Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

Started by Harry, April 13, 2007, 05:33:51 AM

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Dundonnell

Quote from: J on March 20, 2009, 06:41:20 PM
Remember Stanley Bate though, Colin, - where you loved every second of what I found second-rate.

True, true...there is still hope ;D

Guido- the price will come down when it is released in Britain in a couple of months time. As for Hurwitz....the guy is entitled to his point of view, just as I am entitled to mine. He is just soooooo wrong, though ;D


Lilas Pastia

#541
Quote from: J on March 20, 2009, 03:57:47 PM
perhaps that little crumb is worse than nothing if it turns your anticipatory excitement into dread.

I love that one!

Being tired of posting in a single thread (What are you listening to), I'll put down my impression sof Carl von Garaguly's Sibelius here:

-  Symphony no 1 with the Dresden Philharmonic. This is a cd transcript of an OOP vinyl. Judging from the sound, I'd say it's from the early seventies. Very pronounced left and right separation, not much frontal depth, but no peaking or distortion, and a wide dynamic range.  The orchestra is quite up close but they're worthy of the exposure. Symphony 7 will reveal one weakness - but more about that anon.

Gigantic wind-brass presence, terrific percussion (timpani, cymbals, triangle), very pronounced string division, glorious harps - the whole thing reminded me of Stokowski's classic performance: less sleek and creamily erogenous, blunter and more ejaculatory - but these are nuances.

- Symphony 7 is probably the fastest I've come across (19:30) and unfortunately (IMO) it doesn't reveal the work's organic entities (periods, sections), which should be "taken care of" individually before attempting to give the whole its shape, As it is (along with many 7ths), the overriding impression is one of turmoil and serenity combined. I prefer it one way or another (Karajan and Mrawinsky come to mind, respectively. At least, it's not wimpy.

[Edited for the rash of typos I let pass at that late hour :D]


Benji

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on March 20, 2009, 09:44:48 PM
less sleek and creamily erogenous, blunter and more ejaculatory - but these are nuances.

Oh my, i'm blushing!  ;D

Dundonnell

#543
Whilst trawling through old issues of that wonderful magazine 'International Record Review' I discovered again an eight page article from May 2002 on 'Norwegian Orchestral Music after Grieg' by that fine critic Martin Anderson(of Toccata records now).

In the article Anderson writes "if the world was going down and I were allowed to rescue a single piece of Norwegian music, it would be the monumental Passacaglia(1926-27) of Ludvig Irgens Jensen(1894-1969), who to my mind is the greatest Norwegian composer of all, not excepting Grieg."

Having just listened again to the work I can quite see what Anderson means! As he says "..it is both a towering intellectual achievement and a passionate, powerful piece of music, rewarding heart and head in equal measure-one of the most satisfying orchestral works I have ever encountered."

If that does not whet your appetite nothing will ;D The Passacaglia was the joint winner of the Scandinavian heat of the 1928 Columbia Gramophone Company competition along with Atterberg's 6th Symphony(the 'Dollar Symphony') and, although the latter won the overall competition,  I would agree with Anderson that the Jensen is by far the better work.

If you don't know this work or other splendid compositions by Jensen-the gloriously heart-warming Partita Sinfonica, the Symphony in D minor of 1941 or the wonderful song-cycle 'Japanischer Fruhling ' I urge you to investigate without delay!

I know that I tend to get terribly enthusiastic about all sorts of unheard of composers but Ludvig Irgens Jensen really is a composer worth your time!!

schweitzeralan

Quote from: matti on March 20, 2009, 12:56:40 PM
Nope. Many of you are much better informed of Finnish music than I am. Marttinen I know by name, and I know he composed some operas which I have not heard. That he composed also symphonies is news to me. Hope you'll enjoy them!

If his works smack of Sibelian influences I'd be most interested.

Dundonnell

Quote from: schweitzeralan on March 26, 2009, 06:56:12 PM
If his works smack of Sibelian influences I'd be most interested.

I shall let you know once I have listened to the two symphonies(Nos.1 and 8)-tomorrow?-but I kind of doubt that they will sound Sibelian ;D

Renfield


Christo

... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

schweitzeralan

Quote from: Dundonnell on March 26, 2009, 07:08:18 PM
I shall let you know once I have listened to the two symphonies(Nos.1 and 8)-tomorrow?-but I kind of doubt that they will sound Sibelian ;D

I can understand.  I believe that the majority of Post Sibelius composers wanted to be "freed" of the grand master's influences.  Understandable. Madetoja, to some extent as well as works by compatriot Klami, have incorporated some Sibelian (and Stravinskian) elements.  Sibelius has influenced several composers in Scandanavia (Wiren, among others) as well as composers in other countries, most notably Britain and the USA.  Very little, however, in Germany or France.  Curious. His works were undoubtedly recognized and performed, but his particular style was never present in the any of the high caliber musical compositions in these two countries in the past century.  There are probably composers who indeed may have ncorporated the Sibelian ethos, but I may not be famliar with these potential  unknowns.  I noticed the one thread that dealt specifically with unknown composers which I found to be qite interesting.  The works of Finnish composers Merlatin (sp?) show no evidence of Sibelran influence, particularly in the symphonic works. However there is a short piano piece, a Barcarolle, in which he actually and literally steals the central theme in Sibelius's 2nd symphony.  Many British and Americans have utilized to some extent the master's influence. My latest find is the Butterworth 4th Symphony, and ..yes ..the "Viola" Concerto.I like the works even though they fall short of any masterpiece consideration.  As always I still keep looking.  Once I was much more eclectic in my musical interests.  I loved the neoclassical composers who dominated  much of the twentieth century.  I was once fervently interested in the latest avant garde techniques of Carter, Cage, Sessions, et. al.  Now in my later years I fall back to those composers whose works transfixed me in my early to late youth.  Music, which, according to a critic whose name now escapes me, referred to as "advanced tonality." Ergo, Sibelius, Rachmaninov, Bax, Debussy, (late) Faure, (late) Scriabin, Gliere, VW, Moeran, and countless others.  Cheers.

Dundonnell


Dundonnell

#550
I am listening to the Marttinen disc now :-\

I don't know whether you would like this music, schweitzeralan. There is a quite glorious, sonorous, chorale halfway through the 8th symphony but it is then smashed to pieces by savage dissonance. The music in general is dodecaphonic, Schoenbergian stuff. The Symphony No.1 is a rather anonymous piece while the Violin Concerto is dry, acerbic and not very interesting or attractive to my ears. The Symphony No.8 is a bit more interesting and eventful with some very powerful moments which are undoubtedly impressive but the last thing this music is is 'Sibelian' ;D The symphony ends with an ear-splitting, shattering climax followed by a gentle violin solo against quiet drum taps. Hmm.....I might come back to the 8th :)

schweitzeralan

Quote from: Dundonnell on March 27, 2009, 09:20:22 AM
I am listening to the Marttinen disc now :-\

I don't know whether you would like this music, schweitzeralan. There is a quite glorious, sonorous, chorale halfway through the 8th symphony but it is then smashed to pieces by savage dissonance. The music in general is dodecaphonic, Schoenbergian stuff. The Symphony No.1 is a rather anonymous piece while the Violin Concerto is dry, acerbic and not very interesting or attractive to my ears. The Symphony No.8 is a bit more interesting and eventful with some very powerful moments which are undoubtedly impressive but the last thing this music is is 'Sibelian' ;D The symphony ends with an ear-splitting, shattering climax followed by a gentle violin solo against quiet drum taps. Hmm.....I might come back to the 8th :)

Thanks mucho for the reply.  Sorry but I no longer thrive on the ultra modernist, dodeacaphonic styles as I once had.  Call it reverted taste because of old age. I don't know really.  I've become quite limited and selective in my choices. Yet I still love those wonderful works; and, indeed they are many.  Don't know what I'd do without them.

Dundonnell

#552
I knew the Bo Linde Violin Concerto already from the Naxos disc(coupled with the excellent Cello Concerto). The Violin Concerto is a superb piece, reminiscent of the Britten, Walton or Prokoviev concertos.

The revelation however is the Sinfonia(Symphony No.2)-an immensely powerful work and quite one of the finest Swedish symphonies of the post-war period. It is a much grimmer and angrier work than I would have expected from this pupil of Larsson whose music was rather out of favour in the late 1950s and 60s(he died tragically young aged 37 in 1970) but is a real talent.

(Incidentally, although the cd cover advertises the disc as Vol. 1 of Linde's complete orchestral music BIS has never followed up with anymore!)

schweitzeralan

Quote from: Dundonnell on March 28, 2009, 09:52:11 AM
I knew the Bo Linde Violin Concerto already from the Naxos disc(coupled with the excellent Cello Concerto). The Violin Concerto is a superb piece, reminiscent of the Britten, Walton or Profoviev concertos.

The revelation however is the Sinfonia(Symphony No.2)-an immensely powerful work and quite one of the finest Swedish symphonies of the post-war period. It is a much grimmer and angrier work than I would have expected from this pupil of Larsson whose music was rather out of favour in the late 1950s and 60s(he died tragically young aged 37 in 1970) but is a real talent.

(Incidentally, although the cd cover advertises the disc as Vol. 1 of Linde's complete orchestral music BIS has never followed up with anymore!)

I'll have to look into this one. I've become ever more impressed by the butterworth 4th. Listened to it 7 times. The Sibelius influence is quite strong; quite my thing I guess.  I am always on the lookout for works influenced by my perennial favorites.  Then again, I access the many fine posts in this forum and will always be aware of the so many composers whose works I don't know.

J

Quote from: vandermolen on July 04, 2008, 12:19:25 AM
Lundquist is another composer of interest whom I don't think we have discussed yet.

Torbjorn Lundquist's Violin Concerto is a great favorite of mine, - but I've heard nothing else.
Symphonies 1 & 7 are available on CD  and have often tempted me, but I've held off.

Have you heard either of these, Jeffrey (or anyone)?

vandermolen

I do have a symphony by Lundquist on LP and CD (I think that it is No 3 but I can't find it at the moment). It is a fine, rather dark tonal work, dedicated (if I remember correctly) to the memory of Lundquist's wife. I will look out for it.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

J

Quote from: vandermolen on March 30, 2009, 01:46:22 PM
I do have a symphony by Lundquist on LP and CD (I think that it is No 3 but I can't find it at the moment). It is a fine, rather dark tonal work, dedicated (if I remember correctly) to the memory of Lundquist's wife. I will look out for it.

I can't find any evidence that No.3 was ever recorded.  No.7 (subtitled "Humanity") was apparently written as a memorial to Dag Hammarskjold, -
a vocal work setting texts by Hammarskjold himself (Markings), Tolstoy (War & Peace) and the Latin Requiem.  No.1 is purely orchestral and about
20' long.  You must be thinking of one or the other of these.

J

BTW, Michael Herman is apparently preparing a Scandinavian Symphonies recordings discography for MusicWeb (I wonder if it will include Finland).  Given the usefulness of his other work along these lines I look forward to that with some anticipation.

vandermolen

Quote from: J on March 30, 2009, 03:06:05 PM
I can't find any evidence that No.3 was ever recorded.  No.7 (subtitled "Humanity") was apparently written as a memorial to Dag Hammarskjold, -
a vocal work setting texts by Hammarskjold himself (Markings), Tolstoy (War & Peace) and the Latin Requiem.  No.1 is purely orchestral and about
20' long.  You must be thinking of one or the other of these.

Yes, apologies - this is the one I have - No 1:

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on March 30, 2009, 03:21:34 PM
Yes, apologies - this is the one I have - No 1:



What does it sound like? If you can remember, that is ;D