jmc's classics
On Exploring the Music with Bill McLaughlin this week is "Slipped through the Cracks" They are talking about symphonies that are not popular. One of the composers that he is Talking about is Hugo Alfven (1872-1960). He was a Swed. When we think of Swedish music Abba immediately comes to mind. Sweden also produced Franz Berwald (1796-1868) and many great opera singers. Bill McLauglin played parts of Alfven's Fourth Symphony which dates from 1918. Alfven liked to sale. I do not have a copy of this work. IT has a theme of the sea. It also uses a harp ( or at least the version that I heard on the radio. It also features soprano and tenor solo. He wrote a total of five symphonies. His most famous work is his Swedish Rhapsody #1 (Opus#19) The Swedish Rhapsody was featured in several Loony Tunes episodes with Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. I have recently purchased a copy of this work on CD He was also a painter and a writer. He painted some water colors which I don't know much about. He was multi talented. Originally he was trained as a violinist. he was also a conductor. he had served as the conductor for may years of the Swedish male chorus Orphi Danger. I am not familiar with this group. His nephew Hannes Alfven (1908-1995) won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1970. The Swedish Rhapsody dates from 1903. He actually wrote three Swedish Rhapsodies. This piece is nick named Midsommarvaka (or Mid summer). It was played by Percy Faith and his orchestra. This piece hit the top of the US top 30. This is his most popular work. It lasts about 12 minutes The CD which I have is coupled with his Symphony #1 and the Drapa. It features the Deutsches Symphonie Orchestra and Lukasz Borowicz conducting. It is on the CPO Label. I enjoy this CD. There are many excellent versions of this work. Check it out on You Tube or Spotify. I am not as familiar with his other works but I hope to become more familiar soon. Most of the Swedish music for the past 40 years has been overshadowed by ABBA.
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