A composer distinguished by his seriousness; this string symphony completed in 1957 is one of the longest known in that genre.

It is complex, but rewarding to listen to, with "intricate development in large scale structures" including undogmatic use of a twelve-tone row which opens the work in unison [Michael Kube].

BIS provides a five page introduction and analytic note; Petterson himself published an article several pages long for its first performance. The intense twenty-five minutes slow movement brings to mind Bruckner, Mahler and Sibelius in different ways, but Allan Pettersson (1911 – 1980) is his own man.

Petterson is highly regarded in the Nordic countries and extensively recorded, but little played in UK. Lindberg (famous trombonist) has embarked on a successful career as conductor and this is a finely integrated performance of a challenging work.

See Rob Barnett on the Sixteen Symphonies.

Peter Grahame Woolf