Wilhelm Stenhammar

 

Wilhelm Stenhammar
1871-1927

There are really no household Swedish composer names. Those familiar with Classical Music will probably get by at naming a couple, but Norway and Finland have Scandinavia covered for fame.

The earliest Swedish composer of note would probably be Franz Berwald, and I would generally consider Stenhammar his successor. Names such as Hugo Alfvén and Kurt Atterberg probably overshadow Stenhammar.

Still, Stenhammar has a lot to offer. Much like Berwald, he studied in Germany, and was influenced by Brahms, Bruckner, and Wagner. It wasn't until Sibelius and Carl Nielsen hit the symphonic scene that Stenhammar found his own voice.

Compared to those big names, though, Stenhammar was rather conservative, at least in the sense of following classic structures and musical forms. I do rather like his nods to folk-like attributes and curious Neo-Medieval sounds, and in this sense, I am often reminded of Vaughan Williams, even if these composers are dissimilar overall.

Stenhammar was not particularly prolific, but as I understand it, leading the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra took up most of his time, a occupational kinship the composer shares with Mahler, who also struggled finding time to compose outside of conducting.


Recordings and reviews currently on hand (Click below to visit):

1997: Cantatas
1998: Symphonies, Concertos, Orchestral Works
    • Symphony 1
    • Symphony 2
    • Piano Concertos
    • Serenade in F Major
    • Snöfrid & Extras
2001: Music for the Theatre
2018: Sången
2022: String Quartets (Set)
    • String Quartet 1 & 2
    • String Quartet 3 & 4
    • String Quartet 5 & 6