Antithesis of North-South in the Serenade for Orchestra by Wilhelm Stenhammar

Main Article Content

Anastasia A. Shikherina

Abstract

Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871–1927) was a great Swedish composer,
conductor, pianist and public figure. This combination of several musical
professions is reflected in his own compositions. The Serenade for
orchestra (1906–1919) presents an example of such a reflection. Inspired
by his trip to Italy, Stenhammar sang praises to this country, as only a
northerner can do. In his Serenade there is an antithesis of North and
South, which is realized through his comparisons of tarantella, canzonet,
barcarole and choral. «A northerner’s longing for the sun» is reflected in
a suppressed movement and muted sound atmosphere of his work. The
composer plays down the glow and emotional openness of Italian dances
and songs using orchestral, register and style methods. Thematic genre
complexity and plenty of rhythmic and stylistic details slow down the
movement of form and induce attentive listening. Stenhammar’s Serenade
is a product of impressions, left on a Scandinavian composer by this
southern country.

Keywords: Swedish music, Scandinavian composers, orchestral
suite, Wilhelm Stenhammar

Article Details

How to Cite
Shikherina, A. A. (2009). Antithesis of North-South in the Serenade for Orchestra by Wilhelm Stenhammar. Music Scholarship / Problemy Muzykal’noj Nauki, 5(2), 202–207. Retrieved from https://musicscholar.ru/index.php/PMN/article/view/672
Section
Artistic World of Musical Piece
Author Biography

Anastasia A. Shikherina, Petrozavodsk State Conservatory named after A. K. Glazunov

Anastasia A. Shikherina is a graduate student at the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory