The Nielsen Nexus

[Karl Henning]

You asked people what the 6th symphony "meant", rather than how they felt about it. I'm honestly not surprised that people are attempting to peer into the mind of Nielsen in response.

I suppose some have yet to weary of the Shakespeare wrote Hamlet when he was sad, and wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream when he was happy model . . . .

[Madiel]

I suppose some have yet to weary of the Shakespeare wrote Hamlet when he was sad, and wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream when he was happy model . . . .

Indeed, it's a very popular model. I spent many years and a string of albums reading how the marriage of my favourite singer, Tori Amos, must be in trouble every time she wrote a song where there was a reference to any kind of conflict or sense of betrayal with another person, because not only must every song be from her own point of view but her husband must be the only significant person in her life.  She got married in 1998, this talk started in 2005, and it's now 2017.

[Karl Henning]

Uncanny! 

[71 dB]

To the bolded text (1): I'll also say that if Nielsen had no interest in being serious, then what do we make of the late masterpieces like the Flute Concerto, Clarinet Concerto, Tre Klaverstykker, or Commotio?

I said not interested in symphonies. Clearly he got more interested about concertos instead.

To the bolded text (2): Nielsen died in 1931, 71 dB. His Sinfona semplice was finished in 1925. That is a six year gap between completion of the 6th and his passing. He wrote a good bit of music from from the mid-1920s up until the end, but this does in no way indicate that he was done with writing symphonies just because he stopped after his 6th.

The fifth was finished in 1922 so working at that rate he could have finished his seventh by 1928 and even another one just before death.

[Turner]

These are quite marginal views, but the Danish composers Karl Aage Rasmussen and Bo Holten both got the idea to orchestrate versions of "Commotio" (1930-31) at around the same time recently, and Holten argues that Commotio can be thought of as a symphonic fantasia, that is too ambitiously conceived for just the organ, and works better as a Nielsenesque parallel to Sibelius´ 7th Symphony.

In Danish:
https://www.doks.dk/organistbladet/703-2015/oktober/1895-bo-holten-commotio-maske-carl-nielsens-7-symfoni
http://www.fyens.dk/kultur/Carl-Nielsen-orgelvaerk-som-ny-symfoni/artikel/143830

As it is well-known, Nielsen had planned concertos for the wind quintet instruments, finishing only those for Flute and for Clarinet towards the end of his life (1927-28), leaving those for horn, oboe and bassoon un-attempted. The mere ambition might-might have taken some of his focus away from any symphonic projects too. But what an extraordinary quintet of concertos that would have been ...

[Mirror Image]

I said not interested in symphonies. Clearly he got more interested about concertos instead.

The fifth was finished in 1922 so working at that rate he could have finished his seventh by 1928 and even another one just before death.

But how do you know he wasn't interested in writing more symphonies? That's quite presumptuous of you.

[Karl Henning]

[. . .] But what an extraordinary quintet of concertos that would have been ...

Forsooth!

[Mirror Image]

As it is well-known, Nielsen had planned concertos for the wind quintet instruments, finishing only those for Flute and for Clarinet towards the end of his life (1927-28), leaving those for horn, oboe and bassoon un-attempted. The mere ambition might-might have taken some of his focus away from any symphonic projects too. But what an extraordinary quintet of concertos that would have been ...

Now that would have been something!

[71 dB]

But how do you know he wasn't interested in writing more symphonies? That's quite presumptuous of you.

I know hardly anything. I am just telling what kind of impression I get from the 6th symphony. I am only speculation based on my impressions. Who knows, maybe he wanted to write 10 more symphonies and would have started working on the next one in 1932...

[Mirror Image]

I've never considered the Violin Concerto at all disappointing. To me, that would be like finding fault with L'oiseau de feu because it isn't  Le sacre du printemps.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

A bit late to this post, but this is so eloquently put. I completely concur. Firebird is just as mesmerizing as Le sacre just like Nielsen's Violin Concerto is just as dazzling as his other concerti. I'll argue further that, while, yes, the Violin Concerto is an early work of Nielsen's, it shows plenty of inventiveness and contains many wondrous passages. The structure of this concerto is also quite unique.

[71 dB]

Ordered the Blomstedt San Franss.

[Mirror Image]

Ordered the Blomstedt San Franss.

Awesome! Overall, it's a fine set. I'm not too impressed by his Sinfonia espansiva, but no cycle is perfect.

[TheGSMoeller]

Ordered the Blomstedt San Franss.

+1
Excellent!

[Mirror Image]

+1
Excellent!

71 dB threw a curveball with that Blomstedt purchase. I hope he enjoys the performances.

[71 dB]

It's interesting that I paid about 25 euros for the "inferior" Leaper cycle back in the day and now about 11 euros for the "superior" Blomstedt cycle. 

[Karl Henning]

It's interesting that I paid about 25 euros for the "inferior" Leaper cycle back in the day and now about 11 euros for the "superior" Blomstedt cycle. 

I don't have an opinion about the Leaper, but of course the Blomstedt is now available at a fraction of what it cost when first released.  Which is to our benefit 

[71 dB]

I don't have an opinion about the Leaper, but of course the Blomstedt is now available at a fraction of what it cost when first released.  Which is to our benefit 

Yeah. 20 years ago it was like this: CDs are 22 euros unless it's Naxos when it's 8 euros. Sometimes you found a "full price" disc in a bargain bin for 10 euros. No wonder if one learns to appreciate Naxos' business model at those prices. At least I learned.  At the time I became interested of classical music 1996/97 Naxos had just become a major player among classical music labels and had a huge price advantage to others. It was time before Brilliant Classics and other dirt cheap big boxes by all labels we have today. Naxos has lost that advantage, but my Naxos collection did become large during those "golden years".

Then came online shopping! Suddenly the local music and book stores aren't your only source of classical CDs. At first online shopping meant MUCH bigger selection of items, but eventually the second hand market evolves and now CDs are available for £0.01 + shipping. At that point local music and book stores totally lose the competition and stop selling CDs. So, it's online shopping only apart of a few persistent classical music stores.

[Mirror Image]

It's interesting that I paid about 25 euros for the "inferior" Leaper cycle back in the day and now about 11 euros for the "superior" Blomstedt cycle.

To the bolded text: what are you in 3rd grade? Just because I didn't like Leaper's Nielsen doesn't mean that the same holds true for anyone else. In other words, get over it, man.

[71 dB]

To the bolded text: what are you in 3rd grade? Just because I didn't like Leaper's Nielsen doesn't mean that the same holds true for anyone else. In other words, get over it, man.

I certainly don't have a problem with you not liking Leaper's Nielsen. That's not my business. Each to their own.

You told you don't understand why someone listens to Leaper when sets of Blomstedt and Kuchar are so cheap and easy to pick up. That's when I had to explain my choices. I did it and I even ordered the Blomstedt cycle. I think I am well over it by now. 

[snyprrr]

Which is to our benefit 

Tell that to Blomstedt's nephew, who's struggling to get through college because... "we" can savor his uncle's great work for pennies on the dollar!! Oh, what have "we" become?