Enter “Swedish Composers” into Wikipedia and you
get a list 126 names long. In the relatively specialist field
of classical music even the most ardent admirer would concede
that Swedish music, on the world stage at least, is in turn a
specialist area. From the list of 126 jump some names amongst
others - Hugo Alfvén, Kurt Atterburg, Wilhelm Stenhammar,
Dag Wirén, Ture Rangström and Lars-Erik Larsson -
figure as 20
th century composers and indeed symphonists
of considerable stature. The record labels BIS and CPO in particular
have produced various series of discs proving beyond a shadow
of doubt that they were composers and musicians of great worth.
Missing from the list is the name of Helmer Alexandersson. Not
that one should conclude that he does not deserve to be in such
company however it does underline the unavoidable fact that his
is a little (if at all) known name. All the more praise therefore
to the enterprising Sterling label for unearthing these two works.
As the extensive and informative liner-notes explain, he lived
most of his 41 years in relative obscurity and eventually died
in extreme poverty: certificates being signed to that effect
permitting the City of Stockholm to cover the cost of his burial.
So to the music. Neither work demands resurrection or world-wide
acclaim. I’d have to say that any of the symphonies by
the composers listed above are of greater worth. The disc opens
with the 1910 Overture in C minor. The writer of the liner-note
hears something akin to Eric Coates here. Sadly the allusion
eludes me. This seems to me rather sober and opaque with nothing
of the rhythmic élan or melodic memorability of the King
of British Light Music. The well-behaved audience at this live
recording seem similarly underwhelmed, the polite applause fading
quickly.
Alexandersson’s First Symphony is described as a youthful
work which the composer listed as “…. not going to
be performed”. The Symphony No.2 is the major work featured
here. It is in the standard four movements although as originally
conceived in 1914 it was a three movement piece to which the
third movement
Intermezzo was added in 1919. The writer
describes this interpolation as being “strikingly innovative”.
Given that the year of its composition/insertion is the same
as Charles Ives’
Orchestral Set No.3 and Janáček’s
Katya
Kabanova the assertion seems a little bold particularly when
for me its musical association is with the pizzicato scherzo
of Tchaikovsky’s
Symphony No.4 of 1877. But Alexandersson
was right to feel that the structure of the Symphony in its three
movement incarnation was unbalanced. The first movement lasts
nearly seventeen minutes, which is as long as the original second
movement and finale put together. The thematic material feels
over-stretched by the extended length of the movement. Alexandersson
relies on repetition of the essentially simple but appealing
melodies over a Sibelius-like series of pedal notes. Track 2
2:00 gives a good idea of the style and quasi-heroic mood here.
The slow movement is placed second and is lyrical and flowing
in an attractive but unassuming way. A minor key trumpet fanfare
leads into the second subject group which develops along similarly
easily assimilated ways. The third is for strings alone and to
my ear is by far the weakest part of the work. Melodically limited
and reactionary even by the standards of the rest of the piece
it feels like an interpolation. The rest of the disc is efficiently
played if lacking any real fire in the collective bellies of
the Uppsala Chamber Orchestra which in this movement suffers
from scrappy ensemble and suspect intonation. Although marked
Allegretto my
strong feeling is that conductor Paul Mägi seriously misjudges
the tempo of this movement; essentially a light music miniature.
It needs to barrel along with buoyant good humour but in this
performance it plods and the music is ill-served. Things improve
in the Finale. Even the orchestra sounds more engaged, and the
length of the piece is better judged although once again it has
to be said that the audience reaction is nothing like as fervent
as that described in the liner-note regarding the first performances.
So as ever, whilst warmly welcoming the chance to hear a rare
symphony I find it hard to enthuse much. One last nail I’m
afraid - the playing time of the CD comes in at a miserly sub
fifty minutes which is hard to justify for a full price disc
these days. If any reader is coming afresh to Swedish symphonic
composers I strongly urge you to investigate any of those listed
at the start of this review - a random selection of their works
would give greater musical satisfaction than this modest addition
to the repertoire. The Lars-Erik Larsson symphonies are probably
the closest stylistically but even they have a technical assurance
and melodic and formal command that far outstrips the best that
Alexandersson can muster.
A disc for Swedish symphonic music completists only.
Nick Barnard
see also review by Rob Barnett
Uppsala Chamber Orchestra/Paul Mägi
