Carl Nielsen: Symphony No4 & Symphony No5

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 4 ("Inextinguishable"), Op 29/FS 76
Composed by Carl Nielsen
Performed by Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste

2. Symphony No. 5, Op 50/FS 97
Composed by Carl Nielsen
Performed by Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste takes the Finnish Radio Symphony through some of Nielsen's trickiest compositional territory: the opening bars of the explosive Fourth Symphony and the "dueling percussion" sequence in the first movement of the Fifth Symphony. Nielsen's music was at first difficult to perform, but as orchestras evolved and more difficult works were practiced and mastered, Nielsen almost seems tame by today's standards. But this makes him more accessible to audiences today who might be unfamiliar with his work. At the very least, Saraste invests the Fifth--arguably Nielsen's greatest symphony--with an eerie, even spectral moodiness that is nearly unrivaled on disc and should be heard for that reason alone. But then, the orchestra and the conductor are Scandinavian, and they, if anybody, ought to know how this music should be played. --Paul Cook

Tracks:

Con, Op.33: I. Praeludium: Largo - Arve Tellefsen
Con, Op.33: II. Allegro Cavallersco - Arve Tellefsen
Con, Op.33: III. Poco Adagio - Arve Tellefsen
Con, Op.33: IV. Rondo: Allegretto Scherzando - Arve Tellefsen
Sym No.4, Op.29 'The Inextinguishable': I. Allegro - Poco Allegretto - Arve Tellefsen
Sym No.4, Op.29 'The Inextinguishable': II. Poco Adagio Quasi Andante - Allegro - Arve Tellefsen

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in D: Prld: Moderato - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway
Sym No.5 in D: Scherzo: Presto - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway
Sym No.5 in D: Romanza: Lento - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway
Sym No.5 in D: Passacaglia: Moderato - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway
Con: Toccata: Allegro Moderato - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway
Con: Romanza: Lento - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway
Con: Fuga Chromatica Con Finale Alla Tedesca: Allegro - Ralph Markham/Kenneth Broadway

Nielsen: Symphony No4; Little Suite for string orchestra Op1

Average customer rating:

Nielsen: Symphony No4; Little Suite for string orchestra Op1

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Bonney, Barbara | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B000009M55
Release Date: 1996-01-01

Tracks:

Hymnus Amoris: Amor Mihi Vitam Donat - Barbara Bonney/John Mark Ainsley/Lars Pedersen/Michael W. Hansen/Bo Anker Hansen...
Hymnus Amoris: Amor Est Dolor Meus - Barbara Bonney/John Mark Ainsley/Lars Pedersen/Michael W. Hansen/Bo Anker Hansen...
Hymnus Amoris: Amor Est Pax Mea - Barbara Bonney/John Mark Ainsley/Lars Pedersen/Michael W. Hansen/Bo Anker Hansen...
Little Ste, Op.1: I. Prld
Little Ste, Op.1: II. Intermezzo
Little Ste, Op.1: III. Finale
Sym No.4 'The Inextinguishable': I. Allegro
Sym No.4 'The Inextinguishable': II. Poco Allegretto
Sym No.4 'The Inextinguishable': III. Poco Adagio Quasi Andante
Sym No.4 'The Inextinguishable': IV. Allegro

Nielsen: Symphony No4; Sibelius: Tapiola Op112

Average customer rating:

Carl Nielsen goes to heaven (i.e., Berlin)
The Virtuoso Treatment
The Greatest Conductor of the 20th Century

Nielsen: Symphony No4; Sibelius: Tapiola Op112

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Sym No.4 FS 76 (op.29) 'The Inextinguishable': 1. Allegro
Sym No.4 FS 76 (op.29) 'The Inextinguishable': 2. Poco allegretto (8 bars after tempo marking)
Sym No.4 FS 76 (op.29) 'The Inextinguishable': 3. Poco adagio quasi andante
Sym No.4 FS 76 (op.29) 'The Inextinguishable': 4. Allegro
Tapiola op.112: Largamente- Allegro moderato- Allegro- Allegro moderato- Allegro- Allegro moderato

Customer Reviews:

Carl Nielsen goes to heaven (i.e., Berlin).......2006-01-02

I can count a host of major conductors who have led Sibelius's music, but few who have championed Nielsen's. His magnificent Fourth Sym. "The Inextinguishable" gets the star treatment from Karajan and the Berlin Phil. Who knows why HvK chose to favor this single work, but then, why did he only conduct the Shostakovich Tenth? It would have been nice to hear something besides the much-reissued Sibelius Tapiola that fills the rest of this fairly stingy CD (58 min.)

That said, this is the kind of performance that would make Nielsen rise from the grave. Karajan is fully committed to showing the Fourth off as a major work, and even though there are some slack stretches that lack inspiration, you'd never know it here. Melodies swell and bloom, connecting passages are alert and frisky, the furious timpani duel in the finale forbids any thought of armistice. DG's sonics are especially good as well, which is one advantage that the Karajan recording has over Bernstein's more idiomatic but rather grittty account on Sony. A must for anyone who loves Nielsen.

As an afterthought, I wonder where the other major conductors are in Nielsen? Stokowski, Bernstein, Karajan, barbirolli, the young Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen make up the whole list, and of these, only Bernstein and Salonen have recorded more than one or two works. To me Herbert Blomstedt isn't a major conductor, nor is Eugene Ormandy, but both dipped into Nielsen as well, especially the former in is beautifully recorded but straight-faced readings from San Francisco on Decca.

The Virtuoso Treatment.......2001-07-24

Unfortunately there are not too many premium orchestra versions of the Carl Nielsen symphonic cycle. To hear the Berlin Philharmonic, with Von Karajan steering the sleek beast, perform the breathtaking 4th is a revelation. Von Karajan does take some liberties with the score, going for the 'slowing down' theatrics option near the ending of the first movement, but the power and precision of the orchestra more than makes up for any transgressions.

The Greatest Conductor of the 20th Century.......1999-06-11

Most orchestral musicians have a comment to make about Karajan. He has some of the best recordings ever made and some of the worst. This is one of the best. Incidently he is still the most recorded musicians of all time. Even if only 10% of his recordings are any good they still outnumber anyone else. He is the maestro of all time.

Average customer rating:

The Most Powerful Recording of Nielsen's 'Inextinguishable' Symphony

Nielsen: Symphony No4; Helios Op17

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Nielsen: Symphony No3; Symphony No6

ASIN: B0000026E9
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Symphony No. 4, Op. 29: Allegro
Symphony No. 4, Op. 29: Poco Allegretto
Symphony No. 4, Op. 29: Poco adagio quasi andante
Symphony No. 4, Op. 29: Allegro
Helios OVerture, Op. 17

Customer Reviews:

The Most Powerful Recording of Nielsen's 'Inextinguishable' Symphony.......2006-01-25

For many, the symphonies of Carl Nielsen are best approached by hearing the Symphony No. 4 first. The work is one of such visceral power that it is nearly impossible not to fall under its spell. Written between 1914 and 1916 the symphony is one of Nielsen's most mature. It was written in response to The Great War and the effect of that grave threat on Nielsen and indeed all mankind. It is a work of violence, chaos, battle (especially between two opposing timpanists) but in the end it is about the triumph of the human spirit. Nielsen wrote "the whole world is disintegrating," when "national feeling, which hitherto was regarded as something lofty and beautiful, has become like a spiritual syphilis that has devoured the brains, and it grins out through empty eye sockets with moronic hate". Powerful words and feelings = powerful music.

Esa-Pekka Salonen made this recording in 1986 when he was a mere 26 years old. That this symphony helped to propel him to international stardom as a conductor is evident in this fine recording with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. There are many recordings of this symphony in the repertoire, but none reach the heights of this performance. The power and battle and resolution are breathtakingly rendered in Salonen's hands.

Coupled with this mighty work is the moody and atmospheric 'Helios Overture' - a moment at the end of the symphony for the listener to pause and bask in the reassurance of the sun rising out of the seascape. While it may be difficult to find this recording, it is well worth the effort. Hopefully it will be re-released as it is the finest version of this remarkable symphony. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

Average customer rating:

Carl Nielsen 's legacy!
Benchmark Performances In Mono Sound

Nielsen: Symphony No4; Symphony No2

Manufacturer: Dutton Laboratories
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005CZI
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Customer Reviews:

Carl Nielsen 's legacy!.......2005-09-26

The Four temperaments is one of the most emblematic Symphonies wirtten in the XX Century. It describes accurately the anguish, fears and hopeless of the actual man.
The Fourth Symphony is possibly the most solid Symphony written by Nielsen. Its complex dramatic structure and its frenetic atmosphere makes a must for any lover music to know about it.
This set maintains the historic interets of having been World Premeire Recordings.
If I was required to recommend some othe optiuons, go for Bernstein New York for the Second Symphony and four sumptuous and very different approach for the Fourth: in this strict order: the most complete and dense version I have ever listended, it has not released yet on CD format, but fortunately I have it in vinyl: Igor Markevitch and Danish Orchestra; the very famous Zubin Metha and L.A.Philharmonic in the early Seventies, Herbert Blomsted and the Danish Orchestra and finally Ekka Pekka Salonen in the middle Seventies.

Benchmark Performances In Mono Sound.......2004-07-18

This CD may be hard to find but it is most definitely worth a search. Jensen's classic Symphony #2 "The Four Temperaments" hails from 1947 (an even earlier test pressing from 1944 can be found in Danacord's "Carl Nielsen Collection: Volume 6," which I have not heard). Jensen gives a powerfully-controlled, extremely expressive reading that is tops in my books, although it is challenged by a great "live" 1956 reading from Grondahl (this was the latter's "farewell" concert and can be heard on a superb collection of all 6 symphonies on Danacord 351-353). It's almost a toss-up, but Jensen's account is my favorite.

Grondahl's pathbreaking account of the "Inextinguishable" is from 1951. To my ears, this is one of the greatest performances of ANY Nielsen symphony - I think it is mandatory listening for anyone who loves Nielsen's works. The transfers of both symphonies are excellent - they are pretty much identical to my original Odeon LPs.

Needless to say, most listeners will want to have stereo accounts of these works as well, particularly of the 4th with its dueling tympani. There is an astonishingly fine "live" 1967 2nd by Stokowski and the Danish State Radio: it is available on Stokowski's volume of "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" on IMG/EMI 75480. I find it quite astounding that Stokowski took up this work at age 85 and in this, his only performance, he simply blows past all the readings in current complete sets and comes very close to matching both Jensen and Grondahl. Amazing!

The only stereo 4th to rival Grondahl's in my affections is the extraordinarily white-hot Martinon/Chicago Symphony on an RCA LP that remains in limbo. What a travesty that such a brilliant, well-recorded account still is waiting for a CD transfer.

Fine as both Stokowski's 2nd and Martinon's 4th are, I think anyone who loves Nielsen will want to have this excellent Dutton CD as well. Its performances really established the interpretive touchstone for each work.

Strongly recommended.

Music Track: