Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974)

[chill319]

Listened to Atterberg 8 today with great satisfaction. The outer movements seem almost tocattalike in their relentless activity, yet they have the dramatic shape of symphonic movements. The slow movement comes from a place I want to revisit.

[TerraEpon]

Woah scary. I open this topic just as my playlist is playing the third movement of Symph 7.

[albion]

I've finally decided to begin exploring the beautiful CPO box of Atterberg symphonies which arrived this week, starting at Symphony No.1. On first hearing, I must say that I'm quite bowled over by the quality of this music - quite clearly the work of a strong individual personality, but with the characteristic 'Scandinavian' sound.

Over the past year (in a concerted effort to break out into Europe and beyond) I've acquainted (or reacquainted) myself with quite a lot of Scandinavian orchestral music including Gade, Alfven, Stenhammar, Svendsen, Langgaard and Hamerik and so far I haven't come up against a single 'duffer'. As a consequence, I'm really looking forward to the August Enna and Natanael Berg which I hope to order soon.

Trying to place why quite a lot of this music sounds Scandinavian, I think that one key ingredient which gives their works a national flavour comes from a frequent use of the subdominant major within the tonic minor - you too can amaze your friends and create your own Norwegian (or Danish or Swedish) Mood at home by lightly strumming alternate chords of C minor and F major. 

Are there any other melodic or harmonic characteristics which might be said to create a 'Scandinavian' sound?

[M. Henriksen]

Glad you like what you've heard so far from Atterberg. I think the cpo-cycle is a real gem, Atterberg was clearly a master of the orchestra like his countryman Hugo Alfvèn.
Speaking of the Scandinavian sound, a lot of composers use folk melodies in their works. Atterberg took great interest in folk music from his home country and his 4th symphony is a good example of this. The Andante is absolutely gorgeous.
Otherwise than that I'm not too much into musical terms to say anything sensible about Scandinavian sound..
But the encyclopedia can! I quote: "Music based on traditional Norwegian form usually includes minor or modal scales (sometimes mixed with major scales), making a sober and haunting sound." Does it make any sense?

If you enjoy Atterberg, I strongly recommend Erland von Koch's Symphony no. 2 recorded on Phono Suecia:
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Erland-von-Koch-Symphonie-Nr-2/hnum/3391648


Morten

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for your recommendation of the von Koch CD, Morten. Duly ordered!!

[TerraEpon]

The other three Atterburg discs on CPO are just as good, BTW. Especially the Piano Concerto disc.

[Syrelius]

Thanks for your recommendation of the von Koch CD, Morten. Duly ordered!!

...and if you like the von Koch symphony you will probably also like YngveSköld's 2nd symphony, too!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No-Violinkonsert-Yngve-Sköld/dp/B000088EF0/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1300023907&sr=1-7

[Alan Howe]

Hab' schon (got it)! as the Germans would say. Thanks for the reminder, though. I must give the CD another listen!

[M. Henriksen]

I downloaded Atterberg's Ballad Without Words  (the BIS recording) some days ago, since it's not included in cpo's wonderful Atterberg-records. A substantial piece of music close to 19 minutes long, and one of his last orchestral works, written as late as 1958.

After an introduction, the music quiets down, and Atterberg present us a lovely tune (at about 4:30 and onwards). I felt sure that I've heard this tune before, and after doing some Detective work I found the same theme used in the 3rd Symphony's second movement - Storm. In this movement the tune appears towards the end in an entirely different setting (at about 7:40 and onwards) before the music fades away.

Can anyone (perhaps owners of the BIS-recording with access to the booklet)  tell me what Atterberg's Ballad Without Words is all about, and if there are more music from earlier works used in it?

By the way, I think Atterberg not only was a master of handling the orchestra but he had a incredible strong melodic gift. Almost every work of his contains one tune or more that really sticks to your mind for a long time. I must say I'm very impressed by this composer.
I think his music is closer to the music of Hugo Alfvèn than any other Swedish composer.


Morten

[Syrelius]

I've finally decided to begin exploring the beautiful CPO box of Atterberg symphonies which arrived this week, starting at Symphony No.1. On first hearing, I must say that I'm quite bowled over by the quality of this music - quite clearly the work of a strong individual personality, but with the characteristic 'Scandinavian' sound.

Over the past year (in a concerted effort to break out into Europe and beyond) I've acquainted (or reacquainted) myself with quite a lot of Scandinavian orchestral music including Gade, Alfven, Stenhammar, Svendsen, Langgaard and Hamerik and so far I haven't come up against a single 'duffer'. As a consequence, I'm really looking forward to the August Enna and Natanael Berg which I hope to order soon.

Trying to place why quite a lot of this music sounds Scandinavian, I think that one key ingredient which gives their works a national flavour comes from a frequent use of the subdominant major within the tonic minor - you too can amaze your friends and create your own Norwegian (or Danish or Swedish) Mood at home by lightly strumming alternate chords of C minor and F major. 

Are there any other melodic or harmonic characteristics which might be said to create a 'Scandinavian' sound?

Have you tried Berwald's music too? Though not a national romantic composer, he is, in my opinion, one of the first composers with a Scandinavian feel to his music. The symphonies - especially the Sinfonie Singulière - is the place to start!

[LateRomantic75]

Time to revive this thread! I'm going to be making my way once again through the CPO set of Atterberg's symphonies over the next couple weeks or so. It'll be a labor of love, because Atterberg's music just speaks so well to me. I've explored scores of lesser-known composers, but none have trumped Atterberg as being the most unjustly neglected composer in my view.

Am I alone in thinking that the climax in the gorgeous final movement of his Symphony no. 3 is one of the most overwhelming and inspiring moments in all music? (The whole symphony is breathtaking, really.)