Are Swedish composers unjustly neglected?

[Hector]

Let's face it: Sweden has yet to produce one seriously great composer.

Discuss.

Oh, you have, already.

Personally, I enjoy Pettersson, Atterberg and Wiren. Alfven? Oh, dear, one hit wonder?

[The new erato]

Let's face it: Sweden has yet to produce one seriously great composer.

Discuss.

Oh, you have, already.

Personally, I enjoy Pettersson, Atterberg and Wiren. Alfven? Oh, dear, one hit wonder?

Depend what you mean by seriously great. Certainly nobody on the level of Beethoven, but then few countries has. Two of those I love the most are Rosenberg and Stenhammer; and these are great composers. I love certain works of Petterson ss well; but find him too limited in expression and variety of artistic means to count as really great.

Berwald, Atterberg, Larsen; the list of very good and very likeable Swedish composers are long.

[karlhenning]

Depend what you mean by seriously great. Certainly nobody on the level of Beethoven, but then few countries has.

So your musical model of greatness is, on one side, Beethoven, and on the other, pretty much everybody else? 

[The new erato]

So your musical model of greatness is, on one side, Beethoven, and on the other, pretty much everybody else? 

??

I can certainly think of a few - a very few - countries with composers in the "Beethoven class" - but I can think of unmeasureably more - including Sweden - without.

But there are many gradations of great.

[karlhenning]

I can certainly think of a few - a very few - countries with composers in the "Beethoven class" - but I can think of unmeasureably more - including Sweden - without.

But there are many gradations of great.

Yes, of course.

[paulb]

Depend what you mean by seriously great. Certainly nobody on the level of Beethoven, but then few countries has.

.

Oh we've gone over this argument so often, why should I even bother to address the issue.

[The new erato]

Oh we've gone over this argument so often, why should I even bother to address the issue.

So why do you bother? Surely everybody knows your very particular views now? You are a minority of one, let it go.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Joseph Martin Kraus, an almost exact contemporary of Mozart (and who also died young, in his case of tuberculosis), was court composer to Gustav III of Sweden - the monarch whose life was the basis for Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" - and wrote several fine symphonies that are easily available on Naxos. He also travelled to the continent to become acquainted with Gluck and Haydn, and one of his symphonies was published under Haydn's name. After Gustav's assassination, Kraus composed music for his funeral that has also been recorded, though a little of it goes a long way IMO. He also wrote an opera on the Proserpina myth that has also been recorded; I have it and tried to get through it, but it was too deadly to hear much of. Another opera on Aeneas in Carthage has been called his masterpiece, but I don't think it's been recorded.

[greg]

So why do you bother? Surely everybody knows your very particular views now? You are a minority of one, let it go.

actually, there's more than one person here who hasn't found Beethoven as enjoyable as many others 

[karlhenning]

Well, but I definitely enjoy Beethoven better, overall, than Pettersson.

[The new erato]

actually, there's more than one person here who hasn't found Beethoven as enjoyable as many others 

It's not just a question of Beethoven.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Alwig van Petterhoven - THE composer both Karl and Paul love in equal measure.

[PerfectWagnerite]

actually, there's more than one person here who hasn't found Beethoven as enjoyable as many others 

Why is that. The more I listen to Beethoven the more I think he is UNDERRATED if that is possible. I have been listening to his late piano sonatas and they are so good it literally keeps me up at night. Yesterday I had Op. 111 ringing in my ears for the whole day.

[The new erato]

Why is that. The more I listen to Beethoven the more I think he is UNDERRATED if that is possible. I have been listening to his late piano sonatas and they are so good it literally keeps me up at night. Yesterday I had Op. 111 ringing in my ears for the whole day.

And op 110 is even better........

[karlhenning]

Alwig van Petterhoven - THE composer both Karl and Paul love in equal measure.

Wow! Like, the musical Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!

[PerfectWagnerite]

Wow! Like, the musical Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!

Oh come on, let's not confuse Beethoven with banalities shall we?

[(poco) Sforzando]

actually, there's more than one person here who hasn't found Beethoven as enjoyable as many others 

Nothing to be proud of, especially for someone who wants to consider himself a composer.

[karlhenning]

PW, "banalities" is not at all doing Pettersson justice.

[(poco) Sforzando]

The more I listen to Beethoven the more I think he is UNDERRATED if that is possible.

We don't need to go that far. I'm reminded (though memory could be faulty, haven't read the book for 30 years) of a savage portrait in Evelyn Waugh's "Decline and Fall" of an individual who goes around making conversation at a garden party: "Have you heard of an excellent writer I have discovered - Shakespeare?"

[PerfectWagnerite]

PW, "banalities" is not at all doing Pettersson justice.

Maybe not. But often when I listen to Pettersson I say to myself: oh god is this ever going to end? As in the symphony (is it #16?) which is half symphony and half saxophone concerto.