During his professional career as a composer (1953-1980), Allan Pettersson produced only five works that were not symphonies, including the Violin Concerto No. 2.
Compositional Technique
Pettersson's Violin Concerto No. 2 incorporates his own song 'Herren går på ängen' (The Lord walks in the meadow) as both a complete melody and as motivic material within a complex orchestral score.
Performer Biography
Ulf Wallin, the violinist on this recording, plays a violin made in 1746 by the Venetian master Domenico Montagnana.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Allan Pettersson consciously designed his Violin Concerto No. 2 to defy traditional concerto norms, integrating the solo violin into the orchestra like any other instrument, making it often inaudible.
Composer Biography
Allan Pettersson, the composer, initially trained as a professional viola player and performed in Stockholm's Konsertförening Orchestra in the 1940s before dedicating himself to composing.
Historical Context
Due to chronic rheumatoid arthritis, Allan Pettersson was unable to attend any premieres of his compositions during the 1970s, listening to them instead on radio or TV.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Pettersson was an ardent symphonist, which was unusual in the mid-20th century when many composers avoided the symphony genre.
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Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No.1, Op.35; Symphony No.3, Op.27 "Song of the Night"
