The Third Symphony was written during the first two years of the Great War, and is a remarkably effective and attractive symphony, with a nature programme. Some commentators have been moved to judge it the best of Atterberg's symphonies, and I would not dissent from that. The composer called it Västkustbilder ('West Coast Pictures') and I have also seen it referred to by the English title 'Ocean Pictures' and the German 'Meeressymphonie', all of which seem adequate as descriptions of the symphony's programmatic material. The arrangement of the three movements - two slow movements divided by a quick one - is remarkably effective. The movements are 'Soldis' (translated in the booklet as 'Sun smoke' - 'Sun haze' gives a better idea), 'Storm' and 'Sommernatt'.
The Atterberg Sixth is a work about which much nonsense was written when it first appeared. It was the winning entry for the Columbia Graphophone Company's Schubert Centenary composition competition, which in 1928 aroused a lot of opposition from a rather starchy unsmiling academic and critical community. The prize included the recording of the prize-winning works and as well as Atterberg, recordings appeared of the British winner, Pax Vobiscum by the now forgotten J St Anthony Johnson (Columbia 9564), and the American winner, Charles Haubiel's symphonic variations, Karma (Am Col. 9065-7).
The Atterberg is a lyrical and engaging romantic score with a flashy even trivial finale. A programme note once referred to its 'robust sense of humour' but I think we might now also appreciate its inherent romanticism. The slow movement is one of Atterberg's most atmospheric and characteristic movements.
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