Carl Nielsen Symphonies

**BBMmk2** · 22-12-12, 14:13

Originally posted by salymap View Post

Oh yes he has... I have 2 Nielsen symphonies. No 2 [inherited from a late relative] BBCSO conducted by Andrew Davis. BBCMM103 1992.

No 4 BBCSO conducted by Osmo Vanska. A DVD from the Proms 2005 Also from the BBCMM

Haven't played either for years so can't comment on the performances. Latter DVD coupled with Beethoven PC4

Ecellant to hear that AD has recorded them,on BBCMM too?have to look that one up again!

**ferneyhoughgeliebte** · 22-12-12, 16:48

Originally posted by salymap View Post

Oh yes he has... I have 2 Nielsen symphonies. No 2 [inherited from a late relative] BBCSO conducted by Andrew Davis. BBCMM103 1992.

Just shows "how faIk"! I even have that disc!!

Sir Andrew's hard work and advocacy of English orchestral Music is something to be celebrated - and there was that magnificent RVW#9 from the Proms in (?) 2008 (?) - but Colin Davis is in a league of his very own.

**salymap** · 22-12-12, 17:10

Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post

Just shows "how faIk"! I even have that disc!!

Sir Andrew's hard work and advocacy of English orchestral Music is something to be celebrated - and there was that magnificent RVW#9 from the Proms in (?) 2008 (?) - but Colin Davis is in a league of his very own.

I do agree ferney. And my memory is like a sieve, everything goes through th holes, but I looked the 2 discs up and there it was.
Like HS I don't particularly go for Nielsen but shall try to play mine some time. And Colin is pure gold, way above most of today's conductors, agreed.

**Ferretfancy** · 22-12-12, 17:31

Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post

Just shows "how faIk"! I even have that disc!!

Sir Andrew's hard work and advocacy of English orchestral Music is something to be celebrated - and there was that magnificent RVW#9 from the Proms in (?) 2008 (?) - but Colin Davis is in a league of his very own.

Oxford Street HMV has his Vaughan Williams symphonies for a tenner. I've only heard his performance of No. 6, should I go for them ?

**Hornspieler** · 22-12-12, 18:23

Originally posted by Ferretfancy View Post

Oxford Street HMV has his Vaughan Williams symphonies for a tenner. I've only heard his performance of No. 6, should I go for them ?

YES!

**BBMmk2** · 22-12-12, 19:01

Is that in regard to the Sir Andrew Davis set? one of the best cycles? Hmm, better than Vernon Handley's?)

**ferneyhoughgeliebte** · 22-12-12, 20:22

Originally posted by Brassbandmaestro View Post

Is that in regard to the Sir Andrew Davis set? one of the best cycles? Hmm, better than Vernon Handley's?)

NO!

The Andrew Davis RVW cycle is good - and the Sixth is about the best from that set - and a real bargain at a Tenner. But Handley, Haitink, Boult (1950s) are the benchmarks for me, and I like Slatkin's, too.

**salymap** · 23-12-12, 09:57

Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post

Richardfg

There are usually opportunities to hear Nielsen's symphonies in the UK, as also Sibelius. However Nielsen 1 and 2 might be quite hard to find, as also some of his other music - Aladdin for example. Sibelius 1 and 6 are also relatively rarely performed. I don't think I've ever heard either of these composer's first symphonies performed live.

Having said that, even a "popular" composer, such as Tchaikovsky has works which do not often get an outing. Tchaikovsky's symphonies 1-3 are not often performed. I think I've only heard one live performance of any of these - number 3 Polish - my least favourite. I'd really like to hear Winter Daydreams and the Little Russian in concert. I have heard Manfred though.

How things change! Sibelius symphonies 1,2,5 and 7 were played a lot in my early concert going days. We didn't hear the others much and don't remember live Neilsen in a concert although I could have just missed it.

**richardfinegold** · 28-12-12, 22:31

digging thru some piles of cds I came upon a Nielsen 1/6 with Davis and the LSO on SACD and played it yesterday.
Recording quality is terrible, despite being SACD. Bass is muddy, mid range congested, no treble. LSO sounds like they play in a mausoleum here.
The Blomstedt SFSO sounds completely natural blows this away.
Which is a shame, because the performance sounds like it is worth hearing. Davis seems to have more of a grasp or Nielsen's rhetoric than the last auditioned Gilbert (another poorly recorded SACD) seemed to. I will be listening to this in the future, but perhaps the "LSO Live" label should be renamed
"LSO half dead".

**Ferretfancy** · 28-12-12, 23:19

Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post

NO!

The Andrew Davis RVW cycle is good - and the Sixth is about the best from that set - and a real bargain at a Tenner. But Handley, Haitink, Boult (1950s) are the benchmarks for me, and I like Slatkin's, too.

ferny ( If I may? )

you might see my message 8059 on the What are You Listening To thread. I remain disappointed with the set, even though it's a bargain, and I completely agree with you on your benchmarks. I'd also put in a good word for some of the Previn recordings, I think his performance of the Pastoral is possibly the best available, but there are shortcomings elsewhere.

**ferneyhoughgeliebte** · 28-12-12, 23:33

Originally posted by Ferretfancy View Post

ferny ( If I may? )

Of course - saves a lot of typing time!

you might see my message 8059 on the What are You Listening To thread. I remain disappointed with the set, even though it's a bargain, and I completely agree with you on your benchmarks. I'd also put in a good word for some of the Previn recordings, I think his performance of the Pastoral is possibly the best available, but there are shortcomings elsewhere.

I had read your post, ferretf, and was interested in what you said about the recording quality of the Davies set.

Previn! Of course!! His recording of the Pastoral was broadcast on Essential Classics earlier this year. The CD on my car player had come to an end and as I was only five minutes from my destination, I put R3 on, just as this started. I was instantly so captivated that I sat in the carpark for the remaining half-hour! (Spoilt by the announcer barging in with banter as soon as the piece ended!

) 2, 5, 7 & 9 from that set are very good, too.

**richardfinegold** · 29-12-12, 10:58

Originally posted by richardfinegold View Post

digging thru some piles of cds I came upon a Nielsen 1/6 with Davis and the LSO on SACD and played it yesterday.
Recording quality is terrible, despite being SACD. Bass is muddy, mid range congested, no treble. LSO sounds like they play in a mausoleum here.
The Blomstedt SFSO sounds completely natural blows this away.
Which is a shame, because the performance sounds like it is worth hearing. Davis seems to have more of a grasp or Nielsen's rhetoric than the last auditioned Gilbert (another poorly recorded SACD) seemed to. I will be listening to this in the future, but perhaps the "LSO Live" label should be renamed
"LSO half dead".

Listened again to this recording, this time on my two channel system. The last time I had listened in multichannel. The two channel SACD mix sounds much better. It is still a bit opaque, but the bass and treble are much improved, and the low level detail is outstanding, which is especially important in 6. I played one movement again on the multi system and the problems returned.I have never had a disc before that had such a disparate sound between two channel and multichannel mixes.
The 6th is really quite good. For the first time I was struck by the similarities between the 2nd movement and the "pairs" movement of Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra.

**Dave2002** · 30-12-12, 23:12

Originally posted by richardfinegold View Post

Listened again to this recording, this time on my two channel system. The last time I had listened in multichannel. The two channel SACD mix sounds much better. It is still a bit opaque, but the bass and treble are much improved, and the low level detail is outstanding, which is especially important in 6. I played one movement again on the multi system and the problems returned.I have never had a disc before that had such a disparate sound between two channel and multichannel mixes.
The 6th is really quite good. For the first time I was struck by the similarities between the 2nd movement and the "pairs" movement of Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra.

This is at least partially good news. I heard some of the concerts by Davis over the last few years, and I was thinking that it would be worth getting the CDs or SACDs, as I enjoyed the concerts. It's a shame that the multi-channel mix seems to have problems, but good that the performances can be enjoyed in stereo. I think some of the LSO discs also exist in CD only versions - can't remember about this one. Currently the store appears to show only SACDs, but I have a feeling that there was a set with CDs. Sounds as though it might not be worth splashing out for the SACD versions if CDs are still possible.

**cloughie** · 30-12-12, 23:16

Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post

This is at least partially good news. I heard some of the concerts by Davis over the last few years, and I was thinking that it would be worth getting the CDs or SACDs, as I enjoyed the concerts. It's a shame that the multi-channel mix seems to have problems, but good that the performances can be enjoyed in stereo. I think some of the LSO discs also exist in CD only versions - can't remember about this one. Currently the store appears to show only SACDs, but I have a feeling that there was a set with CDs. Sounds as though it might not be worth splashing out for the SACD versions if CDs are still possible.

Just wondering why when there is a great RVW Symphonies thread in progress is a Nielsen thread now also devoted to RVW?

**Dave2002** · 30-12-12, 23:20

Originally posted by cloughie View Post

Just wondering why when there is a great RVW Symphonies thread in progress is a Nielsen thread now also devoted to RVW?

I haven't a clue! The thread title does still say "Nielsen".

Carl Nielsen Symphonies

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