Carl Nielsen - Orchestral Music (Thomas Dausgaard)

Information

Composer: Carl Nielsen

1. Maskarade (Masquerade), FS 39: Overture
2. Maskarade (Masquerade), FS 39: Act III: Hanedans (Cockerel's Dance)
3. Herr Oluf han rider (Master Oluf He Rides), FS 37
4. Snefrid Suite, FS 17: I. Prelude
5. Snefrid Suite, FS 17: II. Andante quasi sostenuto
6. Snefrid Suite, FS 17: III. Postlude: Allegro non troppo
7. Snefrid Suite, FS 17: IV. Snefrid's Sleep: Andante - Quasi allegretto - Andante
8. Snefrid Suite, FS 17: V. Funeral Music: Andante sostenuto
9. Saul og David (Saul and David), FS 25
10. En fantasirejse til Faeroene (A Fantasy Journey to the Faroes), FS 123
11. Willemoes, FS 44
12. Pan og Syrinx (Pan and Syrinx), Op. 49, FS 87
13. Amor og Digteren (Cupid and the Poet), Op. 54, FS 150
14. Helios, Op. 17, FS 32

Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Thomas Dausgaard, conductor

Date: 2006

Label: Dacapo

https://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/recordings/nielsen-orchestral-music

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

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]

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

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Carl Nielsen (9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish musician, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Although his symphonies, concertos and choral music are now internationally acclaimed, Nielsen's career and personal life were marked by many difficulties, often reflected in his music. Nielsen maintained the reputation of an outsider during his lifetime, both in his own country and internationally. It was only later that his works firmly entered the international repertoire, accelerating in popularity from the 1960s through Leonard Bernstein and others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Nielsen

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Thomas Dausgaard (born 4 July 1963 in Copenhagen) is a Danish conductor. Dausgaard has been Principal Conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra since 1997, and chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra since 2016. He was also Principal Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2011, and will become music director of the Seattle Symphony in 2019-2020 season. Dausgaard has recorded several recordings of Danish and other Scandinavian music for Chandos and Dacapo labels, including works by Per Nørgård, Rued Langgaard and Franz Berwald.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dausgaard

http://thomasdausgaard.com/

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