VCs on Dacapo

[Alan Howe]

The best Nielsen cycle IMHO is Blomstedt's later San Francisco set on Decca; and a close runner-up is the bargain-basement, but superlative set conducted by Kuchar on Brilliant. But do make the journey through Nielsen symphonies. It's one of the great cycles.

[Peter1953]

Thanks, Albion and Alan. Of course I cannot say anything about Nielsen, having only that disc with his concertos. I'll put Nielsen's symphonies on my CD's-to buy-list, and I can only hope the music isn't chaotic (to my ears, I realize), like his clarinet and flute concertos.

[Alan Howe]

The wind concertos are, of course, very late Nielsen. Only Symphony No.6 has music anything like that - but Nos.1-5 are the very opposite of chaotic!

[Pengelli]

I wonder what Langgaard would have to say if he could join in? I don't like making comparisons really,but I must admit to playing Langgaard more than Nielsen.On the other hand, I don't wear outsize hats and my trousers aren't too short,so there could be some hope for me yet! I AM squarely in the Rued camp though.
                                                               
                                                                                     Regards from Ribe.

[Alan Howe]

"Camp" somehow seems an appropriate word for a lot of Langgaard...

[Pengelli]

 .....but never Rued!

[Alan Howe]

Really? 

[Pengelli]

Possibly,Alan!!!

[Pengelli]

Seriously,you do have a point there. Even as an admirer,and not particularly camp myself,I have to admit that you can't really get more camp than 'Antikrist'. Although,Schreker might come in as a close second. But then again,possibly more kitsch than camp.
NB: this does seem to have turned into a Langgaard thread.(I shall have to moderate myself). It strikes me that Gade and Lange-Muller should,perhaps, have been more eccentric and ranted a bit more ,or gone out for some  nocturnal jaunts wearing peculiar items of clothing?
(I did like a milky Camp Coffee,incidentally,years ago).
Anyway,back to vc's (generally speaking) on Dacapo?

[eschiss1]

Seriously,you do have a point there. Even as an admirer,and not particularly camp myself,I have to admit that you can't really get more camp than 'Antikrist'. Although,Schreker might come in as a close second. But then again,possibly more kitsch than camp.
NB: this does seem to have turned into a Langgaard thread.(I shall have to moderate myself). It strikes me that Gade and Lange-Muller should,perhaps, have been more eccentric and ranted a bit more ,or gone out for some  nocturnal jaunts wearing peculiar items of clothing?
(I did like a milky Camp Coffee,incidentally,years ago).
Anyway,back to vc's (generally speaking) on Dacapo?

I'm hoping for, either on Dacapo or BIS, the three of Holmboe. One of them has already appeared (on Dacapo).  It looks like BIS is slowly progressing integrally (if that's a word) through his output, but that's a guess. Anyone have any idea, anyways?
Eric

[Ilja]

.....but never Rued!

There IS of course father Siegfried's beautiful, beautiful second piano concerto. Makes you hungry for the first (and a third?).

[Peter1953]

Probably off-topic: The Nielsen Symphonies. I wrestled myself through the 6 symphonies for the first time, starting by 1 and ending with 6. Nielsen underwent definitely a development. Each symphony is different and is getting more and more progressive. Nothing wrong with that, but is this music that pleases me? What a strange and not seldom noisy music, especially 4, 5 and 6 (the two middle movements of the 2nd are beautiful). I'm looking for an encouragement to give the set another spin. I know that some music must grow on me, but what is the stimulus in the case of the Nielsen symphonies? Very well possible that I'm not yet ready for this music. Patience needed? Does anyone have the same experience?

[chill319]

Never judge a composer by his haircut. Yet Carl Nielsen certainly had a spiky side, with odd, sideways harmonic slips that rarely resolve to pleasant and familiar cadences (as Die Rosenkavalier's do). You can hear in the first symphony (I particularly like the Blomstedt/SFO recording) that Nielsen internalized early his predecessor Beethoven's example of writing music that sounds like committed struggle. It took him over two decades to get to the even noisier style of symphony 4. But when he got there, the struggle was, for me, even deeper and more far-reaching.

From the beginning this seriousness was an important part of Nielsen's appeal for me. It all depends on what one listens for in music. Carl Nielsen is not for everybody, nor according to Hugo Wolf is Johannes Brahms.

I encountered the Nielsen symphonies slowly -- Bernstein's third,  Bernstein's and Horenstein's fifth, Martinon's fourth, and Ormandy's sixth (still competitive performances in my book) were released over a period of years.

In retrospect, I'm glad I had time to get used to the quirks of the Bernstein third performance before encountering the later works. I doubt I'd have the patience to sit through recordings of all six over, say, a weekend. Or eat six mutton chops in a row, either. If you want to "get into" Nielsen, I'd suggest picking the symphony that appeals to you the most -- or if there isn't one, the third or fourth -- and listen to it occasionally. Chances are the "strange" in the music will take care of itself. It did with me.

Hope you're listening to the Blomstedt/SFO or Schonwandt set, as those performances are uniformly excellent. I have the Kuchar but am less impressed by it than Alan is. Kuchar is exciting, and in some movements (such as 2/3) as good as anyone, but to me he doesn't give the music quite enough breathing room. To each his own.

[Peter1953]

Thanks, chill319, for your useful comments. Yes, I have the EMI-set performed by the Danish RSO under Blomstedt. Occasionally I will listen to one of his symphonies and start with the accessible 2nd.

[Kriton]

I remember hearing the finale of Nielsen 3 a couple of years ago, and being overwhelmed by it. Not even wanting to begin with the rest, I played the movement again, and found out this way about his progressive tonality. Then I had someone recommending me the Blomstedt SFO cycle, and I was hooked. Although I now own several recordings of the complete symphonies, I must say I prefer the Blomstedt/SFO - and I think it's not just because I've heard that one first; a combination of what seem to me to be exactly the right tempi and perfect orchestral sound, makes these symphonies sound more monumental here than in any other recording I know. I really have to agree Nielsen's is one of the best symphonic cycles around, even though I still can't quite 'get' the 6th.

His shorter orchestral works can also be quite amazing; I think the Helios overture at full volume is one of the things my neighbours came to dislike me for...