holmboe's brother died in the war) or the whole of no 7, 8 or 10. Those are my favourites.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I have downloaded Englund's Fourth Symphony (Christo's favourite). I'll listen to it later today. You'll be hearing from me...

[Christo]

Try the beautiful opening of No 6 for starters, the compulsive choral opening of No 4 (written during the Nazi occupation-Holmboe's brother died in the war) or the whole of no 7, 8 or 10. Those are my favourites.

As always, completely agreed. But in your case, try no. 9 (coupled with 8, but separated by a long time interval) just as well, as its more modern language offers a completer picture. And once you're that busy, you could add the Fifth too, with it's strong Stravinskian overtones, especially in its opening material.

(To sum up: If you can, try nos. 4-10 first, and then change to nos. 1-3 and 11-13 for a more complete understanding of his unique symphonic language. I simply love them all, dearly.  )

[Dundonnell]

I have downloaded Englund's Fourth Symphony (Christo's favourite). I'll listen to it later today. You'll be hearing from me...

Very Shostakovichian!

Don't want to spoil your enjoyment but comparing the Naxos version(Turku Philharmonic/Panula) with the Ondine(Tampere Philharmonic/Eri Klas) I am struck by how much more immediate is the Ondine recording and the extra degree of feeling Klas seems to bring to the work-odd I suppose given Panula's huge reputation as a teacher of conducting(well maybe not-some of the finest teachers of conducting were not especially great conductors themselves!). Haven't compared Klas to my third version(!) of Englund's 4th-the Espoo Chamber Orchestra(Paavo Pohjola).

[Dundonnell]

As always, completely agreed. But in your case, try no. 9 (coupled with 8, but separated by a long time interval) just as well, as its more modern language offers a completer picture. And once you're that busy, you could add the Fifth too, with it's strong Stravinskian overtones, especially in its opening material.

(To sum up: If you can, try nos. 4-10 first, and then change to nos. 1-3 and 11-13 for a more complete understanding of his unique symphonic language. I simply love them all, dearly.  )

I agree too! The earlier symphonies do show Holmboe finding his symphonic feet(I sometimes wonder about using unique English linguistic usage like this on an international form ) but Nos. 4-10 do show Holmboe at the height of his compositional mastery and Nos. 11 and 13 are quite remarkable shorter late works. His later works remind me of Edmund Rubbra in terms of a visionary quality which I find utterly compelling. Not that Holmboe and Rubbra sound similar but they were both composers who knew exactly what they wanted to say and were determined to say it regardless of contemporary trends.

Don't forget too the Sinfonia in memoriam, op.65 which should be added to the Holmboe symphonic canon.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Very Shostakovichian!

Don't want to spoil your enjoyment but comparing the Naxos version(Turku Philharmonic/Panula) with the Ondine(Tampere Philharmonic/Eri Klas) I am struck by how much more immediate is the Ondine recording and the extra degree of feeling Klas seems to bring to the work

I am a Brianite like you, Colin, with decades of listening to imperfect performances and/or recordings. I think I can manage! 

[karlhenning]

I think I've seen office buildings faced with brianite . . . .

[karlhenning]

Mais, sérieusement . . . I've meant to thank you for putting Englund on the radar.

[Dundonnell]

I am a Brianite like you, Colin, with decades of listening to imperfect performances and/or recordings. I think I can manage! 

Of course you can

Just listening again to Englund's Symphony No.5 "Fennica" which Jeffrey rated highly. It really is a splendid work!! Much more appropriately Englund's 'War Symphony' than No.1. An 18 minute long powerhouse of grim anger. I like the description on Musicweb-"battering sidedrums, barrages of percussion, frozen snowy landscapes, wheezy ghostly woodwind, mercilessly exciting fanfares all stalk throughout the symphony".
Strongly recommended! (Oh, and "Fennica" means Finnish btw. You would never guess how long that took me to figure out! duh!)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Of course you can

Just listening again to Englund's Symphony No.5 "Fennica" which Jeffrey rated highly. It really is a splendid work!! Much more appropriately Englund's 'War Symphony' than No.1. An 18 minute long powerhouse of grim anger. I like the description on Musicweb-"battering sidedrums, barrages of percussion, frozen snowy landscapes, wheezy ghostly woodwind, mercilessly exciting fanfares all stalk throughout the symphony".
Strongly recommended! (Oh, and "Fennica" means Finnish btw. You would never guess how long that took me to figure out! duh!)

I just discovered the Ondine recording of the 4th is available on eMusic too... I'll download that and the 5th.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I think I've seen office buildings faced with brianite . . . .

If I could be so lucky...

[Dundonnell]

If I could be so lucky...

Oh no...you are not quoting Kylie Minogue now are you? Didn't she sing that song?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Oh no...you are not quoting Kylie Minogue now are you? Didn't she sing that song?

I Should Be So Lucky is the name of that unforgettable classic, Colin... So - no, not quoting. Only slightly alluding, perhaps.

[Dundonnell]

I Should Be So Lucky is the name of that unforgettable classic, Colin... So - no, not quoting. Only slightly alluding, perhaps.

I stand corrected

[vandermolen]

I Should Be So Lucky is the name of that unforgettable classic, Colin... So - no, not quoting. Only slightly alluding, perhaps.

Since she received the OBE today, I too thinks that it's about time that we had a Kylie thread 

[kristopaivinen]

Despite Rautavaara's popularity on this forum, I imagine few people have heard many of his operas, which are in the Finnish-language. I especially admire his Aleksis Kivi, with its incredible thematical richness. It's a shame that the only recording I have is ruined by one of the sopranos - Eeva-Liisa Saarinen, who fails to meet the standards of the rest of the cast. Yes, surely she has accomplished many studies and worked as a teacher, but she is horrible and serves to show that such a small country can only produce so many great singers. Having an excellent dynamic range is not a sufficient excuse; her vibrato sounds like the bleating of a goat, to use the words of a favorite composer of mine, and her pitch accuracy isn't great, either. I'm sorry to ruin the positive mood of this thread, but there needs to be better recordings of Rautavaara's works.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Since she received the OBE today, I too thinks that it's about time that we had a Kylie thread 

An OBE ?!?

Dame Kylie can't be too far off.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Despite Rautavaara's popularity on this forum, I imagine few people have heard many of his operas, which are in the Finnish-language. I especially admire his Aleksis Kivi, with its incredible thematical richness. It's a shame that the only recording I have is ruined by one of the sopranos - Eeva-Liisa Saarinen, who fails to meet the standards of the rest of the cast. Yes, surely she has accomplished many studies and worked as a teacher, but she is horrible and serves to show that such a small country can only produce so many great singers. Having an excellent dynamic range is not a sufficient excuse; her vibrato sounds like the bleating of a goat, to use the words of a favorite composer of mine, and her pitch accuracy isn't great, either. I'm sorry to ruin the positive mood of this thread, but there needs to be better recordings of Rautavaara's works.

Is Kivi, one of the fathers of Finnish literature, still read today? Is he still a living writer and poet?

[kristopaivinen]

Is Kivi, one of the fathers of Finnish literature, still read today? Is he still a living writer and poet?

I bet Finns read him more and know him better than any other Finnish writer, with the possible exception of Johan Ludwig Runeberg, who wrote in Swedish, though. All Finnish people are at least expected to know him and some of the books he has written, which is not often the case with the more modern writers like Juhani Aho (birth name Johannes Brofeldt) and Mika Waltari. I read his plays and poems alot when I was younger. It was almost a magical experience. And he had had such a hard life. I imagine some of these experiences would get lost in translation.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I bet Finns read him more and know him better than any other Finnish writer, with the possible exception of Johan Ludwig Runeberg, who wrote in Swedish, though. All Finnish people are at least expected to know him and some of the books he has written, which is not often the case with the more modern writers like Juhani Aho (birth name Johannes Brofeldt) and Mika Waltari. I read his plays and poems alot when I was younger. It was almost a magical experience. And he had had such a hard life. I imagine some of these experiences would get lost in translation.

Very interesting! For a nineteenth-century author to be still speaking so strongly to someone in the 21st century is quite exceptional. Only the really great writers can retain their appeal.

[Sorry to be slightly OT, Colin. But I HAD to ask...]