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About Pettersson's Seventh Symphony in words About Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony in words
About Pettersson's Seventh Symphony in words
Letter by Jean-Luc Caron, Président of the Association Française Carl-Nielsen* 29.08.98 Very dear Sir, I just came back from holiday yesterday. Just the time to put things in some order and I immediately listen to Pettersson's Seventh Symphony... and especially the accompanying text. I say "especially" because your text - strong, probably autobiographical… to what extent?, but letting "room" available for the reader's own intimate world, - appeared to me as fascinating, beautiful and unsettling, even before listening to the symphony. The association of the words and the music multiply the impressions and the feelings. Grief and delight (or hope for delight) alternate or meddle in a captivating way. No one shall stay unconcerned. During more than 40 mn I disconnected… and this signs a great achievement. I hope your accomplishment will generate interest the person(s) who will be in a position to give it a large audience. Hence congratulations and very and very friendly yours, Jean-Luc Caron PS : wouldn't you be tempted by Janacek's quartets (especially the second one?) Jean-Luc Caron
* Jean-Luc Caron is the author of three biographies on the greatest Nordic composers of the XXth century, "Jean Sibelius", "Carl Nielsen" and "Edvard Grieg le Chopin du nord", published by "L'âge d'homme".
About Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony in words
Email by Jacques Schmitt, correspondent of the Swiss and Internet press*
-----Original message----- Dear Jean-Christophe, Thank you for your message. I think it is perfectly appropriate and legitimate to quote your "music in words" at the end of my review#. A review I wish I had enriched with your writings which are so attuned with what Bernard Haitink and the LSO offered to my feeling. When the heart speaks, how should you tell how were the violins, the horns, the drums? Being more used to the opera, this exercise of symphonic music critic is more complex for me and more difficult. I am not a musicologist, I don't know how to read a score et so, I am looking in symphonic music (as in chamber music) the same impressions which I sometimes get from opera staging and more simply from the singing. This makes me touch my limits... but shouldn't we always try to go beyond ourselves? Going from there to start learn musical theory (being 71 years old), this is something I don't contemplate at the moment in any way! I love all kind of music which are telling. The conductors who illustrate. I am not a egghead of music. I am a "labourer", a sensual, a belly-person, a visceral! This is why I prefer Sviatoslav Richter to Andras Schiff, and Valéry Gergiev put me up side down. (next year he will be in Gstaad to conduct the LSO for the 9th of the Great Deaf, as Thierry Bauvert says!). Thank you again Encore for your superb contribution to the grasping of this outstanding work by Shostakovich.
With my admiration. * Jacques Schmitt is a correspondent for L’Illustré (Switzerland), Music & Art Magazine (L’Eveil Culturel) (Switzerland), Scènes Magazine (Switzerland), RendezVous (Switzerland), Art Passions (Switzerland), Forumopera.com (Internet), Resmusica.com (Internet).
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The review is available from ResMusica.com.
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