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4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent version of a haunting contemporary symphony, October 2, 1998
This review is from: Symphony 7 / Concerto for Bassoon & Orchestra (Audio CD)
Allan Pettersson (1911-1980) was born into poverty but managed through sheer force of will to qualify for admitance to the Royal Conservatory, win the Jenny Lind prize, and study in Paris under some of the most notable names in composition of his day. His music frequently alternates between furious bitterness and an infinite resignation; oases of the purest calm are scattered across the craggy musical landscape.
Certainly the most well-known and most frequently performed of all of his symphonies, Pettersson's Seventh was dedicated to Antal Dorati, whose recording of it brought the world's attention to the reclusive composer. If the Sixth is a dark and desperate cry ending in resignation, the Seventh is the "song sung by the soul" that Pettersson sought so yearningly to reveal.
The symphony's origins are not clear. The work was premiered on October 13, 1968 in a concert for the Music for Youth series founded by Antal Dorati in cooperation with the Stockholm Philharmonic. Pettersson, in very poor health, was called to the podium with standing ovations four times after the work's conclusion. It was the last time he was able to personally attend a premiere of one of his symphonies. Some hear it as a "reconsideration" of the bleakness of the Sixth; others have compared its structure to the arch formed by the profile of a mountain range. Many members of the audience at the premier were in tears at the close of this remarkable work. Once again, Pettersson uses a roughly 40-minute single movement. Unlike earlier symphonies, this one is not as clearly divided into sections, but uses recurring themes throughout.
Sergiu Comissiona knew the composer (Pettersson dedicated his Ninth symphony to him!) and this recording can be considered nearly definitive. Comissiona clocks in at 41:58, only marginally slower than the original Dorati recording, but with a lyricism that immediately captures your ear. The brass in not overwhelming, but makes it's necessary impact in the central section, and the sound is excellent for a live recording (October 1990 in the Berwald Concert Hall). This CD was produced from a benefit for the 40th anniversary of the Swedish Cancer Society, which may partially explain the bizarre coupling (Mozart Bassoon Concerto,K.191). Documentation is skimpy, though, especially considering the status of the conductor and the author of the liner notes for what should have been a release of some greater significance (first recording after the historic Dorati).
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