The Nielsen Nexus

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 5, Op. 50, FS 97



Nielsen began working on his Symphony No. 5 shortly after World War I. He was deeply affected by that terrible conflict, and the intensity of the Fifth may reflect the composer's feelings about war. At any rate, the work represents a significant shift in the composer's attitude and philosophy; many of his postwar pieces reveal an increasingly strident, polyphonic, and dramatic style, much in contrast to those of the pre-war era. Notably war-like is the dramatic content of the Fifth; conflicting moods and aesthetics are played out throughout: the consonant versus the dissonant, contrapuntal versus harmonic, constructive versus destructive. The work also represents a complete break from Classical form in favor of a two-movement structure; according to biographer Robert Simpson, the first movement contains "the crux of the conflict itself," while the second part is "a finale that would rise out of the ashes in a great fount of regenerative energy. Even this finale is not to be free of difficulties, but it is to prove irresistible in the end."

The first part of the symphony is divided into two contrasting sections: a Tempo giusto in common time and an Adagio non troppo in 3/4 time. A viola tremolo opens the work, a hypnotic perpetual motion figure that several brief melodies try to overrun. As other destructive forces encroach -- a flurry of notes here, an obsessive snare drum rhythm there -- the music reaches a chaotic peak and an Adagio section abruptly brings in constructive forces. Soon, however, the destructive element intrudes, and a veritable battle breaks out with the snare drum rhythm symbolizing the darker side of the conflict. The lyrical Adagio wins out, and the movement fades away with a peaceful clarinet melody, though still accompanied by the distant snare drum figure. An uneasy peace has been won as the second movement gets underway. The movement is divided into four main sections: the brisk opening Allegro subject surges along over an ostinato fourth motif in the bass, which leads into a scherzo-like Presto in the form of a fugue. Soon, destructive forces symbolized by the clarinet and tympani diminish the stability of this passage, and the more the music tries to continue in the face of these obstacles, the more frantic it becomes before an Andante passage finally introduces a second fugue. The subject is developed in a sonorous, polyphonic string texture before leading into a triumphant Allegro section that concludes the work on a note of exaltation and synthesis. "With the Fifth," Nielsen scholar Povl Hamburger asserted, "Nielsen reached the absolute summit of his creative power, not only in his symphonic, but in his instrumental music altogether. Nothing that was added afterwards equals it in greatness of mind, vision, and imagination."

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

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This is possibly Nielsen's most disturbing symphonic utterance (although there are parts of Sinfonia Semplice that are pretty terrifying). I believe the first performance I heard of the 5th was Blomstedt's with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on Decca and I remember being captivated from the first note to the last. There's really nothing like this symphony. The whole snare drummer episode where he practically takes over the entire orchestral soundscape is just pure madness. There are some 'rays of hope' in the symphony, however, like the Adagio that enters after the snare drum section. This gives the music a little relief, but there's still an air of uncertainty and unease throughout the rest of the symphony. My favorite performance is Bernstein's, but I really enjoyed Kubelik's with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra on EMI I revisited recently. What about you guys?

[vandermolen]

Interesting post John and interesting that you appropriately accompanied it with John Singer Sargent's extraordinary painting 'Gassed' which is in the Imperial War Museum in London. Coincidentally I was on a group walk yesterday when I was talking about this painting with a sculptor. It is very large and standing in front of it is a very moving experience. The ghostly procession of blinded soldiers is made even more poignant by the football match going on in the background. As to performance of Nielsen's 5th, like you I rate the Kubelik very highly but also the Horenstein Unicorn version. It is not generally highly praised but has the most anarchic side drummer I have heard. I'll let you know what I think of the Barbirolli.

[Mirror Image]

Interesting post John and interesting that you appropriately accompanied it with John Singer Sargent's extraordinary painting 'Gassed' which is in the Imperial War Museum in London. Coincidentally I was on a group walk yesterday when I was talking about this painting with a sculptor. It is very large and standing in front of it is a very moving experience. The ghostly procession of blinded soldiers is made even more poignant by the football match going on in the background. As to performance of Nielsen's 5th, like you I rate the Kubelik very highly but also the Horenstein Unicorn version. It is not generally highly praised but has the most anarchic side drummer I have heard. I'll let you know what I think of the Barbirolli.

Very nice that you could see this painting in person. It's one of the greatest war paintings I've ever seen actually and so telling in its presentation. I have the Horenstein 5th you speak of and need to give it a listen.

[vandermolen]

Very nice that you could see this painting in person. It's one of the greatest war paintings I've ever seen actually and so telling in its presentation. I have the Horenstein 5th you speak of and need to give it a listen.

If you come to London you must see the painting John! 

[Mirror Image]

If you come to London you must see the painting John! 

I most certainly will! If I were to go to London, I'd be spending at least two weeks there. After London, I'd go to Copenhagen and then off to Finland.

[71 dB]

... and then off to Finland.

You are coming to Finland? Cool! 

[Mirror Image]

You are coming to Finland? Cool! 

One day (I hope).

[71 dB]

One day (I hope).

Sibelius monument?

[Mirror Image]

Sibelius monument?

Sure and Ainola.

[vandermolen]

I was at Ainola in 2013 - my Finnish friends took me there; a wonderful experience. My brother has been to the Nielsen Museum in Denmark and to see Bax's grave in Ireland. I would like, one day, to visit Miaskovsky's grave in Moscow.

[Mirror Image]

I was at Ainola in 2013 - my Finnish friends took me there; a wonderful experience. My brother has been to the Nielsen Museum in Denmark and to see Bax's grave in Ireland. I would like, one day, to visit Miaskovsky's grave in Moscow.

Very nice, Jeffrey. I didn't know you had a brother and that he's a Nielsen fan to boot. The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.

[Mirror Image]

Speaking of the Nielsen Museum, that would definitely be a place I'd love to visit when in Denmark:



Also, I'd love to visit Nielsen's childhood home in Funen:

[vandermolen]

Very nice, Jeffrey. I didn't know you had a brother and that he's a Nielsen fan to boot. The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.

That's true John! My brother said that a sudden storm broke out in Denmark (possibly on the Island of Funen which he visited) and he said that it helped him to understand the source of some of Nielsen's inspiration. My brother was with me in Finland and we spend some time at my old friend's summer house overlooking a lake. My brother and I both, independently, thought of the opening of Sibelius's Second Symphony! All those old LP sleeve images I guess. 

[vandermolen]

Speaking of the Nielsen Museum, that would definitely be a place I'd love to visit when in Denmark:



Also, I'd love to visit Nielsen's childhood home in Funen:

Ah, I'm sure that it was Nielsen's childhood home on Funen that my brother visited and where the storm broke out. Nielsen's wife was a sculptor and I'd be interested to see her work too.

[Mirror Image]

That's true John! My brother said that a sudden storm broke out in Denmark (possibly on the Island of Funen which he visited) and he said that it helped him to understand the source of some of Nielsen's inspiration. My brother was with me in Finland and we spend some time at my old friend's summer house overlooking a lake. My brother and I both, independently, thought of the opening of Sibelius's Second Symphony! All those old LP sleeves I guess. 

Yes, those sudden changes of weather could have possibly helped fuel Nielsen's inspirations, but also, I imagine, the folk music he had heard growing up seeped into his subconscious as well.

[vandermolen]

Yes, those sudden changes of weather could have possibly helped fuel Nielsen's inspirations, but also, I imagine, the folk music he had heard growing up seeped into his subconscious as well.

Oh, definitely John.

[vandermolen]

The Barirolli performance (1960) is magnificent with the most manic and anarchic side-drummer I have heard. He doesn't let up for one moment. Terrific performance all round.

[Karl Henning]

The Barirolli performance (1960) is magnificent with the most manic and anarchic side-drummer I have heard. He doesn't let up for one moment. Terrific performance all round.

Dadgummit, Jeffrey; you're costing me! 

[Mirror Image]

The Barirolli performance (1960) is magnificent with the most manic and anarchic side-drummer I have heard. He doesn't let up for one moment. Terrific performance all round.

Excellent! How's the audio quality?

[vandermolen]

Dadgummit, Jeffrey; you're costing me! 

You'll just have to compose more music Karl or play in a jazz band to earn some more money so that you can afford all my recommendations. I am having to mark (grade) lots of public school examinations at the moment for the same purpose.