Search - Allan Pettersson, Alun Francis, Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra :: Allan Pettersson: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4

Pettersson misunderstood,

paul best | new orleans | 01/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

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EDIT May 7,2009

I've reconsiderd my opinion about syms 3,4, 5 as previous not being part of the symphonic cycle..indeed these syms are. What we have now is a symphonic cycle like no other in the history of music. Starting with sym 3, going to sym 15, its a 13 symphonic cycle.

The greatest symphonic composer in the history of music, other than Mozart of course...(Beethoven?..first off I can't stand any of his music, as neither did Debussy and Ravel, both great composers HATED LVB's music, HATED,,as do I hate LVB's music,,,besides most of his syms s are duds)

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Not long ago I use to be part of a classical chat, GMG.

There I had encountered folks who said they disliked Pettersson , w/o even hearing his music. Or they said, "i'm really not even interested". Yet these same folks are willing to dig out the most obscure composer who died centuries ago, and talk about the few sonatas or such. So they are willing to give the most marginal of composers attention yet totally ignore Pettersson.

Today we witness lines of disagreement being drawn up in evey area of life, the subject of classical music is no exception. The old romantics vs the modernists.

Its my firm conviction that Pettersson as well as Schnittke , stands as heir to Shostakovich.

Both carrying on the message that the soul can indeed be liberated from the tribulations she finds herself in.

Here is a man who was able to put into music the crisis that the world ( Plato's world soul) is facing, its struggles and destruction.

Schnittke wrote that its impossible to put into words any attempt at describing in words how music actually sounds, in conveying emotional conent to another person. So I just say try these syms and see what you think.



Ck out all my other reviews in Pettersson.

Also go to Good Music Guide, there you will find a topic on Pettersson, 45+ pages long, this will give you at least some insights into this obscure and totally undiscovered composer.

BTW performance is outstanding, rich in nuances and colors.

It doesn't matter if you do not find this review helpful, what matters is that you hear Pettersson

EDIT

Another thought occured. Genius is both misunderstood and ahead of its time. Pettersson fulfills both aspects.

If genius was readily understood by the common classicphile, it wouldn't be genius, now would it.

Einstein was not believed on many of his theories until after his death. Van Gogh was not recognized as genius until after his death. And so it goes.

Schnittke and Pettersson, 2 bright Stars in an age of spiritual darkness.



EDIT:

After several yrs of becomming more familiar with Pettersson's thickly scored syms, these 2,3,4,5 syms are IMHO still under the heavy influence of the "mighty" Sibelius with thick romatic sonorities, that float in and out , making these 2-5 the "testing the wings" part of pettersson's graet symphonic career.

The 6th is IMHO the beginnings of Pettersson's masterly symphonic cycle, 6,7,8,9,10,11,13,14,15.

April 13,2007



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