BaL 6.06.15 - Nielsen: Symphony no. 3

[BBMmk2]

That's the set I be getting this week. I have to wait till 9th June though!!! Pah!

[aeolium]

I enjoyed this BaL and as so often when the object of the review is a work I love I thought a lot of the extracts played sounded very good. I liked the lack of pedantry from the reviewer, compared with some for whom a slight deviation from the score can be a fatal deterrent - as shown in his final choice which he had earlier criticised for playing an unmarked rallentando. I got the impression though that he chose from a fairly narrow range of recordings: I don't recall hearing anything from the fine LSO/Schmidt version, for instance.

And if I had one quibble, it was that I thought the "farmer with his plough" image for the last movement was overdone. It was I think originally used by a critic, but I have never thought of that last movement in that way - if anything, it seems to me to portray the grandeur and harshness of nature, or possibly the struggle of humanity against that harshness. But I suppose the point is the danger - the limiting effect - of using non-musical imagery in describing music.

I thought the Chung/Gothenburg SO sounded a worthy first choice, though I was also very impressed with Oramo and the Stockholm PO. I'm not sure I want another recording to add to the Blomstedt/DRSO one I have, particularly as I expect to hear the symphony in plenty of broadcasts before the end of the year.

[DracoM]

Must have more Andrew Mellor. Hard-talking, hard-hitting, no 'name' spared. Good. What R3 ought to be doing. AMcG please note.

[visualnickmos]

Excellent BaL. I was a bit surprised about AM's comments on the Blomstedt/SF extract. For many, I believe this is definitive Nielsen. However, when he explained, compared and illustrated, I totally heard what he meant......

Yes - more from Andrew Mellor... thanks BBC Radio 3 (if you read this! )

PS - it seems that Myung Wun Chung has not recorded the complete Nielsen symphonies; is that correct, or did I misunderstand? Thanks.........

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was a bit surprised about AM's comments on the Blomstedt/SF extract. For many, I believe this is definitive Nielsen. However, when he explained, compared and illustrated, I totally heard what he meant......

I was delighted to hear these comments, visnick - for years I thought the praise afforded to that set meant that I didn't really "get" Nielsen, in that most other recordings of his symphonies gave me much more from the Music. Good to see I was just ahead of my time!

[visualnickmos]

Hi ferney

You certainly were ahead of your time!

I did enjoy the extracts of the 'winner' (how I detest that term.....) which I thought, seemed deserving of the laurels in the context of BaL.

[Beef Oven!]

Excellent BaL. I was a bit surprised about AM's comments on the Blomstedt/SF extract. For many, I believe this is definitive Nielsen. However, when he explained, compared and illustrated, I totally heard what he meant......

Yes - more from Andrew Mellor... thanks BBC Radio 3 (if you read this! )

PS - it seems that Myung Wun Chung has not recorded the complete Nielsen symphonies; is that correct, or did I misunderstand? Thanks.........

On BIS, mid-price. They were, I think, available on Amazon this morning for under £20. They seem to have gone. The new single CD of 3 etc is now out of stock. I picked up a VG condition used copy for £4.98 plus p&p earlier, but following the immediate post Bal-run, used copies are up to £9.12.

Btw, I agree with you and ferney about the Blomstedt - I'd been moving towards similar conclusions recently.

[Bryn]

Excellent BaL. I was a bit surprised about AM's comments on the Blomstedt/SF extract. For many, I believe this is definitive Nielsen. However, when he explained, compared and illustrated, I totally heard what he meant......

Yes - more from Andrew Mellor... thanks BBC Radio 3 (if you read this! )

PS - it seems that Myung Wun Chung has not recorded the complete Nielsen symphonies; is that correct, or did I misunderstand? Thanks.........

Quite so. The 4th and 6th in the BIS boxed set are conducted by Neeme Jarvi. €19.99 for lossless 44.1/16 downloads from QOBUZ.

[DublinJimbo]

For once I do have a clear favourite - Royal Stockholm PO/Oramo, the latest issue of all …
Having revisited it often, I've also grown fonder of the NYPO/Gilbert too. Perhaps just a bit too "thoughtfully lingering" here and there, but with far greater subtlety than Bernstein's pioneering classic with the Royal Danish Orchestra nearly 5 decades before.

It's good to see you coming around to Alan Gilbert. As I recall, you were less than impressed originally (especially with the recording?). I agree with you about Oramo, though. That's the set I'll be playing most often during this anniversary year.

[Bryn]

... I agree with you about Oramo, though. That's the set I'll be playing most often during this anniversary year.

Given fairly short shrift by Andrew Mellor this morning.

[Gordon]

'Sir John' does, a bit...

Was he not christened Giovanni Battista? But in the land of Cockaigne - living in 1901 at 37/38 Drury Lane, quite close to Kingsway Hall!!

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=34&gss=sfs28_ms_f-34&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Giovanno%20Battista&gsln=Barbirolli&msbdd=2&msbdm=12&msbdy=1899&msbpn__ftp=London%20England&msddm=7&msddy=1970&msdpn__ftp=Lpondon%20England&_83004003-n_xcl=f&cp=0&MSAV=1&uidh=1k8

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/7814/LNDRG13_239_240-0548/15696024?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dGiovanni%2bBattista%26gsln%3dBarbirolli%26msbdy%3d1899%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d1%26msbpn__ftp%3dLondon%2bEngland%26_83004003-n_xcl%3df%26MSAV%3d1%26uidh%3d1k8%26pcat%3d1901UKI%26h%3d15696024%26db%3duki1901%26indiv%3d1%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

[jayne lee wilson]

It's good to see you coming around to Alan Gilbert. As I recall, you were less than impressed originally (especially with the recording?). I agree with you about Oramo, though. That's the set I'll be playing most often during this anniversary year.

Yes - when I returned to it recently (24/192 WAVEs, played in Audirvana+, 2 years ago it was 24/96, & a different Dac, in XBMC) it sounded far better & I could appreciate his approach better too... it's becoming true of Gilbert's cycle generally (I've just bought the new NYPO/Gilbert/soloists Da Capo concertos disc - it's stunning! More anon...).

As for that SFSO/Blomstedt... see my post #21! ("Ahead of your time", anyone? )... With a link to Mellor's previous article too & music web reviews...

Haven't heard this BaL yet... later I hope. As I keep saying, the sheer disparity of critical opinion on Nielsen is striking - & now I hear Mellor doesn't care much for Oramo...

[Black Swan]

For me a very cheap BAL. I already had the Chung recording. it is the only recording of this work I have and it has done me very well. I should admit that at the time I purchased it, I purchased for the Clarinet Concerto which is a filler. I remembered if from my student days when we referred to it as the Concerto for Clarinet vs. Orchestra....
Although, I am thinking of buying the new Oramo recording. I have his recording of 2 & 6 (purchased on Jayne L-W recommendation... thank you Jayne). But now I may wait.

But I concur with all an excellent BAL.

[HighlandDougie]

& now I hear Mellor doesn't care much for Oramo...

That's putting it a bit strongly: he did say that of recent recordings, Oramo's was in his opinion top of the pack. Paraphrasing what he said, a bit too civilised, perhaps, but still not at all bad.

[DublinJimbo]

I've just bought the new NYPO/Gilbert/soloists Da Capo concertos disc - it's stunning! More anon...).

I've just now hit the buy button for the concertos (24/88.2 downloads from Dacapo, where it's – slightly – cheaper than Qobuz or eClassical). I'm looking forward to a good old listen very shortly.

Gilbert and the NYPO began their recent European tour here in Dublin and were very impressive (though a bit ragged in places in Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales). Salonen's Nyx, the concert opener, was the surprise star of the evening. I haven't heard any word of where Alan Gilbert will go when his tenure ends. Have you?