Symphony 2 [Import]

This magnificent CD on the Swedish Society label is out of print and very hard to find. I cannot recommend it too highly: it contains some of the most gorgeous, life-affirming music ever recorded. Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974) composed a 2nd Symphony that, to my ears, is the greatest second effort by ANY Scandinavian symphonist after Sibelius and Nielsen. Originally written in just two movements, it was later supplemented by a stunning third mvt. with a swaggering theme for massed brass that sounds like the very best of top-ranked film music. And contrary to one of the other reviewers here, I think it fits beautifully with the original two movements (true, the 2nd mvt. has a grand climax of extraordinary finality, but then so does the penultimate mvt. of Bruckner's 8th). Much as I enjoy Ari Rasilainen's 2nd (in his indispensable complete Atterberg Symphonies set on Cpo), Westerberg's performance here is more impassioned and more eloquently played.

But that's not all. The coupling here is Atterberg's Suite No. 3 for violin, viola and string orchestra. No two ways about it - this is desert island stuff of the highest priority! In three mvts., this gorgeous piece seems to fuse the best of Vaughan Williams (the Tallis Fantasia & The Lark Ascending) with Sibelius at his dreamiest (e.g., Swan of Tuonela and Valse Triste). I would have to go all the way back to the slow mvt. of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 to find anything as beautifully-written for violin & viola. Violinist Mircea Saulesco and violist Gideon Roehr play exquisitely, and Westerberg's conducting is astonishingly expressive. Even though I very much like Petter Sundvist's conducting of this work on a Naxos CD, Westerberg's is simply in another league altogether.

Stig Westerberg (1918-1999) was, to my ears, one of the three greatest Swedish conductors, along with Sixten Ehrling and Tor Mann. And by the way, when is SOMEBODY going to re-issue Tor Mann's fabulous recording of Ture Rangstrom's Symphony #1 "August Strindberg In Memoriam" that was once on London LP 514 (my copy is just about worn out). But I digress. Westerberg was clearly one of the last century's great conductors - I think he would have been a more apt choice than many of the maestros who were chosen for IMG's "Great Conductors" CD series. Despite fine recordings by Ehrling (especially his Berwald symphonies set on BIS - see my review) and other conductors, I feel that Westerberg was over-all the greatest champion of Scandinavian orchestral music on disc (e.g., his recording of the Kung Christian II Suite by Sibelius remains the finest ever, and ditto the Berwald Piano Concerto).

Listening to Westerberg's magnificent conducting here makes me feel deeply saddened that he never recorded the complete symphonies of Nielsen. His command of expressive string playing, characterful winds, and soaring brass might have made that THE set for all time. But I am grateful for what he DID record, and hopefully ALL of his recordings will be re-issued in good CD transfers.

Keep your eye out for this one, new or used: it's one of the greatest CDs of Scandinavian music ever recorded.

Highest recommendation.

Atterberg's 2nd symphony needs to be listened to by anyone who loves 20th century music. It is completely tonal, and one of the most beautiful, moving pieces I've ever heard, especially the opening and closing sections of the second movement. Atterberg himself was pleased with this recording, and I'm sure anyone else who listens to it will not disagree!

Atterberg continues to be a real discovery for me. Each time I pick up a CD of his music, my admiration towards this immensely talented composer continues to grow. Not that his music is without flaws (overscoring the main concern), but every work of his are either strong, close of being materpieces, or are quite masterpieces (and I'm thinking of especially his Second, Third, Sixth, & Eighth Symphonies as well as his Third Suite for strings, violin, & viola). Hence, his music compels a sympathetic, curious listener to listen and to listen further.

The two works on this disc are proven cases in point. How often does an unjustly underrated composer starts a symphony (in this case the Second in F) with the idea so noble and fresh, then to develop it with such convincing majesty and epic remotely Glazunovian in vein (especially towards the end). Then turn to the highly thematic inventive second movement and you'll see again that sense of magic and mystery that even Bax would have appreciate. But the faster middle section is sweeping and vivid and the ending is as triumphant as a Bruckner. The finale is quite captivating also, and although the ideas threatened to run thin, Atterberg use of the materials from the previous movements gave the finale a more sense of purpose and chemistry. The critics were right in pressuring him to compose the third movement (the composer was content in the original two-movement version). In essence, this is truly a memorable listening experience.

Then turn to the Suite no. III op. 19/1 for strings, violin, and viola (from incidental music to Maeterlinck's "Syster Beatrice") and you'll find a masterpiece. The music is purely eloquent and flowing (like an uninterrupted gentle stream) and his employment of the solo violin and viola adds wonder and imagination. A piece of real quality and captivation no question.

Stig Westerberg has the scores in full measure and uncovered the wonderful layers of them effectively. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra respond with great enthusiasm and with deep admiration of the music. It's a wonder why Westerberg and the Swedish orchestras chose not to record more of Atterberg's music. Oh, well...it'll be interesting to see how Rasilainen will approach the Symphony especially; the ongoing CPO series is a treasure for generations to come.

But, then again, so is this vintage Swedish Society CD.

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