Allan Pettersson

Category: Music

No Alan is not a jazz artist but a relatively unknown, at least in the US, contemporary classical composer, most famous for his symphonies. Born in Sweden and chronicly diabled with an auto immunine disease for most of his life.

His most celebrated sysmphony is the 7th, whose elements include brutally effective brass and sweetly expressed strings. The motifs are easy to recognize and are constantly repeated. It is in one movement and has an open clarity and pristine sense of perceptive glowing illumination. Pettersson's are very personal statements which are guided by his emotions. At least this symphony is worthy of a listen. The recording is on the BIS label(CD-580). The orchestra is the Norrkoping Symphony conducted by Leif Segerstam( a composer of note in the Nordic countries). The recording sparkles though the miking seems to favor the brass over all group of instruments. I cannot wait to hear his other symphonies as well.

Also, he wrote several chamber music pieces that were recorded. The first group of recordings are seven sonatas for two violins, performed by the Duo Gelland(Martin and Cecilia). the second group of recordings are one small piece for piano and three small pieces for violin and piano, the violinist was Martin and the pianist, Lennart Wallin. The second group of recordings, for a 20th century composer, are more melodious this side of Mozart and Schubert and as expressive as Brahms ever could be. However, The first group is as dissonance as you could ever want. Percussive and intensive, this music is at the limits of playability for the performing artist. What is perhaps interesting is that many of the motifs are used in his symphonies. Many are evident in the 7th. The recording, is perhaps one of the best recordings I now have. The soundstage and imaging of the recording are some of the best I have ever heard. Clarity and transparency are first rate. Sonics alone are worthy of a listen. Also this recording is on the BIS label (CD-1028).