GMG Classical Music Forum

The Music Room => Composer Discussion => Topic started by: Sean on July 30, 2013, 11:07:10 PM

Title: Blomdahl
Post by: Sean on July 30, 2013, 11:07:10 PM
I got to know his peculiar space opera Aniara many years ago and its Nordic originality stayed with me until today and getting hold of the Second and Third symphonies.

The Second is a little plain and Shostakovian derivative if with small hints of the opera but the single movement Third is more of his remarkable music, extremely interesting in its visionary and complex somewhat Strauss-Mahlerian and highly orderly juxtaposed counterpoint; it brings the Weill Second to mind but likely even more significant.

Also listening to the short expressionist Three Polyphonic pieces for piano and Little suite for bassoon and piano... Any other recommendations?

(http://cdn.naxos.com/SharedFiles/images/cds/others/BIS-CD-611.gif)
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: snyprrr on July 31, 2013, 07:27:57 AM
Blomdahl, Englund, Koch, Lindholm,... aye, I just can't keep them straight! Let's be clear: Is Blomdahl the one with the 'Facets' Symphony or the 'Blackbird' Symphony?? aaaarrrrgggghhhhh >:D
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: The new erato on July 31, 2013, 10:35:38 AM
Englund = Blackbird
Blomdahl = Facets
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: kyjo on July 31, 2013, 10:46:14 AM
The BIS disc with all three Blomdahl symphonies is a great disc. The First and Second symphonies are neoclassical works that take Hindemith as their main point of departure but with an added Nordic freshness that makes them very appealing, vigorous works. That said, they're no masterpieces. But the Third Symphony Facetten is. Although it makes use of dodecaphony, you'll soon forget you're listening to such a piece when you are swept away by the unrelenting force and power of the music. I find most of Blomdahl's other works (besides the symphonies) a bit dry and ultimately rather forgettable in their sub-Hindemithian style.
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: snyprrr on July 31, 2013, 11:49:36 AM
Quote from: The new erato on July 31, 2013, 10:35:38 AM
Englund = Blackbird
Blomdahl = Facets

thanks


Well, whomne then in 'Facets'? BIS?, Blomdahl himself?, or the Erhling,... is there a fourth? I'm sure BIS takes the sound, but I wouldn't necessarily be needing that for this piece.

Blomdahl's Discography is fairly slight, so I'm all in,... the drier and more arid the better!! The Chamber Concerto seems to have a bit of what I like here. I do prefer my Swedes this way, dry and brittle, haha!

I really like Larsson's String Quartet No.2 (THE BLUEBELL cd has a recorded sound reminiscent of that great Malipiero/Dynamic release) in this regard. All of Sweden being influenced by Hindemith isn't suuuch a bad thing,... Hindemith fits in perfectly with the Swedes notion of tidiness,... maybe no other influence would work on a Swede?? haha... stern stern stern haha
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: kyjo on July 31, 2013, 12:27:28 PM
Quote from: snyprrr on July 31, 2013, 11:49:36 AM
thanks


Well, whomne then in 'Facets'? BIS?, Blomdahl himself?, or the Erhling,... is there a fourth? I'm sure BIS takes the sound, but I wouldn't necessarily be needing that for this piece.

Blomdahl's Discography is fairly slight, so I'm all in,... the drier and more arid the better!! The Chamber Concerto seems to have a bit of what I like here. I do prefer my Swedes this way, dry and brittle, haha!

I really like Larsson's String Quartet No.2 (THE BLUEBELL cd has a recorded sound reminiscent of that great Malipiero/Dynamic release) in this regard. All of Sweden being influenced by Hindemith isn't suuuch a bad thing,... Hindemith fits in perfectly with the Swedes notion of tidiness,... maybe no other influence would work on a Swede?? haha... stern stern stern haha

Ehrling's recording of Facetten is my favorite, but the BIS is in no way uncompetitive IMO. There aren't that many Swedish composers who composed "dry and brittle" music. The closest Swedish music comes to "dry and brittle" are Blomdahl's non-symphonic works and a couple pieces by Dag Wiren, but even those aren't "dry and brittle". I find most 20th-century Swedish composers to be extensions of the romantic tradition (esp. Atterberg)-even so-called "neoclassical" composers such as Larsson, Wiren and de Frumerie composed music with heart and long-limbed melodies. Re Hindemith-I think Hindemith is a great and underrated composer. But there were many lesser-known composers (especially in the DDR) who wrote in his general style but took most of the interesting and inspired parts out, giving the music a rather "dry" feel that isn't found in Hindemith's masterpieces.
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: snyprrr on July 31, 2013, 06:45:38 PM
Quote from: kyjo on July 31, 2013, 12:27:28 PM
Ehrling's recording of Facetten is my favorite, but the BIS is in no way uncompetitive IMO. There aren't that many Swedish composers who composed "dry and brittle" music. The closest Swedish music comes to "dry and brittle" are Blomdahl's non-symphonic works and a couple pieces by Dag Wiren, but even those aren't "dry and brittle". I find most 20th-century Swedish composers to be extensions of the romantic tradition (esp. Atterberg)-even so-called "neoclassical" composers such as Larsson, Wiren and de Frumerie composed music with heart and long-limbed melodies. Re Hindemith-I think Hindemith is a great and underrated composer. But there were many lesser-known composers (especially in the DDR) who wrote in his general style but took most of the interesting and inspired parts out, giving the music a rather "dry" feel that isn't found in Hindemith's masterpieces.

Koppel (Danish) has a little of the Hindemith bug, no? Maybe it's Wiren and Blomdahl I'm thinking of.
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: kyjo on July 31, 2013, 07:09:49 PM
Quote from: snyprrr on July 31, 2013, 06:45:38 PM
Koppel (Danish) has a little of the Hindemith bug, no? Maybe it's Wiren and Blomdahl I'm thinking of.

Overall, Wiren and Blomdahl were influenced by Hindemith more than Koppel was. That said, some of Koppel's lighter (perhaps "less serious" would be more accurate) works (none of the excellent symphonies fall into this category) have a neoclassical air that is somewhat akin to Hindemith, but more so to Prokofiev and Stravinsky IMO.
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: Sean on July 31, 2013, 08:09:09 PM
Good to read those informed thoughts kyjo and I didn't know about the serial component in the Third.

I can't entirely agree about Hindemith, who was the most sincere of composers but whose efforts on behalf of tonality sometimes had the opposite effect on people's opinion to that sought. As Shostakovich said, Hindemith's music doesn't really take off...

I'll be exploring the symphonies thoroughly over the next few days.
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: kyjo on August 01, 2013, 07:50:09 AM
Quote from: Sean on July 31, 2013, 08:09:09 PM
Good to read those informed thoughts kyjo and I didn't know about the serial component in the Third.

I can't entirely agree about Hindemith, who was the most sincere of composers but whose efforts on behalf of tonality sometimes had the opposite effect on people's opinion to that sought. As Shostakovich said, Hindemith's music doesn't really take off...

I'll be exploring the symphonies thoroughly over the next few days.

Glad to hear you'll be exploring the symphonies :) I'm afraid you misunderstood my point about Hindemith. He is, without a doubt, a great and underappreciated composer whose music I admire very much. The point I was trying to make is that some lesser-known composers composed music in Hindemith's general style but ended up producing rather "dry" music that sounds like Hindemith but with all the inspired parts taken out.
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: Sean on August 01, 2013, 07:01:26 PM
Okay, let's leave Hindemith in peace.

You never got hold of Aniara? It's as weird as its libretto...
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: kyjo on August 01, 2013, 07:39:47 PM
Quote from: Sean on August 01, 2013, 07:01:26 PM
You never got hold of Aniara? It's as weird as its libretto...

I have never been compelled to-the idea of a "space opera" is not very appealing to me, especially considering I don't particularly like opera in the first place! I'm not surprised it's wierd :D
Title: Re: Blomdahl
Post by: snyprrr on August 01, 2013, 10:02:29 PM
Quote from: kyjo on August 01, 2013, 07:39:47 PM
I have never been compelled to-the idea of a "space opera" is not very appealing to me, especially considering I don't particularly like opera in the first place! I'm not surprised it's wierd :D

mescaline?