Alfven: Symphony 3 & Dalecarlian Rhapsody

 

If I was unsure of Hugo Alfvén's symphonic message in his Symphony no. 2, I have no such doubts here.

I love abounding joy in a multi-movement work. Joy without a cloying sweetness or a mark of cynicism is tough to convey in music, nonetheless maintain it throughout a lengthy runtime.

This is especially true in the 20th Century, where composers often looked to the past for their source of untroubled sunshine. Such was the case with Stenhammar's String Quartet no. 4 (BLOG) another work of high spirits.

Alfvén's Symphony no. 3 in E Major is perhaps my favorite from his quintet of symphonies for its joy. It is not as if the pompous grandeur of the first movement is maintained throughout, although perhaps I wouldn't complain. Instead, the second movement is a honeyed Pastorale with some beautiful wind solos, and the third a frolicsome prance through the countryside, the two movements entwined amongst their warm-hued outdoor reveries.

With the soft delights at the center of the symphony, Alfvén intelligently makes the final movement of a rougher character. Yet, this is more of a militaristic or circus atmosphere initially, where gentleness occasionally quells the extrovert nature of the conclusion. From what I have heard thus far, Symphony no. 3 will probably be the one I visit most, where I also cherish its brevity.

As bonus material, the last of Alfvén's Swedish Rhapsodies is included. The Dalecarlian Rhapsody is the third in the set, and I find it the most languorous of the triune, although there remains a distinctive folk element, set in a varied Fantasy format. Any less-than-fair thoughts from this listener are more likely due to the work's great length, which doesn't always hold my interest throughout. As a package of three, though, the Swedish Rhapsodies are an interesting trio of orchestral symphonic poems, all of which speak in a Swedish Nationalistic manner.

If you don't know the Biblical parable of The Prodigal Son, I recently ran across it from Benjamin Britten (BLOG), a British composer who molds the story into a grim operatic scene. Alfvén's take, if the two share a common source material, is completely different. Indeed, Alfvén sets a series of orchestral dances and marches of a folksy, affable manner, almost musically exotic at times, with a riot of orchestral and percussion colors. And of course, Alfvén is a musical Romantic at heart, far from the modernism of Britten.

 

 

 

 

Works
Symphony 3 in E Major (37.43)
Swedish Rhapsody 3 'Dala' (21.26)
The Prodigal Son: Suite (18.36)

Performers
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Neeme Järvi, conductor

Label: BIS
Year: 1989; 2004
Total Timing: 78.30