Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

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

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uffeviking

Quote from: Harry on April 13, 2007, 10:20:42 AM
calling him one of the greatest composer of the 20th century.

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.

Don

I just acquired Langgaard's Violin Sonatas on Dacapo; looking forward to sinking my teeth into them.

Harry

Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 10:50:20 AM
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.

Still stand firm Lis!, but Langgaard is on my order list, so to know him better you understand! ;D

Harry

Quote from: Don on April 13, 2007, 10:52:20 AM
I just acquired Langgaard's Violin Sonatas on Dacapo; looking forward to sinking my teeth into them.

And then tell us of course if Lis is right, though be gentle! :)

uffeviking

Quote from: Don on April 13, 2007, 10:52:20 AM
I just acquired Langgaard's Violin Sonatas on Dacapo; looking forward to sinking my teeth into them.

Enjoyable and joyous chewing awaits you, Don! I have volume one with Serguei Azizian and Anne Øland on the piano.

Harry

Is this a good start Lis? If yes I will order it! :)

karlhenning

Don! I think you will likely want the disc of Langgaard's organ music, as well!  Lovely stuff.

71 dB

Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 10:50:20 AM
In my opinion Rued Langgaard, 1893-1952, is the greatest composer of the 20th century!

I have his Sinfonia interna on Dacapo. Interesting music.
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uffeviking

Quote from: Harry on April 13, 2007, 11:04:19 AM
Is this a good start Lis? If yes I will order it! :)

Of course you had to pick one of the works I don't have and am not familiar with. Come on, Harry, be daring, order his Music of the Spheres, if it's still available the one conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky I like best. Second choice is the one with John Frandsen on DACO. Be prepared for a blast of great music, and then you can go to his chamber works.

Good Luck!  :-*

Harry

Lis were are you when you are needed? :-*

Harry

Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 11:16:13 AM
Of course you had to pick one of the works I don't have and am not familiar with. Come on, Harry, be daring, order his Music of the Spheres, if it's still available the one conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky I like best. Second choice is the one with John Frandsen on DACO. Be prepared for a blast of great music, and then you can go to his chamber works.

Good Luck!  :-*

Right, will do.....also! :)

Robert

Quote from: uffeviking on April 13, 2007, 11:16:13 AM
Of course you had to pick one of the works I don't have and am not familiar with. Come on, Harry, be daring, order his Music of the Spheres, if it's still available the one conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky I like best. Second choice is the one with John Frandsen on DACO. Be prepared for a blast of great music, and then you can go to his chamber works.

Good Luck!  :-*
I believe this to be his best piece. For sure its his most popular.....I would do this first Harry, .I have all his symphonies on Danacord....I might suggest Harry try sym 4-6 on chandos with jarvi.....I prefer these to the Danacord.....Then try his Quartets......

Harry

Quote from: Robert on April 13, 2007, 11:34:05 AM
I believe this to be his best piece. For sure its his most popular.....I would do this first Harry, .I have all his symphonies on Danacord....I might suggest Harry try sym 4-6 on chandos with jarvi.....I prefer these to the Danacord.....Then try his Quartets......

Actually the SQ are very cheap, so I wanted to start with those to find out if this composer is my cup of coffee so to say.
I will add the works you advise from Chandos. Why do you prefer them against the Danacord recordings?

Thom

I like to suggest Kurt Atterberg (from Sweden). He wrote 8 symphonies (i think) in a very romantic way. I like his 7th best.



I quote from a review on Musicweb-International.com:

Kurt ATTERBERG (1887-1974) Symphony No. 7 - 'Sinfonia Romantica'; Symphony No. 8 Malmö Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michail Jurowski STERLING CDS-1026-2

'...my seventh symphony, Sinfonia Romantica, a name which I chose out of irritation with the antic- romantics..." as Atterberg described it, was composed in 1941-42 and revised in 1972. At an informal meeting of three contributors to this site the spontaneous response was "doesn't this sound like Bax!". Indeed, admirers of the English composer will probably have no difficulty in relating to the red-blooded romanticism and rich harmonies and orchestration of this work (and to the other symphonies of Atterberg). This is the première recording of this symphony.

The Seventh Symphony opens with a rather dour fanfare that would seem to herald some tragic drama but the mood soon lightens and the tempo quickens to embrace the sort of heroic music one associates with Errol Flynn swashbucklers. There is also some opulent and languid romantic material and a few wry comic figures. The second Semplice Andante movement is ravishingly beautiful. I am reminded of the remarks of a commentator who described Bax's Second Symphony as one long love song; that description might be applied here but the music might also suggest a still and serene, lush landscape bathed, at the climax, in brilliant sunshine. The third movement, marked Feroce. Allegro, returns to bombast and, at first, it seems as though we are in Korngold's Sherwood Forest, but this is a wild melting pot of a movement, orgiastic with heroic/chivalric film score-like music plus march and dance-like material including a bucolic clog dance. At certain points, the music sounds quite Scottish and Irish and very Baxian. Interestingly, Atterberg's own words dominate the CD notes for this album and he relates how the basis of this symphony was his opera Fanal and how he wrestled with a fourth movement which he eventually discarded so that it could become a separate work in its own right - Op. 58 Vittorioso - yet he leaves it up to conductors' own discretion whether to use this music as a fourth movement. (It can also be tacked onto the composer's Three Nocturnes from Fanal). Maestro Jurowski choses to include only the first three movements.

Atterberg's Eighth Symphony (1944-45) receives its first CD recording on this album. It is based on Swedish folk motifs but the listener will notice a very close similarity to English folk material and indeed, the music reminds one strongly of Ralph Vaughan Williams in the jolly rollicking scherzo. Of this Symphony, Atterberg commented, 'When you happen to be encumbered with an uncontrollable urge to compose symphonic music, you cannot help it if your imagination runs away with you, and takes a melancholy little tune as the framework for a great symphony...This beautiful melody came alive in my imagination: sometimes it was sorrowful and rose red; sometimes - in its major key version - playful; and sometimes it was full of pathos.' - which nicely sums up the work except to say that the usual Atterberg heroic figures are also included and the finale is an exciting orchestral tour de force. Atterberg gives full details, in these fascinating CD booklet notes, about all the tunes he uses and how he incorporated them into this symphony. Jurowski propels the music strongly forward and reveals all the beauty of the more introspective and romantic sections. Strongly recommended.

Reviewer

Ian Lace

Harry

There is also a great box from CPO, very good and very cheap too.
Thanks XXXPawn for this fine review, Atterberg of course is also one of my hero's. :)

Robert

Quote from: Harry on April 13, 2007, 11:40:32 AM
Actually the SQ are very cheap, so I wanted to start with those to find out if this composer is my cup of coffee so to say.
I will add the works you advise from Chandos. Why do you prefer them against the Danacord recordings?

sonics and performance...My problem with all danacord releases is the sonics.....sym 4 the most melodic where symphony 6 is the most dramatic....The quartets are attractive and essentially romantic....the symphonies are much grander and more glorious. I found them harder to follow then his quartets....

Harry

Quote from: Robert on April 13, 2007, 12:02:18 PM
sonics and performance...My problem with all danacord releases is the sonics.....sym 4 the most melodic where symphony 6 is the most dramatic....The quartets are attractive and essentially romantic....the symphonies are much grander and more glorious. I found them harder to follow then his quartets....

Well but if I like them, the Symphonies I mean, then there is only the Danacord right, since Chandos only recorded one disc!

Robert

Quote from: Harry on April 13, 2007, 12:06:34 PM
Well but if I like them, the Symphonies I mean, then there is only the Danacord right, since Chandos only recorded one disc!

I am not sure about that. At one time BRO had alot of the danacords. That where I purchased them...Don said he just received his violin sonatas so I am sure there might be other recordings. BTW I do not have the sonatas and wait for Dons word.  I hope he is drinking his hot chocolate before he listens....

Harry

Quote from: Robert on April 13, 2007, 12:10:24 PM
I am not sure about that. At one time BRO had alot of the danacords. That where I purchased them...Don said he just received his violin sonatas so I am sure there might be other recordings. BTW I do not have the sonatas and wait for Dons word.  I hope he is drinking his hot chocolate before he listens....

They are still listed, all of them on JPC.
Hot chocolate is yummy, but then I love chocolate in general.

quintett op.57

My favourite are Nielsen & Pettersson
But I've got some Langgaard's symphonies on my wishlist

There's a Naxos I enjoy a lot: