Hans Eklund(1927-99)- another Allan Pettersson?

[TerraEpon]

Well they just released a disc of the late romantic composer Christian Frederik Emil Horneman (http://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/recording-christian-frederik-emil-horneman---orchestral-works.aspx)

[regriba]

True, it isn't all "modern" - "almost exclusively" was perhaps a bit exagerrated. As to the Riisager symphonic edition, I don't want to sound negative, but I think they called it that because "symphonic" sells better than, say, "orchestral". Riisager only wrote two symphonies, both of them in his mid-twenties before he had reached full maturity. In fact, he is quite famous in Denmark for declaring, in an essay written around 1930, "The symphony is dead! Long live music!"

I wouldn't call Riisager "modern", certainly not as much as Eklund (whom this thread is of course really about), though he did try to break free of Carl Nielsen's shadow by adopting a French-inspired idiom. IMHO, his best orchestral music is to be found in his ballets and his trumpet concerto. My personal favourite is "The Moon Reindeer", which contains some really beautiful lyrical music (and a musical description of a skiing trip).

[Dundonnell]

For someone who said "The symphony is dead!" Riisager didn't do badly

He appears to have written five in total

[regriba]

Yes, I see now that some sites advertise the Riisager symphonic edition as going to contain five symphonies. That's a bit strange because according to the latest worklist on http://dvm.nu/theme/knudage-riisager/v%c3%a6rkfortegnelse/alfabetisk-register ("The Virtual Music Library"), he only composed two plus a "symphonic sketch". And that list was compiled in 2000 by Claus Røllum, who also wrote the sleeve notes for the first disc of the edition and is supposed to be an authority on Riisager. But they may of course have dug up a few more since then. I suppose we'll se when the next discs in the edition appear 

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Earlier today I brushed off a wee bit of dust and revisited the Phono Sueica disc of the Eklund Requiem. After a few years I had forgotten what deeply impressive music it is.

Would that there were good commercial recordings of the symphonies (and his other music) for here surely is an especially significant composer.

Pray, let us NOT go back to the previous kerfuffle about why on earth haven't labels such as BIS recorded such an important Swedish composer. Given that BIS has clearly decided not to do so (and there's little choice but to respect that decision) I do hope one day someone like Naxos will step into the breach. From what I heard recently Naxos have done rather well with their recent Sibelius cycle - and despite what must be terrific competition. So why not Eklund? I'm trying very hard not to get back to that previous debate (honest, gov'), but I must say I found some of the 'defences' of BIS rather lame. OK, to be sure a private company owned and wonderfully run by an enthusiast doesn't have any sort of duty to include in its catalogue composers who aren't included in that enthusiasm.

But I wonder? BIS is rightly renowned pretty much world wide as a premier Swedish record label. It also, in its representation of itself in publicity, advertisements and website, proclaims the word 'Swedish' with some prominence. Given that, it does seem very odd that it turns its back on some Swedish composers like Eklund or Rosenberg whilst giving much attention to other composers generally judged by most to be certainly worthwhile but less in stature. Wouldn't there, for example, be rather a brouhaha if Hyperion decided it wasn't all that bothered about, say, Bridge or Britten? It doesn't have a duty to represent them...... but then I think many of us would complain that the catalogue of this renowned British company was somehow seriously defective if it didn't.

Just a personal point of view.... and no desire whatsoever to start a brawl.

[Alan Howe]

Well, I could argue that Hyperion and Chandos aren't at all bothered about Percy Sherwood...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Indeed!

[Alan Howe]

...but I wouldn't want to because they simply can't do everything. It would feel more than a bit churlish.

[Dundonnell]

I shall resist the temptation to say anymore about BIS and simply echo your enthusiastic endorsement of Eklund, Peter

[Latvian]

Getting back to the original topic of this thread -- I have to confess I haven't heard much Eklund besides the 6th Symphony. However, contrary to some earlier comments, based on that piece and the symphonies uploaded here, I don't hear much Pettersson. What comes across for me is a very strong dose of Shostakovich. Not a bad thing, just an observation.

[erato]

Which reminds me; we need more Einar Englund on disc!

[Dundonnell]

Which reminds me; we need more Einar Englund on disc!

Do we

All seven of the symphonies are on cd(I have two different versions of Nos. 2 and 4), as are the two piano concertos(two versions of No.1), the violin concerto, the cello concerto, the flute concerto, the clarinet concerto . I would have thought that was pretty good. I can, of course, only speak about the orchestral music; there is possibly a lot of chamber music missing from disc

[erato]

Which reminds me; we need more Einar Englund on disc!

Do we

All seven of the symphonies are on cd(I have two different versions of Nos. 2 and 4), as are the two piano concertos(two versions of No.1), the violin concerto, the cello concerto, the flute concerto, the clarinet concerto . I would have thought that was pretty good. I can, of course, only speak about the orchestral music; there is possibly a lot of chamber music missing from disc

Then you've been more diligent than me in searching them out, and I haven't been succesfull in finding all of the symphonies on CD, at least some of the early ones are missing. Granted he is a relatively recent addiction.....

[fr8nks]

Which reminds me; we need more Einar Englund on disc!

Do we

All seven of the symphonies are on cd(I have two different versions of Nos. 2 and 4), as are the two piano concertos(two versions of No.1), the violin concerto, the cello concerto, the flute concerto, the clarinet concerto . I would have thought that was pretty good. I can, of course, only speak about the orchestral music; there is possibly a lot of chamber music missing from disc

Then you've been more diligent than me in searching them out, and I haven't been succesfull in finding all of the symphonies on CD, at least some of the early ones are missing. Granted he is a relatively recent addiction.....

Englund Symphonies 2 & 4 are on Naxos 8.553758 F. Symphonies 1 thru 7 are on Ondine. And Symphonies 1 & 2, Violin Concerto, Flute Concerto, Clarinet Concerto and Epinikia are on Findlandia 4509-99971-2.

[Dundonnell]

Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 are on another Ondine cd.