Swedish music

[jowcol]

I've posted Piano Concertos 1 and 2, and Symphony 1 by composer Bo Linde.   Based on his unfortunate death, there seems to be some debate on the discussion boards if he was a victim of "modernist orthodoxy" or not.  I've found a few excerpts below that say more about these works and hopefully a little about the man himself.



From Naxos (liner notes from Violin and Cello concerti)

"I write in very beautiful triads," Bo Linde explained during an interview for the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation after he had been accepted as a student in Lars Erik Larsson's composition class at the Academy of Music in Stockholm at the tender age of fifteen. He was not only a precocious talent but, from an early age, he had a clear idea of what he wanted to do in music. For example he submitted his first piano concerto as part of his application for admission to the Academy. Although he was a technically very gifted pianist he rapidly abandoned the idea of a solo career. That would merely interfere with his work as a composer. Most of all he wanted to write organ music and music for the theatre. In point of fact he was only to write a couple of small-scale organ pieces and a children's opera in these genres. Instead, he devoted his powers to writing orchestral music, chamber music and, not least, songs. Just like Benjamin Britten, whom he greatly admired, Bo Linde had an unfailing sense of how poetry and music could be united. The piano accompaniments in the songs are often very lively and exciting.

From AudAud.com

Bo Linde (1933-1970) died at the tragically early age of just 37. Born in Gävle, he became a composition student of Lars-Erik Larsson in 1948 at Stockholm's Academy of Music. His first piano concerto was one of the pieces he provided with his application to the Academy; he was also a very fine pianist, but rejected a career as a concert artist in favour of composition.

His early Symphony No.1, (Sinfonia Fantasia Op.1) written in 1951 and completed just before the composer's 19th birthday. Linde admired the works of Benjamin Britten enormously, both those for orchestra, and those where the result was a mix of music and poetry. Linde's output is thoroughly tonal, and his early works already show complete mastery of orchestration, and a sound grasp of architecture and structure. This symphony does not follow the traditional four-movement structure, hence his title "Fantasia", and the contrasts between episodes of great power and other more thoughtful are striking. There is something of the sea in this work, reminding this listener of the Peter Grimes Interludes. The Gävle Symphony Orchestra's tympanist is given plenty to do.


Music Web International:
Fifty years ago being a student of Lars-Erik Larsson and writing accessible, melodic, romantic music were not the best credentials for ready acceptance in Sweden's music establishment. At that time Karl-Birger Blomdahl and Bo Wallner set the tone and the aesthetics of the Darmstadt school lead the way. In this milieu Bo Linde's music was hardly performed at all by the national institutions. His hometown, Gävle, was the exception; there he was held in high esteem. When he passed away at the age of 37 there was still not a single note of his to be heard on record, although an EP with some of his songs, accompanied by the composer himself, was on its way and was released only months later.

Read more: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Apr06/linde_concerti_naxos8557855.htm#ixzz1mTJCVnGM

From Fanfare:
It's a cliche, but in this case, also true: the suicide of Bo Linde (1933-1970) at the age of37 shocked the world of Swedish classical music. He was considered the most promising composer of his generation by many of his compatriots, and the most likely to make a mark on the international front.

[Tartini]

As far as I know, did he not commit suicide. It was a hernia in the neck that suddenly broke.

[JimL]

You mean an aneurysm? Hernias are seldom fatal, no matter where they are.  A carotid aneurysm, on the other hand, almost certainly would be.

[jowcol]

You mean an aneurysm? Hernias are seldom fatal, no matter where they are.  A carotid aneurysm, on the other hand, almost certainly would be.

In either case, it's tragic for someone that young.

[Tartini]

Must be aneurysm then. Have searched in all my swedish literature about the cause of his death. But have not found anything more specified than that he died of disease. On a swedish blog someone wrote about this aneurysm. Yes. Anyway he was one of the founder, here in Stockholm, to a chamber music society, including Jan Carlstedt, called "Samtida musik" (contemporary music) The year was 1960
and the group came to form front against the more Darmstadt oriented composers, who had a kind of power position. The group wrote music that was more rooted in neo-classicism and romanticism. A kind of moderate modernism. Where the lyrical and melodic are prominent. There is a beautiful violin sonata of Bo Linde that somehow characterizing this style. Poetic and intense. Feelings for real.

[JollyRoger]

My Winrar 40 day free trial doesn't seem to realise it expired a while ago & is still happily unlocking files from the marvellous downloads section.
Did that when I had it on an older computer too, so should work for all.             Clive.

7zip is far superior and it is free..you can get it a cnet.

[JollyRoger]

Can somebody please switch this from rar to mp3.  rar is impossible!!  Thank you.

HILDING ROSENBERG (1892-1985)


Symphony No. 8 "Sinfonia Serena"
(revised from original Symphony No. 8 "In Candidum" for Chorus and Orchestra) (1974/1980)
Stig Westerberg/Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
+ Cello Concerto No. 2
LP CAPRICE CAP 1283 (1985)

320 kbps MP3 + scan :

http://www.mediafire.com/?e408was2wdk2lh2

I installed a free programme called 7-Zip File Manager. If you download a .rar file all that is required is to open 7-Zip, locate and highlight the .rar file wherever you have stored it, and then clock "Extract". 7-Zip then extracts the file inside and hey presto

try 'extract here' and it will put it in the same folder..and you will not loose it.

[eschiss1]

Belatedly, listened to Eggert's 2nd symphony and am listening to the 3rd. I remember seeing reviews of his music (a string quartet here- actually I think that was about it) awhile back and then Martin Anderson noted program notes to the recentish recording of Lindblad's symphonies in which the writer put in a word for Eggert as the best known to him of the as yet undiscovered composers from that general time and place. 
And now I know where the enthusiasm comes from. I wouldn't say this is the very best late Classical/early Romantic stuff (putting my very favorites from that (general) era- Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart, Beethoven, aside) I've heard but it's on a level with it (the Potter symphonies, to stick to the same general time, seemed comparable in quality, strength, creative profile- but again, still, some of the best things I think I've heard from here - or just maybe from that period that didn't have a well-known (to me I suppose - To me, Kraus is well-known by now ) name attached. Not that much else really.
Thanks!! Hope the new Naxos recordings give works like this much more exposure.

[Dundonnell]

Many thanks, Atsushi, for a large collection of uploads today of music by Swedish composers but also German, French, Dutch and Brazilian composers

I shall listen with great interest

[lechner1110]

 
  You are welcome, Colin    My recommend is Symphony by Koetsier.  It's nice work, in my opinion.  Also I very enjoyed live performance of Villa Lobos 10th. 

  Anyway, enjoy

[eschiss1]

Thanks for the Olsson. According to a Youtube page someone put up of the Sterling recording (?!) (a somewhat slower performance on the whole, about 3 minutes longer in the already substantial Adagio), the movements are
I. Lento - Allegro molto
II. Scherzo (Fuga) : Allegro vivace
III. Adagio
IV. Finale: Presto

Eric

[eschiss1]

Also, Norman's string quintet can be found in score here. The movements are
*Allegro energico
*Andante sostenuto e con molto sentimento
*Allegretto con moto
*Allegro appassionato (concluding Allegro agitato).

[eschiss1]

While on a weekend vacation-of-sorts enjoyed again several times Eggert 2 and Berwald 1 (the latter from a P2 radio podcast, the former from here) and am really looking forward to the Naxos Eggert CDs.  (Keep forgetting if Eggert wrote three or four symphonies and what the vital-data of symphonies 1 (and 4?) are but will look that up myself...) The G major (something major? my sense of key is not always what it should be, will check) introduction and other qualities of the 2nd symphony now seem very, very clever and just right rather than misjudgments - as I should have known they would.

Thanks!!

[eschiss1]

also re Eggert - en-Wikipedia gives this list of his symphonies..."1 in C minor, 2 in C major, 3 in E-flat, 4 in G minor "Skjöldebrand", 5 in D minor (unfinished)"."

Is no.4 in G minor the "No.2 in G minor" in question, and what accounts for the difference in numbering? (Or did I just misread?) 
(Anyhow, I guess that accounts for the other two symphonies- they're in C minor and C major- have they been broadcast? )

[Dundonnell]

Many thanks to britishcomposer for the addition of the Atterberg Double Concerto (which has never been released on cd).