Wilhelm Stenhammar - Symphony No. 2; Excelsior (Neeme Järvi)

Information

Composer: Wilhelm Stenhammar

1. Excelsior!, Op. 13
2. Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34: 1. Allegro energico
3. Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34: 2. Andante
4. Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34: 3. Scherzo. Allegro, ma non troppo presto
5. Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34: 4. Finale. Sostenuto - Allegro vivace

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Järvi, conductor

Date: 1984
Label: BIS

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Review

For devotees of the fin de siècle Scandinavian symphonies, Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's 1979 world-premiere recording of Wilhelm Stenhammar's First Symphony was incredibly exciting. For one thing, the work itself, while not great, illuminated a previously unknown phase in the composer's career. And for another, given Järvi's already pronounced proclivity to record complete symphonic cycles, his recording of the youthful First promised a recording of the mature Second, one of the glories of its time and place. That promise was fulfilled in this 1983 recording of the Second coupled with the Overture Excelsior! While the Overture, like the First Symphony, is worth hearing for its exuberance and enthusiasm, the Second is mandatory listening for any listener who reveres the symphonies of Sibelius and Nielsen. Like his contemporaries, the Swedish composer's youthful romanticism had grown into a more direct and austere art, and in his four-movement Second, Stenhammar's harmonic language is nearly modal, his textures scrupulously clean, his colors strong and primary, his formal construction brilliantly masterful, his drama utterly compelling, and his tone exalted and idealistic. Järvi and the Gothenburg turn in a performance of exemplary power and control, with persuasive conducting and skillful playing, and if their recording didn't eclipse Stig Westerberg and the Stockholm Philharmonic's monumental 1978 recording or Tor Mann and the Stockholm's magnificent 1950 recording, it did introduce a new digital audience to a great piece of music, always a good and useful thing to do.

Back when digital sound was still a novel technology, some labels put warnings on the covers of their discs alerting listeners of potential harm to their stereo systems if they weren't up to the latest advances at either extreme of the frequency range. BIS' warning for this disc was especially extreme: "Contrary to established practice this recording retains the staggering dynamics of the ORIGINAL performance. This may damage your loudspeakers, but given first-rate playback equipment you are guaranteed a truly remarkable musical and audio experience. Good luck!" What can one add save that they're not kidding: the sound on this disc is truly staggering, though, some might argue, not necessarily more realistic or more enjoyable than earlier stereo or monaural recordings' sound.

-- James Leonard, AllMusic

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Wilhelm Stenhammar (February 7, 1871 – November 20, 1927) was a Swedish composer, conductor and pianist. He received his first musical education in Stockholm, then went to Berlin to further his studies. Initially an admirer of German music, particularly that of Wagner and Bruckner, Stenhammar subsequently sought to write in a more "Nordic" style, looking to Nielsen and Sibelius for guidance. His works were quite varied and among them included 2 completed symphonies, a Serenade for Orchestra and two piano concertos. Stenhammar was also considered the finest Swedish pianist of his time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Stenhammar

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Neeme Järvi (born June 7, 1937 in Tallinn) is an Estonian conductor. He studied at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others. Järvi was Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Gothenburg Symphony (1982-2004), Royal Scottish National Orchestra (1984-1988), Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1990-2005) and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (2012-2015), among others. He made over 400 recordings for labels such as BIS, Chandos and Deutsche Grammophon and best known for his interpretations of Romantic and 20th century classical music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neeme_J%C3%A4rvi

http://www.neemejarvi.ee/

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