The Nielsen Nexus

[Roasted Swan]

What do they do about the wordless voices in the slow movement, wouldn't two soloists get drowned out by the brass?

Voices are not used (a bit like the composer-sanctioned instrumental alternative).  This is already quite a big step away from the original so I guess getting concerned about preserving the voices would be a little odd.  As I say its a massive re-imagining but one I think works rather well (but then Bo Holten's Commotio doesn't offend me either!)

[prémont]

Voices are not used (a bit like the composer-sanctioned instrumental alternative).  This is already quite a big step away from the original so I guess getting concerned about preserving the voices would be a little odd.  As I say its a massive re-imagining but one I think works rather well (but then Bo Holten's Commotio doesn't offend me either!)

Well, the voices are a special and a distinctive feature of this symphony and can't be omitted without violating the work.

Concerning arrangements I'm never offended but often surprised. What's the purpose of these arrangements which are never up to the original work?

[Roasted Swan]

Well, the voices are a special and a distinctive feature of this symphony and can't be omitted without violating the work.

Concerning arrangements I'm never offended but often surprised. What's the purpose of these arrangements which are never up to the original work?

"violating" now there's a provocative (inappropriate?) word!  Nielsen himself offered the alternative of a clarinet and bassoon if the (obviously preferable) voices were not available.

Arrangements have many purposes; pragmatism - allowing music to be performed in places and by ensembles that would not be possible in the original form.  Arrangements can be enlightening - often they can throw light and give insights into works not always apparent in their original form.  Arrangements are never intended to replace original works - they supplement and extend our knowledge and appreciation of the original.  My feeling is that folk who dismiss arrangements are simply putting the original work on an inviolable pedestal. 

[Symphonic Addict]

I thoroughly endorse what RS said!

[Roasted Swan]

This week's/month's free download if you are subscribed to the Naxos newsletter is this;



Now the 1st LP I had of "The Inextinguishable" was this DG Heliodor performance;



which I assume is the same performance?  Not yet listened but my memory - decades old! - is that it was rather good.  Of course as my 1st encounter with this astonsihing work perhaps it was the piece that made the major impact.  But I think Markevitch would be good in this piece.  Anyway it was a free FLAC download so literally nothing to loose.......

[Scion7]

full LP artwork for the ^ above Sym Four:

https://ia802308.us.archive.org/20/items/lp_symphony-no-4-the-inextinguishable-op-29_carl-nielsen-det-kongelige-kapel-igor-mark_0/lp_symphony-no-4-the-inextinguishable-op-29_carl-nielsen-det-kongelige-kapel-igor-mark_0.pdf

Quality has always seemed to shrill for me,
even the DG issue of this recording.

[Atriod]

This week's/month's free download if you are subscribed to the Naxos newsletter is this;



Now the 1st LP I had of "The Inextinguishable" was this DG Heliodor performance;



which I assume is the same performance?  Not yet listened but my memory - decades old! - is that it was rather good.  Of course as my 1st encounter with this astonsihing work perhaps it was the piece that made the major impact.  But I think Markevitch would be good in this piece.  Anyway it was a free FLAC download so literally nothing to loose.......

It appears that Vox (now owned by Naxos) owns this recording because it was not in the DG Markevitch box. Naxos have been reissuing some of those Vox owned recordings, hopefully this will make its way to CD.

[Scion7]

Has anyone here picked these up?  I could have back in the day, but didn't.  No re-issue on CD.

[Jo498]

Never seen them; I had the woodwind quintet + fillers in a similar design and also with a Danish ensemble on CD!  but I didn't keep it, having ~3 other recordings of the wind quintet I preferred.

[Symphonic Addict]

Due for release on September 6th:



Carl Nielsen
-Saul & David: Prelude to the Fourth Act & Battle Music with the Curtain Down

-Symphony No. 3


Niels Jørgensen
-Højby Riffle Club March

[Karl Henning]

Due for release on September 6th:



Carl Nielsen
-Saul & David: Prelude to the Fourth Act & Battle Music with the Curtain Down

-Symphony No. 3


Niels Jørgensen
-Højby Riffle Club March

Nice to see some Nielsen news!

[Madiel]

So not actual works for piano. Sigh.

[Roasted Swan]

Due for release on September 6th:



Carl Nielsen
-Saul & David: Prelude to the Fourth Act & Battle Music with the Curtain Down

-Symphony No. 3


Niels Jørgensen
-Højby Riffle Club March

Thankyou but no thankyou.  A classic case of a version that probably served a purpose domestically when the opportunities to hear the "proper" work were all but non-existent but irrelevant now - for me at least!

[Symphonic Addict]

Thankyou but no thankyou.  A classic case of a version that probably served a purpose domestically when the opportunities to hear the "proper" work were all but non-existent but irrelevant now - for me at least!

A respectable position, but I don't agree with it. I, for one, am curious to hear that recording. This sort of arrangements is a way to refresh the already saturated recordings of the symphonies (of which I wonder if many of those really provide something particularly insightful nowadays), even if they're not sanctioned or approved by the composers themselves.

Other symphonies that have been arranged by the composers or by others for piano duet or piano duo have been interesting to hear, e.g. Walton Symphony No. 1, Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 2, Honegger Symphony No. 3, Sibelius Symphonies 2 and 5, etc., so why not with Nielsen? I don't see anything irrelevant about it.

[Karl Henning]

Mileage will vary, certainly.

[SonicMan46]

Last few days, I've been going through my rather modest Nielsen collection, about a dozen discs (see attachment) - now his operas, songs and other vocal combos are vast looking at his composition list, but only interested in adding the Piano Trio and a recording of his Orchestral Music - this thread is too long to peruse, so any favorites in the works mentioned?  Thanks - Dave

[krummholz]

Last few days, I've been going through my rather modest Nielsen collection, about a dozen discs (see attachment) - now his operas, songs and other vocal combos are vast looking at his composition list, but only interested in adding the Piano Trio and a recording of his Orchestral Music - this thread is too long to peruse, so any favorites in the works mentioned?  Thanks - Dave

Favorites? Pretty much "all of the above".

(Assuming you mean works, not recordings, as I am not familiar with most of the ones you list.)

[SonicMan46]

Favorites? Pretty much "all of the above".

(Assuming you mean works, not recordings, as I am not familiar with most of the ones you list.)

Well, I wanted to add the Piano Trio and found the chamber music disc below - the other pieces are pretty much duplicated on another CD that I own and will cull from my collection.  Nielsen wrote a lot of 'orchestral music' related to vocal works, operas, tone-type poems, etc. (the link I gave above shows the extent); thus, there were MANY recordings w/ different pieces - I picked the second CD below (its contents are shown in the last pic; of course just a sampling of his many compositions related to this genre - I'm sure many have been discussed in the many pages of this thread).  For those interested, I attached a review of each disc.  Dave


   

[Madiel]

There's an orchestral works disc conducted by Dausgaard that's highly regarded (it also appears bundled with symphonies in the Dacapo Masterworks box, but originally it was separate).

But it might overlap a fair bit with the one you've just grabbed. Which I think I liked when I sampled in the past.

[Roasted Swan]

A recent purchase was this unusual disc;



For sure this is not absolute vintage/top drawer Nielsen but there are just enough sparks of the real composer to make this invigorating and energetic music really enjoyable.  Especially when given as committed and polished performances as here.  Singing, playing and recording are all excellent so a great way to get to know over an hour of probably unknown Nielsen.... unless you are voice-phobic as several forum members are!!