The Symphony No. 2 in B major, Op. 15 (JSV 66), is a four-movement orchestral work written in 1874 by the Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen. The symphony was premiered in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, on 14 October 1876. The music was well received, and the third movement repeated for an enthusiastic audience.Benestaf & Schjelderup-Ebbe, p. 155.
The symphony has been characterized by Svendsen's biographers – Finn Benestaf and Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe – as Svendsen's "most mature and distinguished work".Benestaf & Schjelderup-Ebbe, p. 156.
The Second Symphony's predecessor in the genre is the Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 4, which Svendsen had completed seven years earlier, in 1867.
Structure The Symphony No. 2 is in four movements:
Instrumentation The Second Symphony is scored for the following instruments, organized by family (woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings):
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in B), and 2 bassoons 4 horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in F), 2 trombones, and 1 bass trombone timpani violins (I and II), violas, cellos, and double basses
The score was published by the Leipzig-based firm of in 1877.
Discography The sortable table below lists commercially available recordings of Svendson's Second Symphony: ConductorOrchestraTimeRecording venueLabel1Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1)31:27?Norsk Kulturråds Klassikerserie2 (1)Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra198630:08Gothenburg Concert HallBIS3Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (2)198732:25Oslo Concert HallEMI Classics4Stavanger Symphony Orchestra199332:12[], StavangerChatsworth5Norwegian Radio Orchestra199634:15NRK Broadcasting Hall, OsloFinlandia6Latvian National Symphony Orchestra199733:03cpo7Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra199734:31Wessex Hall, Poole Arts CentreNaxos8Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra200033:26Danish Radio Concert Hall, CopenhagenChandos9 (2)Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra201231:56Grieg HallChandos
Notes, references, and sources
External links