# Nielsen 5



## juliante

This symphony is truly extraordinary and wonderful! I have returned to it after a year off and this is now fixed in my top 3 symphonies. Does anyone else rate it so highly? if so what's your favourite recording? Blomstedt with San Francisco for me so far of the 4 or 5 I've heard. By far. But then I got to know it through this piece and I often struggle with other recordings once I have lost my cherry to one.


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## joen_cph

Have you heard Bernstein? It is the most essential one, IMO. The intensity, including the string section, is incredible. As far as I remember, Blomstedt saw it as his ideal too, cf. the liner notes for the CD recording you mention.


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## Becca

I got to know the Nielsen loooong time ago via the Bernstein recording of the 5th and it has remained one of my favourite symphonies. Since then I have looked for other worthwhile recordings but they are few and far between. The Ole Schmidt/LSO was good and, as noted above, the Blomstedt/SFSO is very good. Currently my preferred performance is not on a CD ... Blomstedt and the Berlin Philharmonic on the BPO's Digital Concert Hall. I have also listened to Colin Davis, Alan Gilbert Michael Schonwandt ... ok but not great ... and David Zinman (avoid!)

As an aside, our local orchestra did the 5th once a long time ago and I had seats only a few rows back from the stage. It was a tremendous performance but what I remember most is the young couple sitting just in front of me ... during the pause after the first half, there was silence for a moment then a quiet but intense 'WOW' from them!


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## MusicSybarite

juliante said:


> This symphony is truly extraordinary and wonderful! I have returned to it after a year off and this is now fixed in my top 3 symphonies. *Does anyone else rate it so highly?* if so what's your favourite recording? Blomstedt with San Francisco for me so far of the 4 or 5 I've heard. By far. But then I got to know it through this piece and I often struggle with other recordings once I have lost my cherry to one.


Me!! I share your enthusiasm about this unique creation by one of my all-time favorite composers. I sometimes feel it wins over the other symphonies I know, it has everything: mystery, piquancy, intensity, struggle, drama, 'epicness', wit. It's a glorious work overall, though his 4th The Inextinguishable is on par with it in those regards.

Last year I attended a concert with this work featured and it was an electrifying performance, the impression it had on me was overwhelming, certainly one of my most favorite concerts I've ever attended.


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## CnC Bartok

I wouldn't quite put this in my top three, but certainly top twenty.

A fabulous and emotionally immensely challenging symphony, if I see it described as the finest of the 20th century, I struggle to disagree. There is something uniquely profound and at the same time banal, about the side drum in the first movement, but it works, simples!

Sadly, I haven't heard the ideal performance on disc. The most satisfying I have in my collection is the famous (justifiably so) Bernstein performance, but I very much like both Blomstedt (Decca) and Schonwandt (Naxos). My RCA Berglund recording is one of the least convincing I have heard. Thomas Jensen is possibly better than Bernstein, but this work needs modern sound......


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## MusicSybarite

I wouldn't call banal the side drum apparition in the work. Since it was composed when WWI was fresh, for me it represents guns shooting, anarchy, chaos, certainly Nielsen was very ingenious using it in the orchestra. The moment when the dramatic turmoil reaches its highest point and the horns appear shutting it up (along with the full orchestra) is priceless, an absolutely winning moment in classical music in my view. The triumph over evil. Lots of goosebumps cover me everytime I listen to it, simply glorious!!


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## Becca

The snare drum...


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## Ras

Becca said:


> The snare drum...


Thanks, now I know why Nielsen wrote that weird part for the snare drum in his 5th symphony - it's the age old (and probably ever-lasting) battle between good and evil!


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## Josquin13

Here's a list of the best performances of Nielsen's 5th that I've heard over the years:

I. Historically, my top picks are: Erik Tuxen's 1955 Paris performance (on Danacord--though I've not heard Tuxen's 1950 Edinburgh Festival performance), and Thomas Jensen's pioneering 1953 account, with the Danish State Radio Orchestra. Sixteen Ehrling was another conductor that championed Nielsen's music in the 1950s, & Ehrling recorded the 5th with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (released by BIS)--but his 5th is difficult to find now, & I've not heard it myself. There's also a 1944 recording from Georg Høeberg. I'm not sure if Launy Grøndahl ever recorded the 5th?, but he too was an early champion of Nielsen's music (& did record a great Nielsen 4th: 



).

1. Thomas Jensen (1953): 



2. Erik Tuxen (1955): 




II. Analogue era--basically, listed in order of preference; although I think highly of all of the first 5 recordings mentioned:

1. Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic, Columbia/Sony: 




2. Sir Alexander Gibson, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Chandos (1978)--IMO, Gibson is underrated in Nielsen (& Sibelius): https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7998826--nielsen-symphony-no-5
https://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Symphony-Helios-Sibelius-Sunrise/dp/B00118U0B4

3. Rafael Kubelik, Danish State Radio Orchestra, 1965, CBS: 




4. Paavo Berglund, RCA: Berglund may not be quite as at home in Nielson as he is in Sibelius, but he gives a captivating, if slightly unusual performance of the 5th--which I'm more convinced by than Robert is, but admit it shouldn't be your first & only recording of the 5th: 




5. Kyril Kondrashin, Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, live in 1980, on Philips (digitally remastered): 



http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=144750

The good, but not great (in comparison to the above performances):

6. Herbert Blomstedt, Danish State Radio Orchestra, EMI: 



7. Ole Schmidt, LSO: 




III. Digital era--again, I've listed them in order of preference:

1. Esa-Pekka Salonen: the young Salonen & the Swedish Radio S.O. give a very detailed performance, which has an almost classical feel to it. The performance may not be for everyone, but I like Salonen's Nielsen (especially in the early symphonies 1 & 2). Plus, I find Salonen more characterful & energized than Blomstedt in SF: 




2. Herbert Blomstedt, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Decca: 




3. Michael Schønwandt, Danish State Radio Orchestra: 




4. Bryden Thomson, Royal Scottish Orchestra: 




5. Thomas Søndergård, BBC National Orchestra of Wales: 




I've not heard Jukka-Pekka Saraste in the Nielson 5th, but like him very much in Sibelius. Nor have I heard Gennady Rozhdestvensky in the 5th.


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## MarkW

I have only one recording -- Horenstein with the NPO -- and it satisfies me, but I have no idea how it ranks among the afficianados. ?


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## Becca

markw said:


> i have only one recording -- horenstein with the npo -- and it satisfies me, but i have no idea how it ranks among the afficianados. ?


WGASA?

(why is it that the system kept changing all upper case to lower??)


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## juliante

Thanks everyone certainly a few and tried suggestions here.and it looks like I need to revisit Bernstein…


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## Brahmsianhorn

I have the Horenstein as well and it is fantastic


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## Becca




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## Enthusiast

A great symphony for sure. I think I know most of the recordings mentioned and there are some good ones among them (Bernstein and - especially - Horenstein were my go to recordings for a long time) but mostly these days I find myself more than happy with Rozhdestvensky's and Oramo's Nielsen recordings - coincidentally both sets with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.


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## chill782002

I really like Ole Schmidt's 1974 recording with the London Symphony Orchestra. Although the 1st is probably my favourite Nielsen symphony, the 5th comes a close second and is a much more original and idiosyncratic work than the 1st.


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## starthrower

I picked up the Bernstein which is an exciting performance. I have a complete cycle by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic included in the Membran box, The Danish Symphonist. A 10 CD set that also includes the concertos, wind quintet, piano music, and songs.


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## juliante

starthrower said:


> I picked up the Bernstein which is an exciting performance. I have a complete cycle by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic included in the Membran box, The Danish Symphonist. A 10 CD set that also includes the concertos, wind quintet, piano music, and songs.


Recommended purchase? I must confess to not exploring him beyond 5 and 4.


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## starthrower

juliante said:


> Recommended purchase? I must confess to not exploring him beyond 5 and 4.


No.3 is a beautiful symphony. One of my favorites. And No.6 is the most unusual. A quirky and eccentric piece. The Herbert Blomstsedt/SF Symphony is a good set. There are 2 vols of 2CD sets. Vol 2 also includes his choral work, Hymnis Amoris. I bought used copies. If you're interested in the concertos, wind quintet and more there's the 10 disc set I mentioned which retails for under 20 dollars.


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## superhorn

The Kubelik recording is actually on EMI not CBS . I don't know if it has been reissued on EMI's new incarnation Warner Classics . But it should be . I wish Kubelik had recorded more of Nielsen's works .


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## 89Koechel

Becca - That's a GREAT, specific excerpt from the BBC's "Espansiva", from 1970 (produced by Barrie Gavin). Thanks!!


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## 89Koechel

Josquin13 - Excellent list, and thanks for mentioning Sixten Ehrling, from Malmo! A friend of mine, Lawrence Jones of "Polyphony", the auction site ... recently sent me a Chicago Symphony Orch. performance of Nielsen's 5th, with Ehrling conducting (Dec. of 1967). It's an excellent performance, with all the STRENGTHS that one would expect from Ehrling; it's, I'm sure, comparable to ANY modern performance, be it from Bernstein, Ole Schmidt, et. al.


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## CnC Bartok

superhorn said:


> The Kubelik recording is actually on EMI not CBS . I don't know if it has been reissued on EMI's new incarnation Warner Classics . But it should be . I wish Kubelik had recorded more of Nielsen's works .


In this box! I though I was the only one that liked the Kubelík Nielsen 5, glad others warmed to it, even if on the face of things he's out of his comfort zone?


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## techniquest

The older Naxos recording (National SO of Ireland / Adrian Leaper) has a really effective snare drum in the climax of the first movement, which includes some very sharp rim hits.


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## Ras

juliante said:


> Recommended purchase? I must confess to not exploring him beyond 5 and 4.


My favorite Nielsen symphony is the 3rd "Espansiva".

And these are my recommendations for complete recordings:

Paavo Jarvi on RCA








A. Gilbert with The New York Phil on Dacapo:








Herbert Blomstedt with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on Decca. (There is an earlier recording with a Danish orchestra, but the later San Francisco recording has better sound). 








John Storgårds on Chandos.








Kuchar on Brilliant is good if you like Bernstein - they both make Nielsen sound like Brahms.


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## Becca

Ras said:


> make Nielsen sound like Brahms.


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## starthrower

The Blomstedt box includes his opera, Maskarade.


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## Becca

starthrower said:


> The Blomstedt box includes *his opera, Maskarade*.


...which is a real gem ... very recommended


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