Search - Allan Pettersson, Thomas Dausgaard, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra :: Allan Pettersson: Violin Concerto No. 2

A Pettersson Symphony Plus Violin

Cory | Virginia | 03/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After enjoying Pettersson's emotional symphonies, mostly those after the fifth, I wondered if there were any more similar works of his. Being the Violin Concerto 2 was written around the time of the 13th and 14th symphonies, I thought perchance it would qualify as another symphony-like work.



It qualified. The concerto is in the same format as his other single-movement symphonies, loosely outlined as there being an opening, a grinding, rough, and rhythmic section, then a deliberate backing off into an eventual lovely, harmonic section primarily led by the strings, which can last for a short time, or for practically half the symphony, such as the case in the sixth. The only difference between this Violin Concerto and his standard symphonies is the presence of the solo violin.



While I would not rank this concerto on the whole as one of his top works when lumped with the symphonies, the lyrical section towards the end may be one of his greatest, and justly so with the effective presence of a solo violin.



Pettersson fans, enjoy this extra treat if you think you've exhausted all his heavy symphonic works."