Symphony No.1 in B minor - Kurt Atterberg

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stig Westerberg

I - Allegro con fuoco - Tranquillo - Tempo I: 0:00
II - Adagio - (attacca): 10:19
III - Scherzo. Presto: 19:49
IV - Adagio - Allegro energico: 27:20

The first symphony of Kurt Atterberg was composed between the years 1909 and 1911. It premiered on January 10, 1912, in Göteborg, directed by the composer himself. The work was received with enthusiasm, despite being a youthful work. The great European orchestras interpreted it as one of the most famous works written by a Swedish composer. It was directed by Leopold Stokowski, Max von Schillings and Carl Nielsen.

The first movement, allegro con fuoco, is written in a sonata form. The first, strong theme is presented through a dense instrumentation. The second theme, calmer, comes from a variant of the first. The development section starts with soft drumming of the timpany, with Brahms influences. The re-exposure begins by repeating the brief call of the metals from the beginning. The themes are presented with new orchestration before ending with a determined coda.

The second movement, adagio, is elegiac in character. An aerial theme is presented by the strings and then taken by the woods. Then it develops into a rhapsody with the influence of Richard Strauss. In the central part the English horn presents a new sad theme supported by the violin without changing the atmosphere of tranquility, which continues in the final part sublimating the theme. It ends with a soft coda that links with the following scherzo.

The third movement is a scherzo that is characterized by its repetitive rhythmic motifs. This repetition is based on a strict periodicity of four measures. The rhythm accelerates to the central part, where a melodic theme appears that intensifies in counterpoint with the rhythmic theme. The last section is quieter, the rhythm disappearing until it reappears abruptly and violently in the final coda.

The last movement, adagio, allegro energico, begins with a lyrical melody played by the violin, with a very cantabile style. The bassoons anticipate in a slow way the first theme, separated by a pause. The metal plays with strength the main heroic theme, endowed with great expressiveness. A second melodic theme is presented after. In the final part, the main theme is repeated with great solemnity, followed by a victorious coda.

Picture: "Spectres from the North or Icebergs in Mid-Atlantic" (1890) by the American painter Thomas Moran.

Sources from this spanish website on Atterberg symphonism: http://www.historiadelasinfonia.es/naciones/la-sinfonia-en-suecia/atterberg/

Видео Symphony No.1 in B minor - Kurt Atterberg канала Sergio Cánovas