I find bitter torment and anguish throughout the greater part of this, the second longest of Pettersson's 15 symphonies. This road is indeed a tough one to follow. Even though there are quite lengthy lyrical "islands" of beauty in which we can find restitution and solace, there seem to be more sadness and regrets than the refreshment of "life-giving waters". The impression is still of dissonance and instruments out of tune.

It was composed during a very trying period of Pettersson's life when he was living on the 4th floor of a cheap apartment block in a poor neighbourhood of Stockholm during 1976. Although his financial situation had improved, he loathed this environment. The continuous and infernal noises of neighbours and the surroundings caused the sensitive composer much vexation; such that he had great difficulty in concentration, and was unable to fulfill several important commissions that he was offered.

Surely the torments that Gustav Mahler expressed in his 9th are brought to the ultimate climax in this 20th century masterpiece of Pettersson. It is especially remarkable that this colossal work had to be entirely dictated because crippling rheumatoid arthritis had already rendered him incapable of writing in his own hand. What an extraordinary task of teamwork. I still do not know who was responsible for such a labour of dedication.

This 13th symphony is reputed to be the most arduous both for the audience and the orchestra. For the latter, the tortuous performance has been described as nearing sheer brutality and sadism. For myself, I find in the work a therapeutic release for my own stresses and tensions, and I suspect this is why Pettersson conceived this desperate tribute to the dark shadows of our existence.

This recording is the same one that I uploaded in September 2013, but here it is a complete single file, and I have totally revised all the images. The recording was made at the end of a new music festival in 1993 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Alun Francis. The rehearsal time that Pettersson so persistently fought for was obviously given here, because the performance demonstrates superb virtuosity.

It must be played through good hi fi speakers or headphones, and of course, will sound best played from an original full resolution CD which might still be procurable. The CD is published by one of the great champions of new music, Classic Produktion Osnabruck, on cpo 999 224-2. The CD contains a booklet which gives much more information about this work and interesting notes on the life and world-view of the composer.

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