Allan Pettersson, the composer, grew up in the south of Stockholm and managed to complete musical studies despite impecuniosity.
Performer Biography
Lev Markiz, the other conductor, led the Moscow Chamber Orchestra for eight years and worked with leading Russian soloists like David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter.
Performer Biography
Nobuko Imai, the violist on this recording, is the only violist to have won the highest prizes at both the Munich and Geneva International Viola Competitions.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Pettersson developed a unique compositional technique by taking only what corresponded to his personal feelings from each source and teacher.
Compositional Technique
Pettersson's symphonies, including the Fifth, often consist of a single movement where blocks of different motivic groups fight violently against each other.
Composition History
The Viola Concerto was discovered among Pettersson's manuscripts by German composer Peter Ruzicka after Pettersson's death, and not even his widow knew of its existence.
Performer Biography
Moshe Atzmon, one of the conductors, won the Leonard Bernstein Prize and the International Competition for Conductors in Liverpool at the beginning of his career.
