Gustaf Allan Pettersson (19 September 1911 – 20 June 1980) was a Swedish composer and violist. He is considered one of the 20th century's most important Swedish composers, he was described as one of the last great symphonists, often compared to

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

. His music can hardly be confused with other 20th-century works. In the final decade of his life, his

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning co ...

(typically one-movement works) developed an international following, particularly in Germany and Sweden. Of these, his best known work is Symphony No. 7. His music later found success in the United States. The conductors

Antal Doráti Antal Doráti (, , ; 9 April 1906 – 13 November 1988) was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1943. Biography Antal Doráti was born in Budapest, where his father Alexander Doráti was a vi ...

and

Sergiu Comissiona Sergiu Comissiona (June 16, 1928 – March 5, 2005) was a Romanian-Israeli-American conductor and violinist. Biography Early life Born in Bucharest, Romania in a Jewish family, he began violin studies at the age of five, was hired as a violin ...

premiered and recorded several of his symphonies. Pettersson's song cycle '' Barefoot Songs'' influenced many of his compositions. Doráti arranged eight of the ''Barefoot Songs''.

Birgit Cullberg Birgit Ragnhild Cullberg (3 August 1908 – 8 September 1999) was a Swedish choreographer. Her father Carl Cullberg was a bank director and her mother was Elna Westerström. Cullberg was born in Nyköping and was married from 1942 to 1949 to act ...

produced three ballets based on Pettersson's music. Pettersson studied at the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. At the time of its foundation, only one of its co-founder was a professional musician, Ferdin ...

's conservatory. For more than a decade, he was a violist in the Stockholm Concert Society; after retiring he devoted himself exclusively to composition. Later in his life, he experienced

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are inv ...

. Pettersson was awarded the

Litteris et Artibus Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature. The ob ...

, a Swedish royal medal established in 1853.

Biography

Early life

Born on 19 September 1911, Gustaf Allan Pettersson was the youngest of four children. His father, Karl Viktor Pettersson (1875–1952), was a violent, alcoholic blacksmith, and his mother, Ida Paulina (née Svenson) (1876–1960), was a dressmaker. Pettersson was born at Granhammar manor in Västra Ryd parish in the

Uppland Uppland () is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. On the small uninhab ...

province of Sweden. He grew up poor in Stockholm's

Södermalm Södermalm, often shortened to just Söder, is a district and island in central Stockholm. Overview The district covers the large island of the same name (formerly called ''Åsön''). Although Södermalm usually is considered an island, wat ...

district, where he lived during his whole life. He once said: With his parents and siblings, Pettersson lived in a damp, one-room basement apartment with bars on the window. When he was 10, Pettersson bought a cheap violin with money he earned from selling Christmas cards and taught himself to play it. Even the beatings he received from his father and the threat of reform school could not diminish his interest in music. Through strict self-discipline and with the help of music, Pettersson freed himself from his social misery and difficult family circumstances. Aged 14, he finished elementary school and took up full-time practice on the violin. He later made two unsuccessful attempts to enter the

's conservatory. In 1930, he began studying violin and later the viola, as well as

counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tra ...

and

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howeve ...

, at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music's conservatory (

Royal College of Music, Stockholm The Royal College of Music, Stockholm ( sv, Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm) is the oldest institution of higher education in music in Sweden, founded in 1771 as the conservatory of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The institution was mad ...

). At the beginning of World War II, he was in Paris, studying the viola with the French violist Maurice Vieux. Pettersson won the

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and ...

scholarship prize in 1938, using it to study abroad.

Later life

During the 1940s he worked as a violist in the Stockholm Concert Society (later the

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( sv, Kungliga Filharmonikerna or , literal translations, "Royal Philharmonic" or "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra based in Stockholm. Its principal venue is the Konserthuset. His ...

). He also studied composition with the composer and conductor

Karl-Birger Blomdahl Karl-Birger Blomdahl (19 October 1916 – 14 June 1968) was a Swedish composer and conductor born in Växjö. He was educated in biochemistry, but was primarily active in music and by his experimental compositions he became one of the big names ...

, orchestration with the conductor

Tor Mann Tor Mann (25 February 1894 – 29 March 1974) was a Swedish conductor. Mann was principal conductor of the Göteborgs Symfoniker from 1925 to 1939, and the Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester from 1939 to 1959. References 1894 ...

, and counterpoint with organist and composer

Otto Olsson Otto Emanuel Olsson (19 December 1879 – 1 September 1964) was a Swedish organist and classical music composer. Life and career Olsson, a native of Stockholm, was one of the most renowned organ virtuosos of his time. He studied organ with Augus ...

. In 1943, he married a physiotherapist, Gudrun Tyra Charlotta Gustafsson (1921–2017). In September 1951, he went to Paris to study composition and was a student of composers

René Leibowitz René Leibowitz (; 17 February 1913 – 29 August 1972) was a Polish, later naturalised French, composer, conductor, music theorist and teacher. He was historically significant in promoting the music of the Second Viennese School in Paris after ...

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 t ...

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century. His m ...

, and

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

. Pettersson returned to Sweden at the end of 1952. In the early 1950s, he was diagnosed with

. He gave up playing the viola and began devoting his life to composition. In 1954, Pettersson received an annual state composition grant for his first time. By the time of his Symphony No. 5, completed in 1962, his mobility and health were compromised considerably. In 1964, the government granted him a lifelong guaranteed income. His greatest success came a few years later with his (1966), which premiered on 13 October 1968 in

Stockholm Concert Hall The Stockholm Concert Hall ( sv, Stockholms konserthus) is the main hall for orchestral music in Stockholm, Sweden. With a design by Ivar Tengbom chosen in competition, inaugurated in 1926, the Hall is home to the Royal Stockholm Philharmoni ...

with

conducting the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. A recording of his seventh symphony, with the same conductor and orchestra, was released in 1969. It was a breakthrough, establishing his international reputation, and he received two Swedish

Grammis The Grammis are music awards presented annually to musicians and songwriters in Sweden. The oldest Swedish music awards, they were instituted as a local equivalent of the Grammy Awards given in the United States. The awards ceremony is generall ...

in 1970. The conductors Antal Doráti and

premiered and made first recordings of several of Pettersson's symphonies and contributed to his rise to fame during the 1970s. Pettersson was hospitalized for nine months in 1970, soon after the composition of his Symphony No. 9, his longest symphony. He began writing the condensed Symphony No. 10 (1972) from his sickbed. Pettersson was admitted to

Karolinska Hospital The Karolinska University Hospital ( sv, Karolinska universitetssjukhuset) is a teaching hospital affiliated with Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, with two major sites in the municipalities of Solna and Huddinge. The hospital network is ...

, because of a life-threatening kidney ailment. He recovered, but rheumatoid arthritis confined him most of the time to his fourth-floor apartment in a building with no elevator. In 1975, after a dispute about a change in a concert program for an American tour, the Stockholm Philharmonic was forbidden to perform works by Pettersson "for all time". The ban was lifted in 1976. Pettersson was awarded the

, a Swedish royal medal established in 1853, in 1977. In autumn 1978, he moved to a state living quarters. He began writing his seventeenth symphony, but died, age 68, in Stockholm's Maria Magdalena parish before finishing it. He is buried in the Högalid Church

columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "''colu ...

Music

Pettersson's music can be compared to

Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

's symphonic output, especially in the magnificent design and the passion and dynamism. The symphonic eccentric Pettersson is not an avant-gardist. His kinetic and organic development of musical matter uses traditional means of expression. Basic motifs are constantly being changed and developed. Pettersson's writing is very strenuous and often has many simultaneous polyphonic lines. His symphonies ''end'' on common major or minor chords—but tonality, which depends on some sense, however attenuated, of tonal progression, is found mostly in slower sections. This can be shown at the openings and endings of his 6th and 7th symphonies, and the end of his 9th. Overwhelmingly serious in tone, often dissonant, his music rises to ferocious climaxes, relieved, especially in his later works, by lyrical oases (""). Pettersson's music has a very distinctive sound and can hardly be confused with that of any other 20th-century composer. His symphonies, which range from 22 to 70 minutes long, are typically one-movement works. Pettersson's music is demanding on performers and listeners. Pettersson quoted songs from his own 24 ''Barefoot Songs'' in several of his compositions. Ivanka Stoïanova designed a theory of musical space about Pettersson's music. Most of his music has now been recorded at least once and much of it is now available in published scores.

Works

Pettersson began composing songs and smaller chamber works in the 1930s. His production from the 1940s includes the

song cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rare ...

twenty-four '' Barefoot Songs'' (1943–1945) based on his poems and a dissonant concerto for violin and

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...

(1949), which is influenced by

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hu ...

and

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...

. Pettersson soon found his compositional style. In 1951, he created the experimental ''Seven Sonatas for two Violins''. At the same time, he composed the first of his seventeen

, which he left unfinished. This work has been recorded in a performing version prepared by trombonist and conductor

Christian Lindberg Christian Lindberg (born 15 February 1958) is a Swedish trombonist, conductor and composer, Biography Early life and career Lindberg was born in Danderyd. As a youth, he learned to play the trumpet, and subsequently began to learn the trombon ...

in 2011. Pettersson about the symphonic output of the 1950s: It took four years to write the conceptual and style-defining Symphony No. 6 (1963–1966). His Symphony No. 7 and Symphony No. 8 (1968–1969) have been recorded more than his other works and are probably his best-known. In the 1970s, he composed two related works about social protest and compassion, the Symphony No. 12 for mixed chorus and orchestra (1973–1974) to poems by Literature Nobel laureate

Pablo Neruda Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...

with contemporary relevance and the

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning o ...

''Vox Humana'' (1974) on texts by Latin American poets. During the prolific last decade of his life, he also wrote a concerto for violin and orchestra (1977–1978, 1980) written for the violinist

Ida Haendel Ida Haendel, (15 December 19281 July 2020) was a Polish-British-Canadian violinist. Haendel was a child prodigy, her career spanning over seven decades. She also became an influential teacher. Early career Born in 1928 to a Polish Jewish fam ...

, a Symphony No. 16 (1979) which features a bravura solo part for alto saxophone commissioned by American saxophonist

Frederick L. Hemke Fred Hemke, DMA ''(né'' Frederick Leroy Hemke Jr.; July 11, 1935 – April 17, 2019) was an American virtuoso classical saxophonist and influential professor of saxophone at Northwestern University. Hemke helped raise the popularity of classic ...

, and an incomplete, posthumously discovered concerto for viola and orchestra (1979–1980).

Legacy

In 1968–1969, conductor and composer Antal Doráti arranged eight of Pettersson's ''Barefoot Songs'' as full-scale orchestral songs. Choreographer

produced three ballets based on Pettersson's music. (1976, Symphony No. 7), (1977, Concerto No. 1 for String Orchestra), (''War Dance'') (1979, Symphony No. 9). The four orchestral sketches "'" (1991) by Peter Ruzicka are a tribute to Pettersson's life and work, quoting sketches of his unfinished Symphony No. 17.

Roy Andersson Roy Arne Lennart Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedish film director, best known for ''A Swedish Love Story'' (1970), '' About Endlessness'' (2019) and his "Living trilogy," which includes ''Songs from the Second Floor'' (2000), ''You, th ...

used the finale of Symphony No. 7 in his short film ''

World of Glory ''World of Glory'' is a 1991 Swedish short film written and directed by Roy Andersson. Its original Swedish title is ''Härlig är jorden'', which means "Lovely is the Earth", and is the Swedish title of the hymn " Fairest Lord Jesus". The narrati ...

'' (). After Pettersson died, the Allan Pettersson ''Gesellschaft'' (Society) issued six yearbooks,

Classic Produktion Osnabrück Classic Produktion Osnabrück (often referred to as cpo, in lowercase) is a record label founded in 1986 by Georg Ortmann and several others. Its declared mission is to fill niches in the recorded classical repertory, with an emphasis on romantic ...

CPO began recording his complete works, and a series of concerts (in 1994–1995) programmed almost all of them.

Awards

* 1970 (), No. 741 * 1977

* 1979 (Honorary Professorship Royal Swedish Academy of Music)

Discography

The selected discography includes the original format of the recording and releasing label. Some of the LP releases have been reissued on CD. A 12-CD pack of the Complete Symphonies of Allan Pettersson has been produced by CPO (

) based on recordings of 1984, 1988, 19911995, 2004. , a cycle of all Pettersson symphonies produced by

BIS Records BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden. BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings ...

is ongoing.

Symphonies

* Symphony No. 1 (1951) (incomplete) **

Norrköping Symphony Orchestra The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Norrköpings Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish professional symphony orchestra. It is based at the concert hall De Geerhallen, in the center of Norrköping. History The orchestra was founded in 1912, an ...

(performing version by Christian Lindberg) (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 2 (19521953) **

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish radio orchestra based in Stockholm, affiliated with Sveriges Radio (Sweden's Radio). Its principal performing venue is the Berwaldhallen (Berwald Hall). The ...

Stig Westerberg Stig Evald Börje Westerberg (26 November 1918 – 1 July 1999) was a Swedish conductor and pianist, whose career was based mostly in his home country.Karlsson H. "Stig Westerberg". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 2nd edit ...

(Swedish Society Discofil LP and CD) **

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional r ...

Alun Francis Alun Francis (born 29 September 1943) is a Welsh conductor. Career Francis was the principal conductor of the Ulster Orchestra from 1966 for ten years. In 1978 he conducted the premiere of Donizetti's opera '' Gabriella di Vergy'' in the Qu ...

(CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 3 (19541955) ** Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 4 (19581959) **

Göteborgs Symfoniker The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; sv, Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orch ...

(BIS LP) ** Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 5 (19601962) ** Berliner Sibelius Orchester, Andreas Peer Kähler (Bluebell LP and CD) **

Malmö Symphony Orchestra The Malmö Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Malmö Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish orchestra, based in Malmö. Since 2015, it has been resident at the Malmö Live Concert Hall. The orchestra has a complement of 94 musicians. History The orchestra was fo ...

Moshe Atzmon Moshe Atzmon ( he, משה עצמון, born 30 July 1931) is an Israeli conductor. He was born Móse Grószberger in Budapest, and at the age of thirteen he emigrated with his family to Tel Aviv, Israel. He started his musical career on the hor ...

(BIS CD) ** Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 6 (19631966) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu (CBS LP) **

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) is a German broadcast orchestra based in Berlin. The orchestra performs its concerts principally in the Philharmonie Berlin. The orchestra is administratively based at the ''Rundfunk Berlin-Branden ...

Manfred Trojahn Manfred Trojahn (born 22 October 1949) is a German composer, flautist, conductor and writer. Career Trojahn was born Cremlingen in Lower Saxony and began his musical studies in 1966 in orchestra music at the music school of Braunschweig. After grad ...

(CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 7 (19661967) ** Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra,

(Swedish Society Discofil LP and CD/London LP) (

1970) ** Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Comissiona (Caprice CD) ** Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg,

Gerd Albrecht Gerd Albrecht (19 July 1935 – 2 February 2014) was a German conductor. Biography Albrecht was born in Essen, the son of the musicologist Hans Albrecht (1902–1961). He studied music in Kiel and in Hamburg, where his teachers included Wilhel ...

(CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (BIS CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 8 (19681969) **

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...

, Sergiu Comissiona (Polar LP and Deutsche Grammophon LP) ** Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Thomas Sanderling (CPO CD) ** Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Gerd Albrecht (Orfeo CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 9 (1970) ** Göteborgs Symfoniker, Sergiu Comissiona (Philips LP) ** Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) (Grammis 2015) * Symphony No. 10 (19711972) ** Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti (EMI LP) **

NDR Radiophilharmonie The NDR Radiophilharmonie is a German radio orchestra, affiliated with the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) in Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony. The orchestra principally gives concerts in the ''Großer Sendesaal'' of the '' Landesfunkhaus Nieder ...

Hannover, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 11 (19711973) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (BIS CD) ** NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Alun Francis (CPO CD) * Symphony No. 12 "" ("The Dead of the Square") (19731974) ** Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic Chorus, Uppsala University Chamber Choir, Carl Rune Larsson (Caprice LP and CD) ** Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson Choir,

Manfred Honeck Manfred Honeck (born 17 September 1958, in Nenzing) is an Austrian conductor. He is currently the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Early life Honeck was born in Nenzing, Austria, near the border with Switzerland and Liechten ...

(CPO CD) ** Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 13 (1976) ** BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 14 (1976) ** Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sergiu Comissiona (Phono Suecia CD) ** Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Johan M. Arnell (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 15 (1978) ** Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Peter Ruzicka (CPO CD) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 16 (1979) **

(Alto saxophone), Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Ahronovitch (Swedish Society Discofil LP and CD) **

John-Edward Kelly John-Edward Kelly (October 7, 1958 – February 12, 2015) was an American conductor and saxophonist. Born in Fairfield, California, Kelly began music studies in Belleville, Illinois studying clarinet, saxophone, flute and voice. Kelly focused o ...

(Alto saxophone), Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Alun Francis (CPO CD) ** Jörgen Pettersson (Alto saxophone), Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) * Symphony No. 17 (1980) (fragment) ** Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS SACD-2290, 2019)

Other works

* Two Elegies (1934) ** Martin Gelland (Violin), Lennart Wallin (Piano) (BIS CD) * 6 Songs (1935) (text by

Gunnar Björling Gunnar Olof Björling, (31 May 1887 – 11 July 1960) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish poet. He was one of the leading figures of Finnish-Swedish modernist literature, along with Elmer Diktonius, Edith Södergran and Hagar Olsson. Biography Bj ...

et al.). ** Margot Rödin (Mezzo-soprano),

Arnold Östman Arnold Östman (born December 24, 1939) is a Swedish conductor and music director. Early life Born in Malmö, Sweden, Östman studied art history and musicology at Lund, Paris and Stockholm. As a musician, he concentrated on the piano and the ...

(Piano) (Swedish Society Discofil LP and CD) * Andante espressivo (1938) ** Martin Gelland (Violin), Lennart Wallin (Piano) (BIS CD) * Romanza (1942) ** Martin Gelland (Violin), Lennart Wallin (Piano) (BIS CD) * 24 '' Barefoot Songs'' (') (19431945) ** Erik Saedén (Baritone), Arnold Östman (Piano) (Swedish Society Discofil LP and CD) * Lamento for Piano (1945) **

Volker Banfield Volker Banfield (born 9 May 1944, Oberaudorf, Bavaria) is a German classical pianist.Jeremy Siepmann, "Banfield, Volker" in Sadie, Stanley; John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 2nd edition. New York: Grov ...

(CPO CD) ** Lennart Wallin (BIS CD) * Concerto No. 1 for Violin and String Quartet (1949) **

Ulf Hoelscher Ulf Hoelscher (born 17 January 1942 in Kitzingen) is a German violinist. He has been Solo (music), soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. He has recorded numerous conc ...

(Violin), Mandelring-Quartett (CPO CD) * Concerto No. 1 for String Orchestra (19491950) ** Musica Vitae, Petter Sundkvist (Caprice CD) ** Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) ** Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Johannes Goritzki (CPO CD) * ''Seven Sonatas for two Violins'' (1951) **

Duo Gelland Duo Gelland is a Swedish-German violin duo on the international classical scene. The members are Cecilia and Martin Gelland. The duo was founded in 1994. Life Their early recordings of Cantus gemellus by Dieter Acker and the fiercely demanding o ...

(BIS CD) * Concerto No. 2 for String Orchestra (1956) ** Musica Vitae, Petter Sundkvist (Caprice CD) ** Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) ** Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Johannes Goritzki (CPO CD) * Concerto No. 3 for String Orchestra (19561957) ** Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS CD) ** Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Johannes Goritzki (CPO CD) * Symphonic Movement (1973) (commissioned by Swedish Radio TV channel TV1 for a film essay by Boris Engström) ** BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alun Francis (CPO CD) * ''Vox Humana'' (1974) ** Marianne Mellnas (Soprano), Margot Rodin (Alto), Sven-Erik Alexandersson (Tenor), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Chorus, Stig Westerberg (BIS CD) * Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra (19771978) **

(Violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra,

Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor. Herbert Blomstedt was born in Massachusetts. Two years after his birth, his Swedish parents moved the family back to their country of origin. He studied at the Stockholm Ro ...

(Caprice LP and CD) **

Isabelle van Keulen Isabelle van Keulen (born 16 December 1966) is a Dutch violinist and violist, performing principally as a chamber musician but also as a concert violist. She founded the Isos Quartet in 1995. For more than 20 years, she collaborated with the pia ...

(Violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra,

Thomas Dausgaard Thomas Dausgaard (; born 4 July 1963 in Copenhagen) is a Danish conductor. Biography Dausgaard studied conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen and with Norman Del Mar at the Royal College of Music in London. He subsequently partic ...

(CPO CD) **

Ulf Wallin Ulf Wallin is a Swedish classical violinist and professor at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. Life Born in Växjö, Wallin studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm and at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kuns ...

(Violin), Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (BIS SACD-2290, 2019) * Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (19791980) **

Nobuko Imai , is a Japanese classical violist with an extensive career as soloist and chamber musician. Since 1988 she has played a 1690 Andrea Guarneri instrument. Biography Imai began her musical training at the age of six. She began studying at Tokyo' ...

(Viola), Malmö Symphony Orchestra, (BIS CD)

Writings

* * * * * *

Notes

References

Citations

Documentary film

* * *

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (1985). (2nd ed.). New York: Taplinger. . * * *

External links

International Allan Pettersson Society – IAPG

Allan Pettersson Sällskapet / The Swedish Allan Pettersson Society

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pettersson, Allan 1911 births 1980 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Swedish male musicians Classical musicians with disabilities Deaths from cancer in Sweden Litteris et Artibus recipients Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music Musicians from Stockholm People from Upplands-Bro Municipality People of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Pupils of Arthur Honegger Pupils of René Leibowitz Pupils of Darius Milhaud Royal College of Music, Stockholm alumni Swedish classical composers Swedish classical violists Swedish male classical composers Swedish people with disabilities