This album presents two powerful and contrasting symphonies by Swedish composer Allan Pettersson, performed by the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra under Leif Segerstam.
Symphony No. 3 (1954–55) stands apart in Pettersson’s output as one of his few multi-movement works. Though written for the Concert Society in Stockholm—where he had long played viola—it was initially rejected, only to be premiered later by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 1956. The four movements offer a vivid display of Pettersson’s signature contrasts: violent climaxes, intense dissonances, and sweeping tenderness. Long considered one of his most personal and masterful scores, this is the work’s first commercial recording.
Symphony No. 15 (1978) was commissioned by Swedish Television and premiered posthumously in 1982. Written in a single continuous movement of around 30 minutes, it is one of Pettersson’s most transparent and focused works. Built from a few recurring motifs, it maintains emotional variety through subtle transformations. As always, his background as a violist emerges in prominent string writing, and the symphony closes with a luminous, chorale-like passage that recalls its opening.
These deeply expressive works reflect Pettersson’s intense inner world and unwavering dedication to musical truth, offering beauty forged in struggle and shaped by a profound, lyrical voice.
