Tor Mann Conducts Rangström and Larsson

Tor Mann

We've had a few vintage recordings conducted by the fine Swedish maestro Tor Mann recently, courtesy of Maris Kristapsons, and today I'm adding one from my own collection. It is the first symphony by Ture Rangström (1884-1947), made just a few years after the composer's death. As a bonus, I've added the Little Suite for Strings by Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-86) in another early Mann recording. 

Rangström - Symphony No. 1, "August Strindberg in Memoriam"

Ture Rangström

Ture Rangström, a Swedish composer, conductor and critic, wrote four symphonies in common with many other works, and was particularly known for his songs. All his symphonies have been issued at least a few times, but I believe this 1951 reading with the Stockholm Concert Society Orchestra was the first recording of Rangström's symphonic work. (The orchestra is today called the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic.)

That's the composer, not Johnny Depp, on the cover

The composer completed the work in 1914, dedicating it to the memory of the author August Strindberg, who had died a few years before. The composer provided a title for each movement - "Ferment," "Legend," "Troll Rune" and "Battle" - but nevertheless disavowed any program for the work. As the titles may suggest, however, it is a dark-hued, atmospheric composition. The work has been described more as a series of romantic tone poems than a true symphony, but however it might be categorized, it is impressive and expressive.

The location of the 1951 recording is not known, although Decca discographer Philip Stuart suggests it may have been the Stockholm Concert Hall. Whatever the locale, the sound was titled toward the bass, making the work seem even more brooding than the composer may have intended. In his Gramophone review, Lionel Salter complained that "the tuba's every note booms through while the strings lack weight." I've adjusted the sound, and the result is much better balanced, if hardly transparent.

As always, Mann conveys the essence of the work, while never drawing attention to his clever baton wizardry. The Stockholm orchestra plays well, although the attacks are not always in sync.

The download includes contemporary reviews from The Gramophone, New York Times, Saturday Review and The New Records.

Lars-Erik Larsson - Little Suite for Strings

Lars-Erik Larsson

The music of Lars-Erik Larsson has appeared here before in the form of his modernist Violin Concerto, in its first recording, with soloist André Gertler. The Little Suite for Strings, an earlier work, is in the neo-classical style.

In this work, Mann leads the Gothenburg Radio Orchestra. As was the case with the Stockholm ensemble, the Gothenburg orchestra was both a radio and concert entity, switching names as appropriate. 

Mann was the conductor of both ensembles at various times. He led the Gothenburg Symphony from 1925-37 - in succession to Rangström, who apparently wasn't much of a conductor, if the orchestra's website is to be believed. Mann conducted the radio orchestra from 1937 until 1939, when he ran afoul of the board.

Larsson published the Little Suite in 1934, and Mann programmed it that same year with the Gothenburg Symphony; it may well have been the work's premiere.

This recording dates from 1941, and despite the falling out with the orchestra's board, was made with the Gothenburg Radio Orchestra. The Swedish Radio issued the work on its own label, Radiotjänst (Radio Service). I remastered the recording from 78s found on Internet Archive, and the sound is good for the time.

Both these recordings are now remastered in ambient stereo.

Scandinavian Special: Music by Larsson, von Koch, Fernström, Nielsen and Schultz

Two LPs of 20th century Scandinavian music today. The first contains music by the Swedes Lars-Erik Larsson, Erland von Koch and John Fernström, transferred in response to a request on another site. The second is of short works by the Dane Carl Nielsen and his follower Svend Schultz.

Larsson, von Koch, Fernström

Lars-Erik Larsson

The highlight of the first LP is the first recording of Lars-Erik Larsson's Violin Concerto, as performed by its dedicatee, André Gertler, relatively soon after its 1952 premiere. The score is in an attractive mid-century modern style. I find the pastoral slow movement particularly enjoyable. Gertler employs his own cadenza; Larsson was to eventually write his own, which was utilized in Leo Berlin's 1976 effort.

The LP is filled out with works by two of Larsson's Swedish contemporaries. Erland von Koch's folkish Oxberg Variations, from 1956, is built on a march theme from Dalecarlia. John Fernström's Concertino for Flute, Women's Chorus and Chamber Orchestra, dating from 1941, is a entertaining but kitschy exercise in exotica. It is a setting in translation of Carl Sandburg's poem "Early Moon," which reads as follows (thanks to Derek Katz for finding this):

THE BABY moon, a canoe, a silver papoose canoe, sails and sails in the Indian west.
A ring of silver foxes, a mist of silver foxes, sit and sit around the Indian moon.
One yellow star for a runner, and rows of blue stars for more runners, keep a line of watchers.
O foxes, baby moon, runners, you are the panel of memory, fire-white writing to-night of the Red Man's dreams.
Who squats, legs crossed and arms folded, matching its look against the moon-face, the star-faces, of the West?
Who are the Mississippi Valley ghosts, of copper foreheads, riding wiry ponies in the night? — no bridles, love-arms on the pony necks, riding in the night a long old trail?
Why do they always come back when the silver foxes sit around the early moon, a silver papoose, in the Indian west?

Sten Frykberg leads the Stockholm Radio Orchestra in the Larsson and Fernström works. Stig Westerberg conducts the Stockholm Symphony (other sources list it as the Stockholm Philharmonic) in the von Koch.

This transfer is from a 1974 Turnabout LP, but all the recordings are from years earlier. As noted, the Larsson is from 1952 or soon thereafter. It was first released by London (and, I believe, Discofil) on the same LP as the 1954 Fernström recording. (That album also contained a work by Karl-Birger Blomdahl, missing here). The Oxberg Variations were taped in May 1960 by Grammofon AB Electra.

The Larsson and Fernström items are mono. I have added an ambient stereo effect to help alleviate the boxiness of the Concertino recording. The von Koch is in good stereo sound.

Nielsen, Schultz

The main work on second LP is a magisterial performance of Nielsen’s 1903 Helios Overture. Nielsen is one of my favorite composers; it’s surprising that he hasn’t appeared here more often than the lone appearance of his Symphony No. 3. The other work on the LP is Svend Schultz’s Serenade for Strings, a much different work from the Nielsen but pleasant enough. Eric Tuxen leads the Danish State Radio Symphony Orchestra in these works. Michael Gray’s discography dates the Nielsen to 1952; presumably the Schultz is of the same vintage.

The transfer is from the original issue on a 10-inch Decca LP, sourced several years ago from the European Archive site and remastered recently by me. The sound is very good.