Search - Hugo Alfven, Niklas Willen, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland :: Alfvén: The Prodigal Son Suite/Symphony No. 2

Swedish Surprise

Joshua Grasso | Oxford, OH USA | 11/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alfven's Second Symphony is probably the best unknown symphony in the world. Almost no one records it, it is never played in concert halls (at least not in the states), and for some diabolical reason Alfven is still best known for his first Swedish Rhapsody (fine piece though it is). The Second Symphony is so much more--a complete surprise if you enjoy late Romantic music and have never heard it. Powerful, brooding, yet with melodies that only Alfven could have written (the second theme of the first movement, for example). How this symphony remains unknown is a complete mystery, as it easily ranks with early Nielsen and Sibelius. The Naxos version is wonderfuly played, the sound is great, and overall, it is a tremendous performance that should win a wide audience (as wide as classical can be these days). The bonus, his short ballet suite from The Prodigal Son, is lighter Alfven, but extremely charming stuff. Derived from Swedish folksong, it inhabits a sunny world very much in tune with his early Swedish Rhapsody. A must have for fans of late Romantic music, Scandinavian music, or Alfven's works. Go ahead and buy it."

Not the place to start investigating this composer, but the

G.D. | Norway | 11/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I was a little hesitant about giving an unequivocal recommendation to the first volume in this series, the performances here are far more satisfying. Willén has changed orchestras, and perhaps there is better chemistry between conductor and orchestra here or something (I don't question the quality of the Scottish orchestra on the previous volume) - anyway, these are genuinely impressive performances, worthy to be set alongside Järvi's, although the works on this release are not among Alfvén's strongest. I have to admit that the symphony is probably Alfvén's weakest in the genre, desperately trying but ultimately failing to achieve any kind of symphonic unity or any truly memorable thematic material (the scherzo apart); it is an ambituous work, too long for its relatively modest ideas, but the scoring is inventive and there are enough fine moments and ideas to make it a worthwhile listening experience nonetheless. Willén does what he can for the work, and almost succeeds in imbuing it with real life and spirit, contrastive colors and some dramatic urgency. I still prefer Järvi's somewhat quicker and even more dramatic approach, but Willén's is surely a worthy alternative, and there is little to choose between when it comes to the orchestral contributions - maybe Järvi's string section is fuller, but the brass section of the Irish orchestra is truly impressive, and Willén uses it for all its worth to create some wonderful textural progressions, especially in the slow movement.



The coupling is a rarity, a tuneful, lightly scored and heavily folk-music-infected ballet suite with some really memorable tunes and numbers. No profundity, but many lovely moments and genuine foot-tapping dance music. Willén truly has the measure of these small, inconsequential but attractive trinkets, and they are realized with charm and swagger and spirit. The recorded sound is superb, detailed and with a wonderful perspective. So this is a strongly recommended release, even though I wouldn't recommend newcomers to Alfvén to start here (go with the fourth symphony)."