Symphony No. 9 (Pettersson)
Encyclopedia
Allan Pettersson
wrote his Symphony No. 9 in 1970.
The symphony is his last composition preceding a nine-month stay in hospital (starting September 1970); it is also his longest symphony. There is one movement
, though it divides into a number of smaller sections that follow each other with at most nominal pause but usually none. The notes to the cpo recording identify 17 such sections, partially for analysis.
Much though not all of the material in the symphony is based on the ascending scale motif heard at the very beginning, played by bassoon
s, viola
s and cello
s. The concluding bars of the symphony are described by Peter Ruzicka
as a Canto whose main theme goes from violins and cellos to violas in unison, and which ends in a slow cadence into F major
.
Pettersson dedicated the symphony to Sergiu Comissiona
and the Gothenburg Symphony, who premiered it on 18 February 1971 and had commissioned it for the 350th Anniversary of the Founding of the City of Gothenburg.
The miniature score was published in 1989 by Nordiska Musikforlaget of Stockholm and runs to 385 pages.
Allan Pettersson
Gustav Allan Pettersson was a Swedish composer. Today he is considered one of the most important Swedish composers of the 20th century...
wrote his Symphony No. 9 in 1970.
The symphony is his last composition preceding a nine-month stay in hospital (starting September 1970); it is also his longest symphony. There is one movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
, though it divides into a number of smaller sections that follow each other with at most nominal pause but usually none. The notes to the cpo recording identify 17 such sections, partially for analysis.
Much though not all of the material in the symphony is based on the ascending scale motif heard at the very beginning, played by bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
s. The concluding bars of the symphony are described by Peter Ruzicka
Peter Ruzicka
Peter Ruzicka is a German composer and conductor of classical music.Peter Ruzicka was born in Düsseldorf on July 3, 1948. He received his early musical training at the Hamburg Conservatory. He studied composition with Hans Werner Henze and Hans Otte...
as a Canto whose main theme goes from violins and cellos to violas in unison, and which ends in a slow cadence into F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
.
Pettersson dedicated the symphony to Sergiu Comissiona
Sergiu Comissiona
Sergiu Comissiona was a Romanian conductor and violinist.-Early life:...
and the Gothenburg Symphony, who premiered it on 18 February 1971 and had commissioned it for the 350th Anniversary of the Founding of the City of Gothenburg.
The miniature score was published in 1989 by Nordiska Musikforlaget of Stockholm and runs to 385 pages.
Recordings
- Sergiu ComissionaSergiu ComissionaSergiu Comissiona was a Romanian conductor and violinist.-Early life:...
, conductor, Gothenburg Symphony; on Philips 2-LP set 6767 951, 1978. - Alun FrancisAlun FrancisAlun Francis is a Welsh conductor.-Professional career:Francis was the principal conductor of the Ulster Orchestra from 1966 for ten years...
, conductor, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester BerlinDeutsches Symphonie-Orchester BerlinThe Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1946 by American occupation forces as the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester . It was also known as the American Sector Symphony Orchestra...
; on cpo 999 231-2, 1994.