Pettersson: Symphony No. 12 "The Dead in the Square"

Featuring

Christian Lindberg
Radiokören
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir
Norrköpings Symfoniorkester
Allan Pettersson

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Historical Context

Pablo Neruda, whose poetry is used in this symphony, was a Nobel Prize-winning poet and politician known for advocating for the underprivileged, and his political stance was controversial.

Composition History

For Symphony No. 12, Pettersson chose to set texts by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, marking his first time composing to a text other than his own in 28 years.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Pettersson stated that his commitment in Symphony No. 12 was not political, viewing the names of nations, people, and places as symbols of universal human cruelty.

Composition History

Symphony No. 12 was a commission for Uppsala University's 500th anniversary in 1977, a type of project Pettersson had previously considered "unthinkable."

Composition History

Pettersson composed Symphony No. 12 while recovering from a serious kidney disease, having started work on it and two other symphonies during a nine-month hospital stay.

Composer Biography

Allan Pettersson, the composer, achieved significant success around 1970, including two Swedish Grammis awards for his Seventh Symphony and election to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Compositional Technique

Symphony No. 12 is Pettersson's only symphony with vocal parts, featuring a choir that sings almost continuously, often forcefully and in demanding registers.