- Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5
Back in 1962, when Leonard Bernstein recorded Carl Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony, this event provided the composer with a wider international visibility some thirty years after his death.
This symphony has since been recognized as one of the great symphonies of the twentieth century, but at its first performances during the early 1920’s audiences were less enthusiastic, finding it puzzling and difficult to understand.
We get to hear Carl Nielsen’s “Fifth” together with his symphony #4 on this CD:
Nielsen:
- Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 (FS76) ‘The Inextinguishable‘
- Symphony No. 5, Op. 50 (FS97)
Performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sakari Oramo conducting.
These two central works in Nielsen’s compositions have now been selected for the first installment of a complete Nielsen cycle by Sakari Oramo and his Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Guardian wrote on 6th February 2014:
“This first installment of a full set of the Nielsen symphonies suggests it could be very special: the performances have an irresistible momentum…In both symphonies the Stockholm orchestra responds wonderfully too.”
Here is “A Journey through Nielsen’s 5th Symphony”, which presents an interesting analysis of Nielsen’s work:
And next, here is Nielsen’s 4th symphony, subtitled “the Inextinguishable”:
Tags: Carl Nielsen, Symphony #5, Symphony #4, Skari Oramo, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
