Nope!

I agree with Simon — the main point here is the degree of involvement in the prayers. In these recordings it is high.
Yet I understand the niggle. The pronunciation sounds not much natural to a Russian ear in Symphonies Nos 1 & 4 and it draws attention even one does not want it. But again, that’s not so important here.
Thank you very much for a fine review.

I could not disagree more. I don’t doubt the accuracy of your linguistic observation, but I doubt entirely its relevance here. In every way this is musically and – vitally – emotionally true to the score. Would you criticise a scream of pain for having imperfect diction? A howl of desperation for distorted articulation? It’s the authenticity that resounds loudest in all these performances, and it resounds like a clarion call. In the wake of that, a couple of minor niggles about pronunciation seems absurdly trivial.

My memory from what i’ve read of Vermeulen’s life was that – like Langgaard – the Dutch musical establishment tended to think of him as an eccentric troublemaker. Whereas with Panufnik it seems to me that he suffered neglect precisely because he fell between two stools, having left Poland but not being British, therefore not exactly celebrated in either place. Of course, he was knighted here, which says something about his regard here.

But ultimately, all three of those composers certainly suffer considerable neglect now, as does Langgaard, and it’s high time concert programmers pulled their heads out of their asses to realise what fascinating, underexplored repertoire is readily available to tantalise audience their audiences, rather than just the same old, same old.

Incidentally, one of the first pieces about Vermeulen I encountered was by Kyle Gann, who seemed to think that the Dutch did lionise him, calling him “the Charles Ives of Holland”, and his 2nd Symphony “the Dutch Sacre du Printemps“. But then Kyle Gann has been wrong about things before…

No cause for doubt about Panufnik, though, who was far more popular in the UK (to the point of being knighted, in fact) than he ever was in his country of origin.

Well, perhaps i overstated the Pettersson neglect; it’s certainly the case that he’s neglected more widely, but i agree with what you say. Panufnik and Vermeulen definitely qualify though.

And yes – do listen to the Dacapo Langgaard cycle, my first journey through it was an absolute delight, and i go back to it often!

I have a hard time seeing Pettersson as neglected in his native land during his life. His symphonies were premiered by major ensembles, Swedish television made at least two documentaries about him (that we were fortunate to get on DVD with the BIS releases). Certainly his disability and cantankerousness limited him, but he strikes me as as much a member of his country’s national musical establishment as various niche composers over in neighbouring Finland where I write this.