# Sweden



## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Am enjoying the Symphonies of Sibelius along with some of his tone poems by Berglund and Helsinki. Love it. Now pointing back West, : ) I originally said East sorry for my map dyslexia. I do better saying left and right. Want to point left. Any recommendations of Romantics or neo Romantics from Sweden. Piece and Conductor. Appreciate you.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

There's lots of nice stuff from Sweden, even if it would be hard to name a true giant in the world of music, something you can do for Finland, Denmark and Norway. 

That said, I'd rank Berwald's Sinfonie singuliere as one of the finest Symphonies out there.

After him and his other three Symphonies, you might go for Stenhammar, Alfven, Atterberg, Rangstrom, all of whom wrote worthy music. Others will recommend wholeheartedly Allan Petterson. I can't, I'm afraid.


----------



## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

It is a crime that the music of Sweden is so consistently neglected in the concert hall. Most people I know can't name a single Swedish composer. Which is a real shame, as the Swedes wrote some really wonderful music. Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974), in particular, is one of my very favorite composers, who wrote in a lush, tuneful late-romantic style well into the 20th century. All nine of his symphonies are well worth exploring. From approximately the same generation came Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871-1927), Hugo Alfven (1872-1960), Ture Rangström (1884-1947), and Wilhelm Peterson-Berger (1867-1942), who all (generally) wrote in a melodic, sometimes nationalistic late-romantic style. A bit later on, composers such as Gösta Nystroem (1890-1966), Dag Wirén (1905-1986), Hilding Rosenberg (1892-1985), and Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986) developed a more "modern" but generally approachable, broadly neoclassical style. Some fantastic Swedish orchestral discoveries I've made include:


All of Atterberg's symphonies (particularly nos. 2, 3, and 5) plus his concerti for piano, violin, and cello

Alfven's Symphony no. 3

Peterson-Berger's Symphony no. 3 "Lapland"

Nystroem's Symphony no. 3 "Sinfonia del mare"

Wirén's Serenade for Strings, Violin Concerto, and Symphony no. 4

Berwald's Symphonies nos. 1 "Sinfonie sérieuse" and 3 "Sinfonie singulière"

Larsson's Symphony no. 1


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Wiklund´s 2 piano concertos
Berwald Piano Concerto

Some later composers:

Rangström: Notturno, string quartet in one movement
Rosenberg, including the 2nd Violin Concerto
Holewa: Piano Concerto
Petterson: Symphonies 7,8
de Frumerie: Variations for Piano & Orchestra
Natanael Berg, including his symphonies & Piano Concerto


----------



## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

An excellent recording of Kurt Atterberg... I find his Second Symphony full of color and highly cinematic:






His Sixth Symphony is one of his most well-known, written for the 100th anniversary of Schubert's death. It moves right along and has its share of both emotionally moving and thrilling moments:






I hear outstanding talent as a vivid orchestrator, similar to Respighi and Rimsky-Korsakov, but of course different in style... and others could learn a great deal from him.

Beautiful writing for the woodwinds in his Fourth Symphony! He's creeping up on my esteem list of 20th-century composers. I'm being swept away by his Fourth.


----------



## stejo (Dec 8, 2016)

Living in Sweden, we really miss a big, famous composer like Grieg, Sibelius or Nielsen...
But a composition every Swede love is the "Midsommarvaka" composed by Hugo Alfven, it's about the midsummer party 
here around the 20th june when the sun is up almost 24 hours. 
the holliday is as big as christmas and its all about to celebrate the nature, you dance, the summer is here....
It's the most popular classic composition here, I love it!!


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I like that Rhapsody very much as well!

So did Jona Lewie!

Alfven's five Symphonies are pretty good too, though.


----------



## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

stejo said:


> Living in Sweden, we really miss a big, famous composer like Grieg, Sibelius or Nielsen...
> But a composition every Swede love is the "Midsommarvaka" composed by Hugo Alfven, it's about the midsummer party
> here around the 20th june when the sun is up almost 24 hours.
> the holliday is as big as christmas and its all about to celebrate the nature, you dance, the summer is here....
> It's the most popular classic composition here, I love it!!


 My favorite memory of Stockholm circa 2009 was a Stroke or Neurology Conference outside of town in early June. The thrill of going for a run at 3 am at "dusk " was intoxicating. Will definitely check this out!


----------



## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Robert Pickett said:


> There's lots of nice stuff from Sweden, even if it would be hard to name a true giant in the world of music, something you can do for Finland, Denmark and Norway.
> 
> That said, I'd rank Berwald's Sinfonie singuliere as one of the finest Symphonies out there.
> 
> After him and his other three Symphonies, you might go for Stenhammar, Alfven, Atterberg, Rangstrom, all of whom wrote worthy music. Others will recommend wholeheartedly Allan Petterson. I can't, I'm afraid.


Robert I post these questions cause I am new to this exploration and you all are my Sound Garden. And when a few of you that haven't steeered me wrong in the past come together it points me in the right direction. Appreciate you all.


----------



## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Though he wasn't a "romantic or neo-romantic" composer, Sweden can claim a 1st tier symphonic composer in Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792), sometimes called the "Swedish Mozart". No less than F.J. Haydn said of Kraus: "Kraus was the first man of genius that I met. Why did he have to die? It is an irreparable loss for our art. The Symphony in C minor he wrote in Vienna specially for me is a work which will be considered a masterpiece in every century." (Kraus is also sometimes referred to as "the greatest composer nobody's ever heard of...")






In addition, I would (wholeheartedly) consider Allan Pettersson's 7th Symphony to be a masterpiece (yes, Robert warned you...), but you have to hear it conducted by Sergiu Comissiona (& go into it with the expectation that, like Bruckner, Pettersson takes a long time to say what's on his mind). Here's the last 30 minutes of Pettersson's 7th:






and the full symphony:




(Btw, Leif Segerstam conducts Pettersson's music very well too.)

However, Pettersson himself believed that his 4th Symphony was his finest work:






Other than that, in addition to the symphonies already mentioned above by Berwald, Stenhammar, Alfven, & Atterberg, I would add the symphonies of Swedish composer, Erland von Koch:










etc.

But why do you have to limit yourself to Sweden? I'm personally more drawn to the Finnish and Danish symphonic composers myself. So, if you're open to crossing borders, in addition to Sibelius's 2nd, 4th, 5th, & 7th, I'd recommend that you explore the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (Danish) & Leevi Madetoja (Finnish), and the underrated symphonic composers--Fartein Valen (Norwegian), Vagn Holmboe (Danish), Joonas Kokkonen (Finnish), & Einojohani Rautavaara (Finnish). If you're open to more modern composers--that is, contemporary composers that have partly or entirely turned away from the Romantic idiom, the symphonies of Per Nørgard (Danish), Paavo Heininen (Finnish), Kalevi Aho (Finnish), Poul Ruders (Danish), & Ib Nørholm (Danish) are (or may be) worth exploring.

Leevi Madetoja: Symphony No. 2: 




Fartein Valen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2:










Vagn Holmboe: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 8, "Sinfonia boreale":























Joonas Kokkonen: Symphony Nos. 3 & 4:














Einojuhani Rautavaara: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8 "The Journey":










Per Nørgard: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 6, "At the end of the day":










Paavo Heininen Symphony No. 5: Heininen has composed 6 symphonies so far, but I can't find any of them on You Tube.

The symphonies of Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) may also be of interest. I only know his "Music of the Spheres" or "Sfaerernes musik", & have yet to get to the symphonies. So I can't be of any help (although you can probably find some of his symphonies on You Tube, if interested).










There's also the Finnish composer Sven Einar Englund, who wrote 7 symphonies. Englund was a native Swedish speaker, so maybe he counts...


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Colin - told you someone would start promoting Pettersson, could have guessed it would be Josquin!!

He's the sort of composer I really ought to like, he's a sort of Swedish Bruckner/Mahler composer; maybe it's one of those mental blocks without justification that we all - let's be honest - have. Mind you it took me a long while to start feeling any affinity with Bruckner (a giant among symphonists), so perhaps he's worth me having another listen.

I get the impression that Swedes consider Stenhammar to be their No.1 composer, but I may well be wrong on that, I'd hope there would be a few floating Swedes here who could correct me on that. Myself, I'd go for Atterberg first, maybe after Berwald's Sinfonie singuliere, as there's a big part of me that reckons his symphonies have a bit more substance than those by, say, Alfven or Rangstrom or Petterson-Berger.

Not a Swede, but Josquin recommends the Finn Leevi Madetoja. He's not as much in the shadow of Sibelius as a lot of the early twentieth century Finns, although there are similarities. But his Third Symphony is on a level with Sibelius's, not that many works from Finalnd you can say that about!

Mind you, after their election this weekend, I'd have thought some Swedes were seeing Wagner as Swedish!!:devil:


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Stenhammar is a nice late-romantic composer, and often considered the most representative, but IMO not the most rewarding, ambitious or reflexive among Swedish composers.


----------



## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

*Eduard Tubin*

->Essentially Estonian, but he moved to Sweden in 1944 where he lived for the rest of his life. He did not abandon his Estonian roots per se, as far as I can tell, but his language post 1950 is not far removed from, say, Allan Pettersson already mentioned. His Eighth Symphony can, for instance, by a musical cousin to Pettersson's Seventh or Atterberg's Ninth.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

If we can add Tubin to this conversation, definitely his symphonies are a must-hear, and let's not forget his charming Sinfonietta on Estonian Motifs.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

In addition, try these others:

John Fernström - Symphonies 6 and 12
Oskar Lindberg - Symphony in F major, tone poems
Adolf Lindblad - Symphonies


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Tubin is indeed well worth hearing, I'd say one of the essential twentieth century symphonists. I had the Sinfonietta on in the car on the way to work this morning!!

However, considering him a Swede is pushing it, I reckon, even if he spent his last forty years there, and took citizenship. He is Estonian to the core. And I think many of his later in life influences remained closer to the Soviet roots (Prokofiev et al) rather than the Scandinavian.


----------



## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Robert Pickett said:


> Tubin is indeed well worth hearing, I'd say one of the essential twentieth century symphonists. I had the Sinfonietta on in the car on the way to work this morning!!
> 
> However, considering him a Swede is pushing it, I reckon, even if he spent his last forty years there, and took citizenship. He is Estonian to the core. And I think many of his later in life influences remained closer to the Soviet roots (Prokofiev et al) rather than the Scandinavian.


I think Tubin's Sixth Symphony has Prokofievian touches, true enough, but I cannot really say that regarding, for instance, his Tenth, which is Estonian in atmosphere, but with Nordic touches here and there. Even his Sinfonietta evokes Grieg somewhat.

But yes, in the final analysis, Tubin remained Estonian to the core.


----------



## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I just posted the following on another thread here at the Forum, but it seems appropriate here, too.



SONNET CLV said:


> I'm reminded of this thread after listening tonight to the Third Symphony ("Facetter", 1950) of Karl-Birger Blomdahl, which is recorded along with the composer's first two symphonies on BIS-CD-611.
> 
> View attachment 108861
> 
> ...


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I will confess to having never heard of this Blomdahl chap, he's never been on my radar. But I have ordered the BIS CD of his three symphonies, and will post my calm considered (sic) opinion when I can.

Thanks for the heads up, looking forward to hearing this!


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

A big thumbs up for this Blomdahl chap, by the way. I haven't been as impressed with a new discovery for ages. A work of genuine substance, No.3, which merits the praise heaped upon it earlier by Sonnet.

Thanks for the introduction !


----------



## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

Josquin13 said:


> Though he wasn't a "romantic or neo-romantic" composer, Sweden can claim a 1st tier symphonic composer in Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792), sometimes called the "Swedish Mozart". No less than F.J. Haydn said of Kraus: "Kraus was the first man of genius that I met. Why did he have to die? It is an irreparable loss for our art. The Symphony in C minor he wrote in Vienna specially for me is a work which will be considered a masterpiece in every century." (Kraus is also sometimes referred to as "the greatest composer nobody's ever heard of...")
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Exceptional post, of highest quality. I learned a lot tonight. Thanks!


----------



## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

As a small contribution to this wonderful and very educational (for me at least) threat, a quite rare cd from Finland. (from my collection)

View attachment 109212


----------



## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

This looks great. I hope I can find it in CD : ). Thanks for sharing. Signed your favorite Sibelius addict.



Dimace said:


> As a small contribution to this wonderful and very educational (for me at least) threat, a quite rare cd from Finland. (from my collection)
> 
> View attachment 109212


----------



## Durendal (Oct 24, 2018)

I've often wondered why Sweden didn't have any major A-list composers.


----------



## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

Durendal said:


> I've often wondered why Sweden didn't have any major A-list composers.


I don't know any A, B, or C class composers. I know composers they make good music and composers they are doing nothing or they are stealing ideas from other composers and, when they stop to do this, they create abominations they call among the other, contemporary music. The composers are mentioned in this thread are top and I will tell you only this, if is not already written: When Kraus died, Haydn said in tears that the humanity lost a composer could not be replaced!!!


----------



## ericdxx (Jul 7, 2013)

You must try A. Pettersson's symphony no. 7. As far as I know it's unique...the rugged parts are great. I believe this symphony has been a huge influence on Danny Elfman's music (Especially his Planet of the apes from the early 2000s).

I enjoyed Atterbergs 3rd symphony but my recollection is that it was kind of a poor mans Mahler but it was years ago....


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

From the Naxos website: In Swedish music history, the importance of *Johan Helmich Roman* cannot be overestimated. Being the first native Swedish composer of international importance, conductor of the royal orchestra, violinist and oboist, concert organiser, music teacher, theorist and linguist, he was the man who, through thirty years of hard work (1721-1751), laid the foundation of modern musical life in Sweden." His nickname was The Swedish Handel.

His Music for a Royal Wedding (Royal Drottningholm Music) CD on Naxos is fun to listen to.


----------



## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

Get a recording, any recording, of the Stenhammer Piano Concerto in B flat minor absolutely his best work IMO.


----------

