Title: An Unpolished Gem
Product review: I've always liked Wilhelm Stenhammar's two finished symphonies from the moments I first heard them. The Symphony No. 2 is more substantial, yes, but the No. 1 has always appealed to me almost as much. After a quiet start, the work expands into a restrained but still propulsive first movement that almost takes on the qualities of a gargantuan waltz. The two middle movements have always been the center of my interest -- a yearning Andante followed by a lilting, upbeat allegro. The final movement has never really worked for me; it has always struck me as being a bit disorganized and out of spirit with the rest of the work, but despite that criticism I still adore this symphony. If you're searching for some post-Brahms symphonic music that tells an emotional story, this Symphony No. 1 and the No. 2 are terrific finds, and Jarvi and the Gothenburg Symphony deliver them both quite competently, though for the No. 2 I'd suggest the recording conducted by Stig Westerberg on Caprice instead.
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
