Carl Nielsen: Orchestral Music - Thomas Dausgaard, Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Carl Nielsen : Orchestral Music

Thomas Dausgaard, Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Gramophone Awards 2007 : Finalist of Orchestral Category

BBC Radio 3 : Critics Disc of the Year 2007

Gramophone Magazine : Disc of the month : April 2007

BBC Music Magazine : Orchestral Choice : April 2007

01. Maskarade - 1. Ouverture [0:04:21.68]
02. Maskarade - 2. Hanedans [0:05:42.43]
03. Hr. Oluf han Rider - Forspil: Andantino giusto [0:05:38.27]
04. Snefrid - Suite for Orkester - 1 [0:02:15.09]
05. Snefrid - Suite for Orkester - 2 [0:02:43.54]
06. Snefrid - Suite for Orkester - 3 [0:02:03.19]
07. Snefrid - Suite for Orkester - 4 [0:03:27.42]
08. Snefrid - Suite for Orkester - 5 [0:02:33.17]
09. Saul og David - Forspil til 2. akt: Allegro marziale [0:05:08.31]
10. Rhapsodisk Ouverture - En Fantasirejse til Faeroerne [0:10:17.52]
11. Willemoes - Forspil til 3.akt: Andantino espressivo [0:02:11.71]
12. Pan og Syrinx - Naturscene for Orkester, Op. 49 [0:08:43.40]
13. Amor og Digteren, Op. 54 [0:05:22.08]
14. Ouverture Helios, Op. 17 - Andante tranquillo [0:11:55.29]Gramophone magazine : David Fanning : Disc of the month : April 2007


About as close to the Nielsen ideal as you ever hope to hear

This is outstanding, and unmissable for Nielsen collectors / and not only for the less familiar items, all of which have been recorded before (not badly, either). The Danish Radio Symphony must have played the Saul and David and Maskarade excerpts and the Helios Overture more times than they can count. But for Dausgaard they relish every detail, without ever sounding self-conscious. To call the balance in the "Cockerel's Dance" felicitous would be an understatement; it is revelatory. Nor is affectionate an adequate word for Dausgaard's interpretations of all the music on this disc; there is love here, and a sense of crusading mission.

I could sing the praises of the Rhapsody Overture and Pan and Syrinx just as extravagantly. And I would as happily wax lyrical over the theatre music excerpts, all of which lead to or from the world of Nielsen's symphonies. Given playing of such finesse and bite (one virtually takes idiomatic understanding for granted) they all feel like gems in their own right. I could hug the oboist for his/her contributions to the Snefrid excerpts.

I suppose I'm not the easiest listener to please when it comes to Nielsen recordings. But this is the kind of issue that reminds me why. It comes about as close to the ideal as I ever hope to hear, and it eclipses almost all others in its field. Dacapos recording quality is top-drawer, and there is an exemplary essay from Jψrgen I Jensen. Disc of the year for me so far, then. And if it is still so at the end of 2007, I won't be surprised.

Also :

BBC magazine :Stephen Johnson
Performance : *****
Sound : ****

If you enjoy inflicting guessing games on musical friends, then this disc has your name on it. Those who know Nielsen from his symphonies and concertos – and perhaps also the Wind Quintet – will probably think they have Nielsen’s musical personality taped. So watch them flounder when confronted with the soft voluptuousness of the ‘Sleep’ movement from Snefrid, the brazen Musorgskian fanfares from Act II of Saul and David, or the murky, barely

tonal deep string harmonies and weirdly chattering woodwind which set A Fantasy Journey to the Faroe Islands in motion.

More seriously, this disc is a good reminder of just how experimental Nielsen could be: prepared to try out not just different stylistic devices but even different kinds of persona. Where else in his output do we find the alternately languorous and harsh storytelling of Pan and Syrinx, or the elemental nature painting of Helios? Go back to the symphonies after hearing these and the ear may catch echoes of Pan’s piping, or the knight Oluf’s encounter with the enchanting yet sinister netherworld. Thomas Dausgaard conducts all these works with tremendous gusto, balanced by a fine ear for unusual, suggestive textures, or the comedic vitality that erupts in Maskarade. Good recordings too: clear, and more atmospheric than the studio environment would lead one to expect.

And :

Classics Today : David Hurwitz

Talk about a slam-dunk! This is without doubt the finest collection of Nielsen's short orchestral works currently available. It is perfectly played, brilliantly conducted, and superbly recorded in stereo and SACD formats. You won't hear a more ebullient performance of the Maskerade Overture anywhere. Thomas Dausgaard keeps the tension mounting right through the quiet central episode, and the coda is beyond exciting. The manic eruptions in both An Imaginary Journey to the Faroe Islands and Pan and Syrinx rage with uninhibited impact, but the poetry in the soft passages isn't ever slighted, particularly in the latter. The Prelude to Act 2 of Saul and David sounds suitably imposing, while a rousing, joyous account of the Helios Overture closes the program in the most satisfying and contented fashion imaginable.

What makes this disc even more satisfying is the presence of some very rare examples of Nielsen's extensive output of incidental music. Usually we only get to hear Aladdin, or very occasionally the overture to Love and the Poet (but not as well played as here). Willemoes is only a charming couple of minutes long, but the Snefrid Suite and the Hr. Oluf Hand Rider Prelude are more substantial. The former dates from the period of the First Symphony (early 1890s) and finds the composer discovering his personal voice, particularly in terms of harmony. The latter dates from the same period as Maskerade (around 1906), and it's a fully characteristic gem. In all of this music the playing of the orchestra reveals proprietary pride without a trace of complacency or routine. Everything sounds fresh and new, and if you don't love this disc, then--well, never mind. It's just plain irresistible. Might there be a sequel in the offing, with Aladdin, Saga-Drom, and the remaining shorter orchestral works? We can only hope. [2/1/2007].

More info about : Carl Nielsen LINK

Happy listening!

Posted by Ice