Carl Nielsen Symphonies

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Has he gone? What a loss to us all.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

You'll soon find a more congenial home...

This thing really should have a like button.

[PJPJ]

Was this what was meant?

Oops! Thanks for spotting that - I'll alter it.

[jayne lee wilson]

"I had to come back" says the gunslinger, entering the shabby saloon bar to confront the Outlaw Josey Wales... and look what happened to him. But TR appears to have ridden off into the sunset, after the storm... and here am I in the ghost town, not wanting to flog my live horse...

Nielsen's 3rd Symphony is of course a grander symphonic statement than his 2nd, and Alan Gilbert is far more at home with it - unsurprising, given his approach and the sound he creates with the NYPO, who respond with more commitment and character here than in the 4 Temperaments, where for me the lack of colour and character - of any attempt at tone-painting, allied to a frequently unconvincing pace or flow, is pretty much fatal. On MusicWeb, Jack Lawson, as true a devotee of Nielsen as any, shares my qualms about the "missing programme" and about the lack of a distinctive, idiomatic, sound - but still seems to have found its more generalised musical achievement enjoyable, which I simply can't. Trying parts of Bernstein's 2nd with the same, delightfully recognisable (but rather more vibrant 1973 vintage) NYPO, I was struck by the greater warmth of expression, those four moods so vividly evoked. Bernstein's is by no means a perfect 4 Temperaments, but there I was, smiling and laughing at the finale again. For me, this work can't do without that "tone-poem" element.

The 3rd, again heard as a 24/96 stereo recording, is a very good performance, and if for me it doesn't set new standards, it can take its place with the best of the past - I enjoyed it very much , but with a few reservations...
Gilbert is less interested in the crazed exhilaration of the wild waltz episode of the development in (i) than in laying the counterpoint bare - I was initially disappointed with this, but from that point on the movement grows in power and brilliance to its end - a fascinating and fruitful shift of emphasis. A shame then, that the reverberation at the end is pulled back too quickly , apparently just to excise the hall sounds between movements - surely unnecessary? This is a rather crude bit of editing.
The andante is really lovely, and here the recessed, mid-hall setting of the recording actually adds to the poetic effect of the piece, so lovably evocative of nature, space and distance.
Comparing Gilbert's allegretto with Blomstedt's SFSO account would not, at first, be kind to the Gilbert, which obviously lacks bite and exhilaration alongside it - but there are subtleties of phrase and colour here, a light and shade which slowly draw you in more as you go on.
The finale is broadly and brilliantly played, a sound both full and fulfilling, and Gilbert paces this trickiest of Nielsen's symphonic movements very well - why, then, the sudden increase in tempo (at about 9'10) in the coda? This does sound like a rather un-subtle dash to the finishing line, inorganic and unnecessary, but perhaps exciting in the context of a live event.
Sonically, No.3 is slightly better, more transparent with greater presence, noticeable in wind solos and other low-level details. Still some qualms about the bass quality though, tending to dominate the tonal balance and "thump" a bit too much.

[reinerfan]

I see that Mr.Roth has departed into the outer darkness like the heading of the first movement of Nielsens 2nd. taking his bad temper and lack of a sense of humour with him. Good! I bought the SACD of Gilbert's Nielsen on the advice of 2 positive reviews, and after all these years should have known better. Played on my Arcam CD37 as an SACD, my criticisms of the recording quality are pretty well identical to those of Jayne. I too have difficulty in getting involved with Symphony No.2, especially the third movement. Most of the other 11 versions in my library seem to be more involved with the headings of each movement. I used to have an old Turnabout version conducted by Garaguly, and have never found another version whose performance is it's equal, although Gould with the Chicago S.O. comes close. The 3rd. Symphony does indeed sound slightly better and I do enjoy this performance, although not up to my poorly recorded benchmark of John Frandsen conducting the Danish State S.O.

[BBMmk2]

How glad i am that someone like TR has gone. There is no need whatsoever for his confrontational style of discussion! We can have just as good discussions with a civilised way.

[amateur51]

"I had to come back" says the gunslinger,

Welcome back & sit yerself down, pardner. Let me pour you an espresso with a prosecco chaser

[BBMmk2]

Welcome back & sit yerself down, pardner. Let me pour you an espresso with a prosecco chaser

Here here/!!

[HighlandDougie]

Does this mean that I can mention Fabio Luisi's set of Honegger Symphonies again without having scorn poured on me from Brø Roth for daring to like both the recording (really not all that bad) and the performances (really rather good)?

Anyway, back to the Great Dane:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/02/25/080225crmu_music_ross

if you don't mind the ubiquitous Mr Ross.

[BBMmk2]

Does this mean that I can mention Fabio Luisi's set of Honegger Symphonies again without having scorn poured on me from Brø Roth for daring to like both the recording (really not all that bad) and the performances (really rather good)?

Anyway, back to the Great Dane:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/02/25/080225crmu_music_ross

if you don't mind the ubiquitous Mr Ross.

Yes you can!! All is free from confrontational style arguements!!

[Nick Armstrong]

Does this mean that I can mention Fabio Luisi's set of Honegger Symphonies again without having scorn poured on me from Brø Roth for daring to like both the recording (really not all that bad) and the performances (really rather good)?

Go for it, Dougie!

[richardfinegold]

I have ordered the Gilbert on SACD and hope it will arrive soon. There is a shortage of Nielsen Symphonies available in High Resolution sound, and I like Gilbert enough to give it a try. I hope that I like it better than has been advetised here.

[PJPJ]

I've listened to just the 3rd so far, and find it very impressive - it wasn't a surprise as I'd caught the broadcast from the Vail Festival. The recording is better than expected from the location though it may have been given some help from the engineers, and I'm not sure the end-of-movement decays are all natural. I'll have to listen again.

Here's Gilbert at Vail:



and here's a picture of the "auditorium"



A Nielsen cycle from New York via a small Scandinavian label is quite an undertaking.

Here is DaCapo's gallery:

http://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/news-nielsen-photos-from-new-york.aspx

I'll listen to 2nd soon (I don't get as much opportunity for listening as I'd like) - it seems to have provoked more opposing opinions.

[richardfinegold]

I've listened to just the 3rd so far, and find it very impressive - it wasn't a surprise as I'd caught the broadcast from the Vail Festival. The recording is better than expected from the location though it may have been given some help from the engineers, and I'm not sure the end-of-movement decays are all natural. I'll have to listen again.

Here's Gilbert at Vail:



and here's a picture of the "auditorium"



A Nielsen cycle from New York via a small Scandinavian label is quite an undertaking.

Here is DaCapo's gallery:

http://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/news-nielsen-photos-from-new-york.aspx

I'll listen to 2nd soon (I don't get as much opportunity for listening as I'd like) - it seems to have provoked more opposing opinions.

take your time

[richardfinegold]

The Gilbert disc arrived today, and I am currently listening to the 3rd. Unfortunately for me, I'd have to agree with Jayne on this. The recording quality may be the worse SACD that I've every encountered. It is muffled and distant. Both the Blomstedt's and the Bernstein (same orchestra over 50 years ago)
sound much more present and alive. The recording is so bad that i find it difficult to pass judgement on the performance on the first listen, because I simply can't tell what everyone is up to.
On to the 2nd.