Barfotasånger

SONG NUMBER/ORDER

Currently there are 2 published editions of Pettersson’s ‘Barefoot Songs’, by Nordiska Musikförlaget (“NM1949”) and again in 1978 (“NM1978”).

NM1949 is a published set of separate folio (28 × 35 cm) booklets (MS reproductions): “ursprungligen 24 separata hfn” [Musikverket catalogue entry]. (The Swedish State Music Library set copies have been bound later.) It is undated by publisher, library dated “1949?” but apparently published much later, however most probably before 1978. Every booklet has a printed 1st leaf with a recto common full collection index numbered, a verso printed song title unnumbered; MS portions have either titles nor numbering.

NM1978 is a modernized print (21 × 29 cm) with minor differences to NM1949, that I as composer would not altogether approve of, and makes no mention of collaboration with Pettersson (whose bad health, but not his equally bad temper, would probably have kept him from such an effort; he died within 2 years). I have both editions cross-examined for detail and own edition.

Both editions have
> index page printed
> songs numbered on index page
> songs unnumbered at in-score titles
and
> identical order of songs except for 2 songs switching places:
NM1949 no. 15. Mens flugorna surra
NM1949 no. 23. Hundarna vid havet
becomes
NM1978 no. 15. Hundarna vid havet
NM1978 no. 23. Mens flugorna surra

N.b. these 2 songs are superficially alike, deeper also but not as obvious. Pettersson may or not have numbered the songs (elsewhere than reproduced MS) and the result order is recognized between NM1949 & NM1978. The switching of songs no. 15 & 23 may have come from a wish (Pettersson’s &/or publisher’s) to accentuate musical contrast, deepen thematicals – or even by chance.

Until conclusion, this MB Work entry may, for MB usability sake, keep NM1978 order (at cycle Work level, but not numbers at song Work level) as tend complete recordings:

Swedish Society SLT 33230 = SCD 1033 (Rödin, Sædén, Östman 1974) follows NM1978 order.
cpo 999 499-2 (Groop, Garben 1996) follows NM1978 order.
Sterling CDA 1678-2 (Mossberg, Karlqvist 1997) deviates from edition order not because of the above, but to have the songs “grouped thematically and chronologically: family and growth, woman and man, dream and yearning, humour and double meanings and songs about the death. The nature-lyrical songs are put in as consoles quiescents.” Booklet page 12 This grouping is apparently influenced by a biography (Laila Barkefors: Allan Pettersson. Det brinner en sol inom oss https://www.gehrmans.se/butik/musikprodukter/det… ).

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TITLES AND CAPITALIZATION

Note that Pettersson’s lyrics sometimes deviates from standardized Swedish, that title wording is not always part of lyric, and the edited formats:
NM1949 index: Mixed case
NM1949 title: UPPER CASE
MS lyric: Mixed case body text
NM1978 index: Mixed case
NM1978 title: Mixed case
NM1978 lyric: Mixed cast body text

Some changes to present MB Work titles will be made, to the following result (with sources given where applicable):

1. Visa i sorgton
2. Klokar och knythänder
3. Fattig är Mor [NM1949 index “Fattig är mor”, MS lyric “Fattig är Mor”; NM1978 titles “Fattig är Mor”, lyric “Fattig är mor”]
4. Kärleken går vilse
5. Stjärnan och gallret
6. Nånting man mist [NM1949 title “Nånting man mist”, MS lyric “Nå’nting man mist”; NM1978 titles & lyric “Nånting man mist”]
7. Blomma säj [NM1949 titles “Blomma säj”, MS lyric “Blomma säj”; NM1978 titles & lyric “Blomma säj”]
8. Vintervisa [NM1949 titles; NM1978 titles]
9. Liten ska vänta
10. Jungfrun och ljugarpust [NM1949 title “Jungfrun och Ljugarpust”, MS [unclear because 1st word of sentence, but note “i Ljugarebyn” in next song]; Nm1978 titles “Jungfrun och ljugarpust”]
11. En spelekarls himlafärd [NM1949 title “En spelkarls himlafärd”, “En spelekarls himlafärd”, MS lyric “En spelekarls himlafärd]
12. Du vet
13. Du lögnar
14. Herren går på ängen
15. Hundarna vid havet
16. Kivlynnte liten [NM1949 titles & MS lyric; NM1978 titles & lyric]
17. Jag tänker på ting
18. Blomma vid min fot
19. Rymmaren
20. Min längtan
21. Nu väntar man vinter
22. Vännen i söndagslandet
23. Mens flugorna surra [NM1949 titles & MS lyric; NM1978 titles & lyric]
24. Han ska släcka min lykta [NM1949 titles & MS lyric; NM1978 titles & lyric]