Nielsen's Fourth

[HighlandDougie]

Listening to the extract from the forthcoming DG release of Gustavo Dudamel's Nielsen 4, does anyone have a particularly favourite recording of this - for me- always thrilling piece of music? I seem to have accumulated a number of recordings of it over the years. They include most recently Colin Davis but go back to Barbirolli on LP (or have I imagined that) and then proceed in no particular order through Jensen, Bernstein, Karajan, Schmidt, Berglund, Blomstedt, Vanska and Dausgard. I don't think any of them match Launy Grøndahl's incandescent performance, which still sounds fine to me, especially in the Mike Dutton transfer. My other half, though, who also likes Nielsen, moans about "old, scratchy recordings, recorded in a public baths etc etc" so I'm open to all suggestions (except that it has to be in reasonable sound). What great performance(s) might have passed me by?

[Chris Newman]

I enjoy very much Blomstedt's later recording, Barbirolli, Jensen and the electricity in Davis's version. Hard to put one over the other.

[makropulos]

Well, HighlandDougie, you mention my favourites: Grøhndahl, Barbirolli and Bernstein. I'd possibly add Schønwandt to that list too. But I certainly look forward to hearing Dudamel's new recording - I imagine it's a piece he could do very well.

[makropulos]

Chris - when did Thomas Jensen record the Inextinghuishable? I have his No. 2 coupled with Grøndahl's No. 4 but I'd be fascinated to hear Jensen do the piece.

[umslopogaas]

HighlandDougie, yes, Barbirolli and the Halle did record Nielsen's 4th on LP. It came out on Pye Golden Guinea Collectors Series GSGC 14026 and then was reissued in the US on Vanguard Everyman Classics Stereolab SRV-179SD. I've also got LP versions by Chicago SO/Martinon (RCA), LSO/Schmidt (Unicorn), Los Angeles PO/Mehta (Decca), Royal Danish O/Marevitch (DG), Cincinnati SO/Rudolf (Brunswick). As I've had to admit before when I dust down items from my shelves, its some time since I played any of them and I'd not want to plug one at the expense of another, but I should think Mehta and Decca would turn in a fine version.

[umslopogaas]

Interesting ... according to Conductors on Record (John Holmes), Jensen didnt record the 4th. Decca issued his recording of the 2nd on 78s in 1947, followed by LPs of the 1st in 1952 and the 5th in 1954. A Danish company, Tono, recorded the 6th. But no mention of the 4th. Maybe its an off-air recording of a broadcast: Chris, enlighten us!

[aeolium]

The Ole Schmidt LSO recording from the 1970s (originally issued on Unicorn) stands up pretty well. The LSO made some really excellent recordings around that time.

[amateur51]

I recall that my first hearing of Nielsen's Symphony no 4 was a performance on the Third Programme given by the Stockholm PO under Antal Dorati, which I recorded on to tape cassette & played over & over. As a result, it is imprinted on my memory as 'the way to do it'.

I seem to remember that BBC MM released a performance by Vanska/BBCSSO that I quite admired too.

Many thanks for all the advice on other versions - fascinating!

[Chris Newman]

Hi umslopaas,
It comes in a set of live recordings:

Carl Nielsen Historic Collection Vol 1 - The 6 Symphonies

Release Date: 02/03/2006
Label: Danacord Catalog #: 351/53 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Carl Nielsen
Conductors: Erik Tuxen, Launy Grondahl, Thomas Jensen
Orchestra/Ensemble: Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra
All recorded live in Denmark except Symphony No 5 made in Paris
Number of Discs: 3

1. Symphony no 1 in G minor, Op. 7 by Carl Nielsen Conductor: Erik Tuxen
Date of Recording: 06/06/1957

2. Symphony no 2 in B minor, Op. 16 "The Four Temperaments" by Carl Nielsen Conductor: Launy Grondahl
Date of Recording: 06/07/1956

3. Symphony no 3, Op. 27 "Sinfonia espansiva" by Carl Nielsen Conductor: Thomas Jensen
Date of Recording: 06/20/1959

4. Symphony no 4, Op. 29 "Inextinguishable" by Carl Nielsen Conductor: Thomas Jensen
Date of Recording: 09/02/1952

5. Symphony no 5, Op. 50 by Carl Nielsen Conductor: Erik Tuxen
Date of Recording: 04/22/1955
Venue: Live Paris, France

6. Symphony no 6, FS 116 "Sinfonia semplice" by Carl Nielsen Conductor: Thomas Jensen
Date of Recording: 06/1952

I hope that clears up the misunderstanding.

bws
Chris.

PS, Apologies HighlandDougie. We crossed in the post.

[HighlandDougie]

The Jensen 4th to which I referred is of a live recording (2 September 1952) with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, issued by Danacord in 1994 as part of a boxed set of Danish Radio recordings of all six symphonies (Tuxen in 1 and 5; Grøndahl in 2; and Jensen in 3, 4 and 6). Mostly excellent performances, although they do sound their age.

[HighlandDougie]

Beaten to it! Many thanks to Chris for the complete info.

[makropulos]

This looks wonderful - thanks for the information !

[Chris Newman]

Am51,
Yes BBCMM did do the 4th with Vanska. It was the only time they did a DVD and people complained it would not play on their CD players. Also for some reason it was squeezed to a square screen format which made Vanska look quite svelte and most of the orchestra looked positively anorexic. Personally I would not mind the occasional DVD concert.

[amateur51]

[umslopogaas]

Thanks Chris, one to look out for ... just got back to the computer after 'I'm Sorry I Havent a Clue' and the staggering announcement that R4 are reviving 'Round The Horne'. Not sure if I dare re-visit, in my memory it was hysterically funny, but I'm a bit worried about how it might sound now, fifty-odd years later. Let's see: Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden ... and I'm not sure either where to find Radio 4extra, or whatever its called.