From Amazon.co.uk
Born in Gothenburg, Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974) worked for 65 years at the Swedish Patent Office (he finally retired in 1968, at the tender age of 81), yet he also somehow managed to find time to write a wealth of music, including five operas, five concertos and nine symphonies. This welcome release (the first instalment in a brand new Atterberg symphony cycle from the German CPO label) couples the grand and youthfully exuberant first symphony of 1909-10 with the altogether lighter fourth (subtitled
Sinfonia piccola) of eight years later. Intriguingly, there's little specifically Nordic flavour to the former, save for a dash of Sibelius and perhaps Hugo Alfven in the last two movements, whereas the fourth employs actual Swedish folk tunes (and to most charming, frequently haunting effect, too). On the evidence served up here, Atterberg may not have been a great composer, but there's no denying his strong melodic appeal and deft resourcefulness. The young Finnish maestro, Ari Rasilainen, secures playing of commendable polish and dashing commitment from his excellent Frankfurt Radio forces, and the sound is ripe and true to match. Well worth exploring. --
Andrew Achenbach
