'Wrong Note' Romanticism?

[Alan Howe]

This afternoon I have been listening to Hilding Rosenberg's Violin Concerto No.2 of 1951 and thoroughly enjoying the experience. The work comes into a category which in my mind should be called "Wrong Note Romanticism" - does anybody know what I mean? In other words, there is plenty of beautiful music in the work, often extraordinarily beautiful music in fact, and yet one is aware that there is little that could be called conventional or traditional about that beauty. Does anybody know what I'm driving at, or am I alone here?

[TerraEpon]

People mentioned Poulenc in another thread, I think a lot of his music could fit that. Malcolm Arnold too.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I've always very much enjoyed Rosenberg - or rather those of his compositions I've managed to hear given that he's not performed in the UK and there aren't exactly a plethora of recordings. (Fortunately there are good and easily available recordings of Symphonies 3, 4, and 6).

The toes wriggled with pleasure at the opera 'Isle of Bliss' - a stunning and dazzling piece based on the fairy story of Per Atterbom. First produced in Stockholm in 1945. Ought to be on anyone's short list of significant 20th century operas.

But you're not asking 'Who has heard Rosenberg?'. My problem, Alan, is that I'm not too sure what you asking! I listened again tonight to the second Violin Concerto. Presumably we have in common the recording by Leon Spierer with the Stockholm Philharmonic / Arvid Jansons. I agree it is a beautiful and extremely lyrical piece. But 'wrong notes'? Maybe I'm just being boringly stubborn, but I can't fathom out what you mean. Seems to me the piece is written with a great deal of fluency. We have here a composer who writes very well for full orchestra, and there's not a note out of place.

Incidentally if you're going 'Swedish' at the moment do try the symphonies of Gosta Nystroem - more or less contemporary with Rosenberg. Utterly utterly marvellous stuff - but I'm sure you know his work.

Peter

[Alan Howe]

My apologies for not being clear. All I meant was a sort of sustained lyricism which has little to do with conventional melody, harmony, etc. (of the Romantic-era kind).

[Delicious Manager]

I too an an admirer of Rosenberg.

I think there are many 20th-century composers would fall into the 'wrong-note-Romanticism' category, such fellow Swede Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Kalavi Aho, Jehan Alain, Barber, Bliss, Bridge, David Diamond, Einar Englund, Vagn Holmboe, Jolivet, Uuno Klami, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Roussel, Shostakovich (to a certain extent), Robert Simpson, Tubin.