A quick look at this work's discography, and it is easy to see there are multiple recordings from Gothenburg, the Swedish Philharmonic, and the Royal Stockholm orchestras. The two outliers come from Glasgow and Antwerp who show interest, but the work could easily come into its own outside of the home country with more continental advocacy.
Symphony no. 2 in G Minor is conservative structurally, following much in the footsteps of Brahms, but the harmonic and melodic content show a different direction from Stenhammar's First Symphony. There is a rustic folk element, even if the composer doesn't take directly from any particular source, and a Neo-Medieval quality which is always interesting to hear.
It is these two elements which bring to mind Ralph Vaughan Williams, even if the two composers don't share any particular influences. VW's Fantasia on Theme of Thomas Tallis often comes to mind in Stenhammar's Second Symphony, if not moreso in his Midvinter. The comparison is meant as a compliment, and even if these come in echoes rather than strong colors, it shows the music as being original rather than wholly Nationalistic or folk influenced.
The Symphony is a delight from start to finish. Stenhammar lends strong motivic material, and his rhythmic impetus is stronger than in Symphony no. 1. I enjoy that Stenhammar uses the 2nd movement as a platform for dramatic purposes, as often the slow movement can be merely songful or ruminative, whereas here the composer not only contrasts the very impressive opening movement, but complements it without completely changing directions.
The quicker portions of the symphony definitely live in a modal land. The opening of the symphony calls to me as a rustically-edged dance, and this vision is perhaps even more strongly evoked in the third movement, where there are hints of the exotic amongst its waltz time. That said, perhaps another comparison to Stenhammar could be Dvořák, for that Czech composer was often considered a Neo-Romantic in his own time, yet he also honored the music of his homeland, and Stenhammar definitely dwells in the past moreso than forging a new path forward in music.
To me, the final movement opens with a colorful, burbling, Mendelssohn-ian feel, as well as a motoric Baroque essence, a carry over from a feeling I had in the 2nd movement from Stenhammar's First Symphony. The overall symphonic conversation leaves the listener majestically upbeat, and is completely satisfying from beginning to end.
The two symphonies from Stenhammar are right up my alley. The composer offers solid hooks into his multi-movement works, and there is an obvious progression of compositional style to latch onto and appreciate. Those looking at the dates around 1910-1920 shouldn't expect any modernism or avant-garde whatsoever, but Stenhammar's Romantic style remains wonderful.
As far as recordings go, my preference is for Neeme Järvi's live performance from 1983, which comes as fully-packed 4CD set, but there are many to choose from, nonetheless from such luminaries as Rafael Kubelík and Herbert Blomstedt, not to mention the family line in Paavo Järvi.
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Work
Symphony no. 1 in F Major
I. Allegro (11.02)
II. Andante (9.02)
III. Scherzo (7.13)
IV. Finale (14.18)
Performers
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Järvi, conductor
Label: BIS
Year: 1983
Total Timing: 42.37
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