Dear Listers, Being drastically short of time these weeks, I cannot take part on this discussion about Nordic symphonic music, which I have been deeply interested in for almost twenty years now. Hopefully it will still be time for me to discuss it in a while. Until then, I hope that a hasty translation of excerpts from an earlier French text will be of some interest to you, concerning the recording of Peterson-Berger's 3rd Symphony. ----- I had previously discussed the personality of Wilhelm Peterson-Berger (1867-1942), and his 3rd Symphony "Same Atnam" in particular ("Same Atnam" is the Lappish name of Lappland, "Lappish" having derogative undertones), as follows: "an exquisitely fresh work throughout, a superb sleigh ride, without jeopardizing the quality of the work." Discovering this enchanting score, embroidered with Sami songs (the so-called "joikus", harsh Nordic counterparts of Tyrolian jodlers) had left me with memories that were still intact fifteen years later. Almost intact, actually, for, whereas I did remember the melancholy theme uttered at midway in the slow movement, I had forgotten how extraordinary the preceding section was. The notes for the recent CPO recording describe this movement as being "one of the most sublime movements in the Nordic symphonic repertoire". It is easy to use superlatives when one comments on a work, even though CPO's excellent editors rarely, if ever, indulge in such habits. It so happens that this movement might well be worthy of such a depiction, and this says a lot, coming from a passionate Nordic music-lover like me. This is utterly simple music. It consists of a long theme, slow, quiet, with a few large intervallic leaps raising it towards high pitches, then smoothly letting it come down. It is then superimposed upon itself in a fugue of sorts. Stated by the violins, the clarinet, the cellos,..., its seemingly even rhythm is sometimes inflected by syncopations, which lends it a very specific breathing quality. The context is the midnight sun. Light, intense sadness. Progressively, unostentatiously, the music unfolds with enthralling nobility, never to leave it even when harmonies become more "sentimental", moving. As the wave ebbs away, the above-mentioned theme is simply stated, then repeated, vanishing in the distance. Ultimately, after a final flight of stringed lyricism, the movement recedes into nothingness. In a thoroughly different spirit, I can only think of the slow section from the scond part of Carl Nielsen's 5th Symphony as a worthy comparison, even though Peterson-Berger was by no means a profound innovator as his Danish contemporary was. The charm, ingenuity, freshness, modal purity present in the remainder of the symphony should not disappoint you. Its themes do not have the effusive appeal to be found in the Second Symphony [Sunnanfard, recommended by Jane Erb], but the structure is more satisfactory, which obviously adds to the "intuitive" harmony of the whole. I therefore maintain what I said before - that the work is entirely successful, and approachable for any listener. But one would have to add, vibrating at its core, those few minutes of undescribable beauty. Wilhelm PETERSON-BERGER (Sweden, 1867-1942) Symphony No. 3 "Same Atnam" (1915) Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michail Jurowski CD CPO 999 632-2 ----- As for Madetoja, his symphonies truly belong to the gems of their time. Whereas No. 2 is especially gripping, almost shattering, No. 3 displays a troubling, graceful, obstinate, sweet and sour quality, and approaches what might be termed as "emotional perfection". To Dave Lampson's comprehensive survey, I would like to add an absolutely essential work by Aarre Merikanto: his Fantasy for Orchestra. A.Merikanto's music can be paralleled with Janacek's, Szymanowski's, Berg's, and is, at its best, well worth the comparison. Please let me finish for now with a strong recommendation for a record which few commentators seem to have fully comprehended (maybe because the composer was too overlooked to be expected as he should have been?): the Phono Suecia CD featuring Edvin Kallstenius's Symphony No. 2, Dalecarlian Rhapsody and Song Offering. This would require a detailed review, but, for the time being, I would say that the slow movement of the symphony is a perfect instance of the "distant sound" which Kallstenius searched throughout his life. Explicit thematic cells are scarce, almost elliptic, and yet, by virtue of the fusion between horizontality, verticality, timbre, and a hypnotic sense of time, this music seems to be saturated with melody. And this is, at times, utterly beautiful. Best wishes, Thanh-Tam Le [log in to unmask]