Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

[CRCulver]

Do they allow that?

They don't disallow it. Just find yourself a quiet nook in the library and no one will bother you. I did it on every annual visit to Helsinki for over a decade.

[71 dB]

Try (Selim Palmgren's) PC No.2 a very eloquent work.

Finally checked out this work on the Alba CD on Spotify. I liked it more than PC No. 3, but I can't say it converted me into a Palmgren fanatic. 

[Roy Bland]

https://www.music-island.pl/opisplyty-BISSACD+2701.html#zawartosc

[kyjo]

Today I was revisiting a striking and colourful work that made me think of the already widely-known phrase: why isn't this piece more popular? I mean, the Piano Concerto No. 3 'Metamorphoses' (1916) by the Finnish composer Selim Palmgren (1878-1951). This is superb Nordic late-Romantic music featuring glistening orchestration and memorable material. It's condensed in one movement (lasting 18:25 min.) that sounded to me more like a Fantasy for piano and orchestra; the performance is high-spirited and so vivid and so is the recording, more so than the one on Alba if my memory serves. Very glad to give it a spin. The other concertos are in a similar enjoyable vein.

I've listened to all 5 of Palmgren's PCs (in the Alba recordings) and can only echo your positive impressions, Cesar. They're melodic, atmospheric, colorfully orchestrated (great use of percussion!), and wonderfully concise. Of course, most Nordic composers aside from Sibelius, Grieg, and Nielsen (even the latter is not that often-played) are unfairly ignored on concert programs, so deeply attractive works like Palmgren's PCs are unlikely to ever achieve the popularity they deserve...

[Symphonic Addict]

I've listened to all 5 of Palmgren's PCs (in the Alba recordings) and can only echo your positive impressions, Cesar. They're melodic, atmospheric, colorfully orchestrated (great use of percussion!), and wonderfully concise. Of course, most Nordic composers aside from Sibelius, Grieg, and Nielsen (even the latter is not that often-played) are unfairly ignored on concert programs, so deeply attractive works like Palmgren's PCs are unlikely to ever achieve the popularity they deserve...

Agreed, these concertos pack a good deal of attractive ideas that catch the ear and delight. I'm surprised I've heard Nielsen's Symphonies 1, 4 and 5 and his Clarinet Concerto live given the enormous attention the "core composers" have.

[kyjo]

Cross-posted from the Fernström thread:

John Fernström (1897-1961) is a rather fascinating figure whose music has been unduly neglected, even more so than many of his fellow Swedish composers. A small fraction of his large output has been commercially recorded - only 3 out of his 12 symphonies, for example. Just yesterday, I was listening to his final symphony, the 12th (1951), in this excellent BIS recording:



The lengthy first movement, simply titled Introduction, traverses an overall tense, dramatic musical landscape but not without some moments of reprieve. One might be reminded of the serious symphonic writing of Holmboe and Hilding Rosenberg in this movement. The comparatively brief scherzo middle movement, memorably titled Giga fantastica, is a playful, quicksilver affair with some particularly virtuosic flute writing. Unfortunately, the third movement finale is a bit of a letdown after the excellence of the first two movements. Its thematic material struck me as rather generic and labored. The symphony ends on a quizzically indifferent note. I'm looking forward to revisiting the two song cycles on this disc in due course!

If anything, I recall that his 6th Symphony (recorded on both BIS and Phono Suecia) is overall an even stronger work than the 12th. Now that Swedish composers such as Atterberg, Stenhammar, Alfven, Rangstrom, Peterson-Berger, Wiren, Larsson, and Pettersson have generally been so well-served by the record companies, let's hear some more Fernström, shall we? It's a shame that BIS seems to have lost interest in his music.

[Symphonic Addict]

Another fresh CPO release. Not very familiar with this Norwegian composer, I only know his Violin Concerto, but it wasn't terribly arresting. Let's see if this recording of two of his tone poems makes a bigger impression.

[Symphonic Addict]

More exciting releases! Finally Victor Bendix is getting his due with this new cycle in presumably much better performances. To be released on August 30th.

[kyjo]

More exciting releases! Finally Victor Bendix is getting his due with this new cycle in presumably much better performances. To be released on August 30th.

Wonderful news!! I'm sure the music and performances will be much better than Dacapo's cover art...  

[Symphonic Addict]

Due for release on August 30th:



I remember someone posted about it before, so it must be a reissue.

[Symphonic Addict]

To be released on August 30th:

[Symphonic Addict]

Due for release on August 30th:



I remember someone posted about it before, so it must be a reissue.

This brand-new release is already available on streaming platforms.

[foxandpeng]

To be released on August 30th:

Very much looking forward to this.

[kyjo]

More exciting releases! Finally Victor Bendix is getting his due with this new cycle in presumably much better performances. To be released on August 30th.

I was listening to this fine new album over the past few days. I would say that while neither symphony quite reaches the status of a "forgotten masterwork" IMO (there are some occasional dead spots in both works), they are both very enjoyable, colorfully orchestrated, and sometimes quite original and forward-looking. The First Symphony (1882) is subtitled "Ascension", and, as an Amazon reviewer humorously put it, "All-in-all this is a relaxed and highly attractive work, one in which it seemed to me that the climber relied more on cable cars than crampons." The standout movements here are the second movement scherzo (intriguingly titled Notturno), and the finale which has a main lyrical theme that foreshadows Nielsen in its harmonic freshness and unpredictability. The Third Symphony (1891-92) is an overall darker-hued work than the First. The first movement features an absolutely beautiful secondary theme which is impossible to forget once heard. It returns in fragmentary form during the development section but, perhaps disappointingly, never returns in its full lyrical glory. The scherzo is, again, uniquely titled (Scherzo appassionato), providing the music of the greatest energy in the symphony before the slow Élégie finale. (Is this the first symphony ever written to conclude with a slow movement? Notice that it just predates Tchaikovsky's 6th, which was written in 1893.) This movement may take a little while to "get off the ground", but eventually it gains in inspiration and eloquence and has a satisfying, glowing coda. Needless to say, the performances here are a marked improvement over those from the Omsk Philharmonic on Danacord, which were the only available recordings for many years. Let's hope Dacapo has Bendix's 2nd and 4th symphonies in the pipeline now!

[Symphonic Addict]

I was listening to this fine new album over the past few days. I would say that while neither symphony quite reaches the status of a "forgotten masterwork" IMO (there are some occasional dead spots in both works), they are both very enjoyable, colorfully orchestrated, and sometimes quite original and forward-looking. The First Symphony (1882) is subtitled "Ascension", and, as an Amazon reviewer humorously put it, "All-in-all this is a relaxed and highly attractive work, one in which it seemed to me that the climber relied more on cable cars than crampons." The standout movements here are the second movement scherzo (intriguingly titled Notturno), and the finale which has a main lyrical theme that foreshadows Nielsen in its harmonic freshness and unpredictability. The Third Symphony (1891-92) is an overall darker-hued work than the First. The first movement features an absolutely beautiful secondary theme which is impossible to forget once heard. It returns in fragmentary form during the development section but, perhaps disappointingly, never returns in its full lyrical glory. The scherzo is, again, uniquely titled (Scherzo appassionato), providing the music of the greatest energy in the symphony before the slow Élégie finale. (Is this the first symphony ever written to conclude with a slow movement? Notice that it just predates Tchaikovsky's 6th, which was written in 1893.) This movement may take a little while to "get off the ground", but eventually it gains in inspiration and eloquence and has a satisfying, glowing coda. Needless to say, the performances here are a marked improvement over those from the Omsk Philharmonic on Danacord, which were the only available recordings for many years. Let's hope Dacapo has Bendix's 2nd and 4th symphonies in the pipeline now!

Quite interesting, Kyle. I'm still resisting the temptation to give them a proper listen until the next volume is available, which will happen the next year, I imagine.

[kyjo]

Quite interesting, Kyle. I'm still resisting the temptation to give them a proper listen until the next volume is available, which will happen the next year, I imagine.

Why wait until then, Cesar?

[Symphonic Addict]

Why wait until then, Cesar?

I'd rather listen to the whole cycle when it's complete to have a better understanding of the pieces.

[foxandpeng]

I'd rather listen to the whole cycle when it's complete to have a better understanding of the pieces.

I am of a similarly completist mindset.

[kyjo]

I'd rather listen to the whole cycle when it's complete to have a better understanding of the pieces.

Fair enough! But do you have confirmation that Dacapo will eventually be releasing Bendix's 2nd and 4th symphonies?

[Symphonic Addict]

Fair enough! But do you have confirmation that Dacapo will eventually be releasing Bendix's 2nd and 4th symphonies?

There's nothing sure about it, unfortunately. I want to think they will. It would be shocking that they leave the project incomplete. Time will tell. An e-mail to Dacapo could help.