Hilding ROSENBERG (1892-1985)
Symphony No 6 Sinfonia Semplice (1951) [24.02]
Symphony No 3 (1939) [33.31]
Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt
rec Concert Hall, Stockholm, 22 May 1960 (No. 6); 1 Dec 1966 (No.3)
PHONO SUECIA -
ECHO - PSCD 100 AAD MID PRICE
[57.33]
AmazonUS
Rosenberg's eight symphonies have struggled to make much headway beyond
Scandinavia. There has been no complete recorded cycle and no movement in
that direction. The two symphonies recorded here are isolated projects caught
on the wing as benignly opportunistic spin-offs from concert performances
in Sweden.
The Sixth is in a single movement though (pleasingly) banded into four. Its
title lays claim to simplicity but it is a far from untroubled work. Combining
tense writing for the strings with liberating lyricism from the woodwind
it represents a struggle between the intensity and angst of Hindemith (e.g.
in his Harmonie der Welt Symphony) and the tuneful abandon of Nielsen
especially in his woodwind writing. In its passage Rosenberg sings the braying
malediction of the trolls with as much malignance as Tubin was able to release
in his Symphony No 6.
The Third symphony is based on Romain Rolland. It was originally presented
on Swedish Radio with a narrator. It is a sweeter apple than the Sicxth.
In a true four movements it runs to approaching 35 minutes. In this work
the delight of woodwind and 'music box' innocence collide with violent stamping
offbeat convulsions which Rosenberg adorns, without embarrassment, with cymbal
crashes. Efflorescent writing for the French Horns lends this symphony the
sort of ecstatic eloquence also to be found in Nielsen's Helios and
Fifth Symphony and Louis Glass's Fifth.
At mid-price well worth tracking down.
Rob Barnett
In case of difficulty available from
www.swedishmusicshop.com at
price of USD16.50 per CD.
