Paavo Berglund
Encyclopedia
Paavo Allan Engelbert Berglund (April 14, 1929) is a Finnish
conductor
.
Born in Helsinki
, Berglund studied the violin
as a child, and played an instrument made by his grandfather. By age 15, he had decided on music as his career, and by 18 was playing in restaurants. He joined the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
(Finnish RSO) in 1949, unique among the instrumentalists in being accommodated for seating to account for the fact that he is left-handed.
Berglund's conducting career began in 1949, when he founded his own chamber orchestra. In 1952, Berglund co-founded the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra (partly inspired by the Boyd Neel Orchestra,. In 1956, he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Finnish RSO, and served as chief conductor of the Finnish RSO from 1962 to 1972. Berglund became music director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
in 1975 and held the post for 4 seasons. Berglund attained notoriety as a conducting "dictator" due to his ruthless rehearsals and dedication to musical perfection. In the UK, Berglund led Sibelius centenary concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
in 1965, and became their principal conductor in 1972, concluding his tenure in Bournemouth in 1979. Berglund led the Bournemouth Orchestra with distinction between 1972 and 1979, significantly raising its performing standards, as can be heard from the many recordings made by it for EMI during this period. He has also served as principal guest conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra, from 1981 to 1985.
Guest engagements have seen Berglund conducting all the major North American and European orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the St Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonics, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestras. Berglund is also a member of the Russian National Orchestra's conductor collegium.
Berglund is particularly associated with the music of Sibelius
, and has recorded the complete Sibelius symphonies three times. During the mid 1950s, Sibelius heard Berglund conduct some of the symphonies and the Suite Rakastava, and told Berglund how much he had enjoyed the performances. Berglund made the first recording of the Kullervo Symphony. Berglund's source-critical research on the Sibelius Seventh Symphony began in 1957, when he conducted the Seventh with the Helsinki Philharmonic, and noticed that they played from parts that Sibelius had corrected. He saw that the printed parts had numerous errors. His subsequent research led to the publication of a new edition of the symphony by Hansen in 1980. He has now recorded the work four times.
In an interview in 1998 with the London Sunday Times, Berglund spoke of his interpretative ideas on the music of Sibelius:
Other conductors highly regard Berglund as an authority on Sibelius, such as Sir Simon Rattle
.
Berglund has also recorded works of Aulis Sallinen
. He has also collaborated with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
in recordings of the complete symphonies of Jean Sibelius
and Johannes Brahms
.
Berglund's made his New York debut in 1978 with the American Symphony Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall, in a concert of Shostakovich and Sibelius. Since the 1990s he has become a regular guest conductor in the New York Philharmonic
and the Cleveland Orchestra
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Born in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Berglund studied the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
as a child, and played an instrument made by his grandfather. By age 15, he had decided on music as his career, and by 18 was playing in restaurants. He joined the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra is a Finnish orchestra based in Helsinki, and is the chief radio orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company . The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Helsinki Music Centre...
(Finnish RSO) in 1949, unique among the instrumentalists in being accommodated for seating to account for the fact that he is left-handed.
Berglund's conducting career began in 1949, when he founded his own chamber orchestra. In 1952, Berglund co-founded the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra (partly inspired by the Boyd Neel Orchestra,. In 1956, he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Finnish RSO, and served as chief conductor of the Finnish RSO from 1962 to 1972. Berglund became music director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Helsinki, Finland...
in 1975 and held the post for 4 seasons. Berglund attained notoriety as a conducting "dictator" due to his ruthless rehearsals and dedication to musical perfection. In the UK, Berglund led Sibelius centenary concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
in 1965, and became their principal conductor in 1972, concluding his tenure in Bournemouth in 1979. Berglund led the Bournemouth Orchestra with distinction between 1972 and 1979, significantly raising its performing standards, as can be heard from the many recordings made by it for EMI during this period. He has also served as principal guest conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra, from 1981 to 1985.
Guest engagements have seen Berglund conducting all the major North American and European orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the St Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonics, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestras. Berglund is also a member of the Russian National Orchestra's conductor collegium.
Berglund is particularly associated with the music of Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
, and has recorded the complete Sibelius symphonies three times. During the mid 1950s, Sibelius heard Berglund conduct some of the symphonies and the Suite Rakastava, and told Berglund how much he had enjoyed the performances. Berglund made the first recording of the Kullervo Symphony. Berglund's source-critical research on the Sibelius Seventh Symphony began in 1957, when he conducted the Seventh with the Helsinki Philharmonic, and noticed that they played from parts that Sibelius had corrected. He saw that the printed parts had numerous errors. His subsequent research led to the publication of a new edition of the symphony by Hansen in 1980. He has now recorded the work four times.
In an interview in 1998 with the London Sunday Times, Berglund spoke of his interpretative ideas on the music of Sibelius:
"'Sibelius's music is often ruined because it's too strictly accurate. I think maybe musicians like to play like this' – he makes a series of downward vertical gestures – 'but it's good to do it like this' – his hands, one above the other, oscillate gently in and out of vertical alignment. 'Accuracy against atmosphere: it's not that simple. The early Sibelius conductor Georg Schneevoigt once complained that he couldn't get the details out of Sibelius's scores. Sibelius said that he should simply swim in the gravy.'"
Other conductors highly regard Berglund as an authority on Sibelius, such as Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
.
Berglund has also recorded works of Aulis Sallinen
Aulis Sallinen
Aulis Sallinen is a Finnish contemporary classical music composer. He writes in a modern, though tonal and not experimental music style. He studied at the Sibelius Academy, where his teachers included Joonas Kokkonen...
. He has also collaborated with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe , established in 1981, is administratively based in London. The orchestra comprises about 60 members coming from across Europe. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of eminent chamber groups, and as tutors and professors of music...
in recordings of the complete symphonies of Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
and Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
.
Berglund's made his New York debut in 1978 with the American Symphony Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall, in a concert of Shostakovich and Sibelius. Since the 1990s he has become a regular guest conductor in the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
and the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
.
Selected discography
- Bliss: Suite from Miracle in the GorbalsMiracle in the GorbalsMiracle in the Gorbals is a one-act ballet choreographed by Robert Helpmann to a story by Michael Benthall, with music by Arthur Bliss. The setting is the 1940s slums in the Gorbals area of Glasgow...
; Cello Concerto (with Arto NorasArto NorasArto Noras is a Finnish cellist who started his studies in Sibelius Academy at age of 8 years. His teacher was Yrjö Selin...
). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI) - Brahms: Complete Symphonies. Chamber Orchestra of Europe. (Ondine)
- Brahms: Double Concerto (with Yehudi MenuhinYehudi MenuhinYehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
and Paul TortelierPaul TortelierPaul Tortelier was a French cellist and composer.Tortelier was born in Paris, the son of a cabinet maker with Breton roots. He was encouraged to play the cello by his father Joseph and mother Marguerite , and at 12 he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He studied the cello there with Gérard Hekking...
). London Philharmonic Orchestra. (EMI) - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 (with François-Frederic Guy). London Philharmonic Orchestra. (Naive)
- Britten: Violin Concerto (with Ida HaendelIda HaendelIda Haendel, CBE is a British violinist of Polish birth.- Career :Ida Haendel was born in Chełm, a small city in Eastern Poland. She took up the violin at the age of three and as a seven-year-old was admitted at the Warsaw Conservatory. She later studied with Carl Flesch and George Enescu in Paris...
). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI) - Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 (with Frank Peter Zimmermann). Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. (SONY)
- Dvorak: Scherzo Capriccioso; Slavonic Rhapsody No. 3. Staatskapelle Dresden.
- Englund: Epinikia. Helsinki Philharmonic. (Finlandia Records, FACD 017)
- Franck: Symphony; Symphonic Variations (with Sylvia Kersenbaum). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Glazunov: Piano Concerto (with John OgdonJohn OgdonJohn Andrew Howard Ogdon was an English pianist and composer.-Biography:Ogdon was born in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, and attended Manchester Grammar School, before studying at the Royal Northern College of Music between 1953 and 1957, where his fellow students under Richard Hall...
); Yardumian: Passacaglia, Recitative & Fugue. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI) - Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite; Alfven: Swedish Rhapsody; Järnefelt: Praeludium; Berceuse. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Grieg: Symphonic Dances; Old Norwegian Romance with Variations. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Haydn: Symphony Nos. 92 & 99. Finnish Chamber Orchestra. (Ondine)
- Kokkonen: Symphonies 1, 4; "...durch einen spiegel....". Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. (Ondine)
- Kokkonen: Symphony No. 3; Sibelius: Tapiola. Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. (EMI SXL6432)
- Mozart: Oboe Concerto; Strauss: Oboe Concerto (with Douglas BoydDouglas BoydDouglas Boyd is a British oboist and conductor. He studied oboe at the Royal Academy of Music, London, as a pupil of Janet Craxton. He later was a student with Maurice Bourgue in Paris...
). Chamber Orchestra of Europe. (Asv Living Era) - Nielsen: Symphony No. 5. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Nielsen: Symphonies 1-6. Royal Danish Orchestra. (RCA Victor)
- Prokofiev: Summer Night Suite. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 (with Leif Ove AndsnesLeif Ove AndsnesLeif Ove Andsnes is a Norwegian pianist and an ardent champion of the works of Edvard Grieg.-Biography:He studied with Jiří Hlinka at the Bergen Music Conservatory and made his debut in Oslo in 1987, in Britain at the Edinburgh Festival with the Oslo Philharmonic in 1989, and in the United States...
). Oslo Philharmonic. (EMI) - Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3 "The Rock". Stockholm Philharmonic. (RCA Victor)
- Rautio: Moon in Jupiter; Moonlight Alley. Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. (Fennica Nova)
- Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel Suite. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Rimsky-Korsakov: May Night Overture; Glazunov: Valse de Concert No. 1; Glinka: Valse Fantaisie; Sibelius: Intermezzo and Alla Marcia from Karelia Suite; Shalaster: Dance "Liana". Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Schumann: Piano Concerto; Grieg: Piano Concerto (with John OgdonJohn OgdonJohn Andrew Howard Ogdon was an English pianist and composer.-Biography:Ogdon was born in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, and attended Manchester Grammar School, before studying at the Royal Northern College of Music between 1953 and 1957, where his fellow students under Richard Hall...
). New Philharmonia Orchestra. (EMI) - Sallinen: Chorali. Helsinki Philharmonic. (BIS)
- Shostakovich: Symphonies 5, 6, 7, 10 & 11. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8. Russian National Orchestra. (Pentatone)
- Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1; Walton: Cello Concerto (with Paul TortelierPaul TortelierPaul Tortelier was a French cellist and composer.Tortelier was born in Paris, the son of a cabinet maker with Breton roots. He was encouraged to play the cello by his father Joseph and mother Marguerite , and at 12 he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He studied the cello there with Gérard Hekking...
). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI) - Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings (with Cristina Ortiz and Rodney Senior); Piano Concerto No. 2 (with Cristina Ortiz); Three Fantastic Dances. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 (with Arve TellefsenArve TellefsenArve Tellefsen is a Norwegian violinist.He was born and raised in Trondheim, Norway. When he was 6 years old, he began playing the violin in 'Trondheims musikkskole'...
). Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. (Grappa, Simax) - Sibelius: Finlandia; Tapiola; The Swan of Tuonela; Lemminkäinen's Return; Valse Triste. Philharmonia Orchestra. (EMI ASD 4186)
- Sibelius: Symphonies 2, 7. London Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Sibelius: Symphony No. 4; Sallinen: Mauermusik. Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. (DECCA SXL6431, Finlandia)
- Sibelius: Complete Symphonies 1-7 and Orchestral Works (Including World Premiere Recordning of Kullervo Symphony). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)
- Sibelius: Complete Symphonies 1-7 and Orchestral Works (Including Kullervo Symphony). Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. (EMI)
- Sibelius: Complete Symphonies 1-7. Chamber Orchestra of Europe. (Finlandia)
- Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela. Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.
- Sibelius: Violin Concerto; Serenades Nos. 1, 2; Humoresque No. 5. (with Ida HaendelIda HaendelIda Haendel, CBE is a British violinist of Polish birth.- Career :Ida Haendel was born in Chełm, a small city in Eastern Poland. She took up the violin at the age of three and as a seven-year-old was admitted at the Warsaw Conservatory. She later studied with Carl Flesch and George Enescu in Paris...
). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI) - Sibelius: Violin Concerto (with Arve TellefsenArve TellefsenArve Tellefsen is a Norwegian violinist.He was born and raised in Trondheim, Norway. When he was 6 years old, he began playing the violin in 'Trondheims musikkskole'...
). Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. (Simax) - Smetana: Má VlastMá vlastMá vlast is a set of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879 by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. While it is often presented as a single work in six movements and – with the exception of Vltava– is almost always recorded that way, the six pieces were conceived as individual works...
. Staatskapelle Dresden. (EMI) - Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel; Don Juan. Stockholm Philharmonic. (RCA Victor)
- Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings; Dvorak: Serenade for Strings. New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra. (BIS)
- Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Symphony No. 4. London Philharmonic Orchestra. (SONY)
- Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. (EMI)
- Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6; Oboe Concerto (with John Williams). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI ASD 3127)
- Walton: Violin Concerto (with Ida HaendelIda HaendelIda Haendel, CBE is a British violinist of Polish birth.- Career :Ida Haendel was born in Chełm, a small city in Eastern Poland. She took up the violin at the age of three and as a seven-year-old was admitted at the Warsaw Conservatory. She later studied with Carl Flesch and George Enescu in Paris...
). Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. (EMI)