The output of the Swedish composer Allan Pettersson (1911 – 1980) consists almost entirely of symphonies. He wrote 16, of which the first remained incomplete (although Christian Lindberg, the conductor here, has edited and recorded it). A reclusive, cantankerous individual, Pettersson began his career as an orchestral violist but illness forced him to quit. For most of his life he was wracked with constant pain, and the premiere of the Seventh Symphony in 1968 was the last he was able to attend in person. His monolithic, angst-ridden works – most of which are in one continuous movement, usually lasting around 40 minutes – are assumed to reflect his personal circumstances, but as with Shostakovich they have a wider scope.