Wilhelm Stenhammar - Symphony No. 2; Serenade (Herbert Blomstedt)

Information

Composer: Wilhelm Stenhammar

• Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34
• Serenade in F major, Op. 31

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

Date: 2018

Label: BIS

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Review

Only a few months ago I reviewed Christian Lindberg’s brilliant account of Stenhammar’s Second Symphony for BIS, a follow-up to his winsome recording of the Serenade. Now BIS gives us new versions of both works on a single disc. I’ll wager the justification for this embarrassment of riches was Herbert Blomstedt, now in his nineties, who only recently added these masterpieces to his repertoire and desired to record them in Gothenburg, where the composer himself served as principal conductor from 1907 to 1922.

Blomstedt’s performance of the Serenade (in its 1919 revision) abounds with affectionate detail. I find the allegrissimo sections of the Overtura, while feather-light, a hair too leisurely compared with Westerberg or Järvi, both of whom are more effervescent. The lyrical interludes are transporting, however – try the lush, hushed hymn in the strings at 2'43". Blomstedt keeps the Canzonetta, a kind of valse mélancolique, on its toes, and manages the Scherzo’s sudden changes of character with seemingly effortless legerdemain. The Notturno is so intoxicatingly fragrant and vividly characterised that there seems to be a story hidden in the unfolding of the strings’ serenely solemn melody, stealthy staccato footsteps and delicate warble of birdsong. He doesn’t push too hard in the finale, which allows the orchestra to sing with nobility and tenderness.

Blomstedt is similarly patient in the opening Allegro energico of the Second Symphony, eliciting a darker, more richly rustic tone than Lindberg, whose Antwerp musicians play with greater transparency and crispness. The Andante flows naturally and is exquisitely shaded. Both here and in the joyous contrapuntal intricacy of the finale, Blomstedt’s experience as a Bruckner conductor pays off in spades as he spins expansive harmonic sequences in what seems like a single breath. Listen, say, to the double fugue in the latter (starting at 9'32") – riding this massive polyphonic wave gives me a feeling of physical and spiritual euphoria every time I hear it.

I remain indebted to Westerberg, whose recordings introduced me to these works, and admire Lindberg’s thoughtful interpretations. But this disc is special. Whether it’s the frisson of live performance or the fact that Blomstedt came to these scores late in life and is radiating the joy of discovery, I can’t say. What I do know is that whether you’re already smitten by this music or have yet to fall under its spell, you really should hear it.

— Andrew Farach-Colton

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Wilhelm Stenhammar (February 7, 1871 – November 20, 1927) was a Swedish composer, conductor and pianist. Born in Stockholm, he studied music in Berlin and was initially influenced by German Romanticism. Afterwards, he sought a more Nordic voice, drawing inspiration from Carl Nielsen and  Jean Sibelius. Stenhammar composed two completed symphonies, six published string quartets, two piano concertos, four piano sonatas, a violin sonata, as well as many songs and choral works. He was Artistic Director of the Gothenburg Symphony from 1906 to 1922, and was also considered the finest Swedish pianist of his time.

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Herbert Blomstedt (born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor who is noted for his performances of German and Austrian composers, and also as a champion of Scandinavian composers. He has been Music Director or Principal Conductor of the Norrköping Symphony (1954–62), Oslo Philharmonic (1962–68), Danish Radio Symphony (1967–77), Swedish Radio Symphony (1977–82), Staatskapelle Dresden (1975–85), San Francisco Symphony (1985–95), North German Radio Symphony (1996–98) and Leipzig Gewandhaus (1998–2005). At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the US.

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