# SS 31.05.14 - Nielsen #4 "The Inextinguishable"



## realdealblues

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931)*

Symphony #4, Op. 29, FS 76 "The Inextinguishable"

1. Allegro
2. Poco allegretto
3. Poco adagio quasi andante
4. Allegro

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## Jeff W

I'll take this recording with Herbert Blomstedt leading the San Francisco Symphony.


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## realdealblues

I'm not overly familiar with this symphony. I've heard it two or three times but don't remember much about it as it's been a while. I would normally go with either Bernstein or Blomstedt, but I bought this Nielsen box set a while back and still haven't listened to all of it so I guess I'll go with this one:

View attachment 43121


Michael Schønwandt/Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra


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## Guest

I've not listened to this since last summer, so a good time to have another go...

View attachment 43122


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## CyrilWashbrook

I'll take any excuse to listen to the Inextinguishable, which counts as one of my absolute favourite symphonies. 

Ordinarily, I listen to Schonwandt/DRSO or Blomstedt/San Francisco, both of which are top-class recordings. But I'm going to mix things up a bit this weekend with Rozhdestvensky and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, a recording that I haven't heard before.


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## samurai

realdealblues said:


> I'm not overly familiar with this symphony. I've heard it two or three times but don't remember much about it as it's been a while. I would normally go with either Bernstein or Blomstedt, but I bought this Nielsen box set a while back and still haven't listened to all of it so I guess I'll go with this one:
> 
> View attachment 43121
> 
> 
> Michael Schønwandt/Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra


Hi, realdealblues. I wish to commend you for both for your choice of symphony this weekend and whom you have chosen to listen. I have come to really enjoy Maestro Schonwandt's reading of this work, as well as the Nielsen Fifth; he brings a passion and a sense of excitement to these sublime works, and I always feel refreshed and renewed after hearing his fiery--yet controlled readings. I, too shall be listening to Michael Schonwandt and the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra's powerful traversals of both works.
I also intend to look into buying the box set you have pictured, as I currently only have Maestro Schonwandt and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra performing the two aforementioned Nielsen Symphonies. Time to start browsing Amazon, I guess.
Thanks again for getting the weekend off to a great start! :cheers:


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## GioCar

Few weeks ago I bought










Royal Stockholm Phil Orch, Sakari Oramo

Still have to listen, so I'll go for it tomorrow.


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## maestro267

Yes! Great symphony this weekend! Duelling kettledrums, here we come! 

Danish National RSO/Schonwandt


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## Avey

Absolutely love this work. Both the yearning and struggle in this piece perfectly exhibit what I believe Nielsen was attempting to get across here: the endurance of life, that despite all negative force, there is a fundamental will to persist. Considering it was penned amid WWI, the work seems even more on-point.


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## realdealblues

samurai said:


> Hi, realdealblues. I wish to commend you for both for your choice of symphony this weekend and whom you have chosen to listen. I have come to really enjoy Maestro Schonwandt's reading of this work, as well as the Nielsen Fifth; he brings a passion and a sense of excitement to these sublime works, and I always feel refreshed and renewed after hearing his fiery--yet controlled readings. I, too shall be listening to Michael Schonwandt and the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra's powerful traversals of both works.
> I also intend to look into buying the box set you have pictured, as I currently only have Maestro Schonwandt and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra performing the two aforementioned Nielsen Symphonies. Time to start browsing Amazon, I guess.
> Thanks again for getting the weekend off to a great start! :cheers:


I'm just going off the 150 Most Recommended Symphonies list here on TalkClassical so it wasn't really my pick 

The set I have is under...
Nielsen: The Masterworks Vol. 1
http://www.amazon.com/Masterworks-Vol-Orchestral-Music/dp/B005FF2U2Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1401459185&sr=1-2&keywords=nielsen+masterworks

It has Schonwandt's Cycle as well as a Hybrid/SACD from Thomas Dausgaard with some Orchestral Works. As a bonus you also get 2 DVD's of Schonwandt performing the complete symphonic cycle live on video.

When I got it I paid like $20 for it. Looks like you can get it from an Amazon Seller new for around $30, but still a pretty good deal considering you get the 2 DVD's.

I've only listened to Schonwandt's recording of Symphonies 1 & 5 I think, and I listened to the Dausgaard CD of orchestral works, but I've just kind of been waiting for his Symphonies to come up in the Saturday Symphony to listen to them.


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## ptr

Another favourite!

Will go for some classic Nielsen, but have a hard time to decide on which, so many good recordings to be heard!

Thomas Jensen and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1952) or Tor Mann and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (1947/1956) or John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra @ The Proms (1965), but I think that I will go for:









Jean Martinon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1967)

/ptr


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## Mahlerian

I'm going for this Naxos version recorded by Schonwandt and the Danish National Symphony:


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## Marschallin Blair

Mahlerian said:


> I'm going for this Naxos version recorded by Schonwandt and the Danish National Symphony:


I'd like to hear that one too. I've heard his exciting _Aladdin_, I can only imagine how he does the _Inextinguishable_.


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## Marschallin Blair

ptr said:


> Another favourite!
> 
> Will go for some classic Nielsen, but have a hard time to decide on which, so many good recordings to be heard!
> 
> Thomas Jensen and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1952) or Tor Mann and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (1947/1956) or John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra @ The Proms (1965), but I think that I will go for:
> 
> View attachment 43124
> 
> 
> Jean Martinon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1967)
> 
> /ptr


--
Didn't know about this one._ Martinon? Chicago? Nielsen_?--Awesome. Thanks.


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## ptr

Marschallin Blair said:


> Didn't know about this one._ Martinon? Chicago? Nielsen_?--Awesome. Thanks.


*ArkivMusik* says its available with Morton Gould's Four Temperaments on RCA

/ptr


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## Marschallin Blair

ptr said:


> *ArkivMusik* says its available with Morton Gould's Four Temperaments on RCA
> 
> /ptr


You're a doll. _Thanks_.


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## joen_cph

As a side remark, Morton Gould´s Nielsen Second is one of the most interesting recordings of the work, IMO it should be in a selected pair of recordings.


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## omega

Great idea!
I'm going for Neeme Järvi conducting the Göteborgs Symfoniker


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## Guest

GioCar said:


> Few weeks ago I bought
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Royal Stockholm Phil Orch, Sakari Oramo
> 
> Still have to listen, so I'll go for it tomorrow.


It has received mixed reviews, but I like it. The old Karajan/BPO is good, too.


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## Haydn man

I am going to try this version via Spotify


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## Vaneyes

*Nielsen*: Symphony 4, w. SFS/Blomstedt (rec.1987).


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## brotagonist

This is à propos! I just received it in the mail a couple of days ago. I just finished with disc one yesterday and will begin disc two (Symphonies 3 and 4; Andante Lamentoso) tonight or Saturday.









Herbert Blomstedt
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra


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## CyrilWashbrook

Thoughts on the Rozhdestvensky recording that I listened to: it's polished, but lacks the full liveliness of the Schonwandt or the Blomstedt. In particular, I'm used to hearing the fourth movement played at a brisk tempo, whereas Rozhdestvensky takes it quite slowly. This deprives it, to some extent, of the tremendous momentum that makes it such an exciting and exhilarating conclusion.


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## techniquest

One of my favourites 
I'm going to opt for this one: LSO / Ole Schmidt on Regis and also (if I get the time), the old Naxos recording with NSO Ireland / Adrian Leaper.


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## Mika

Blomstedt & Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra


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## SONNET CLV

I first encountered this work from the Markevitch recording on Turnabout:









It remains a favorite recording of a favorite work, one seemingly underappreciated ... alas.


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## techniquest

Having now listened to both the recordings I mentioned above, I think that the old Naxos recording is adequate enough, but I'd love to hear how it compares to the newer Naxos release.
The Regis disc with the LSO and Ole Schmidt is far better recorded - much brighter and punchier, but it's waaaaay too fast in places, especially noticeable at the start of the 3rd movement and the coda of the last. I have a further recording this time on vinyl, with Bernstein and the NYPO on CBS so I might give that a whirl later in the week


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## TurnaboutVox

This one...

Nielsen - Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 (FS 76) 'The Inextinguishable'
San Francisco Symphony, Conductor Herbert Blomstedt 
Recorded Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, 11/1987


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## Guest

Well, I tried to listen on Saturday, but I became somewhat distracted by a particularly engaging thread discussion elsewhere and stopped half way.

I then had to go for a quiet walk with Messiaen's _Turangalila _to soothe troubled nerves!


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## joen_cph

Holy cow, incredible. Has some of say Martinon's traits, but better played and more architecturally structured.

What a piece. We´re probably talking Bernstein-in-the-5th-symphony-level here.


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## Heck148

Martinon/CSO heads the list...it's never been matched, a real classic...my first exposure to the work was Markevitch/Royal Danish, then Martinon burst onto the scene and blew it away....
Great playing, and excellent recording - the low brass, in particular are esp stunning, nothing like it...beautiful woodwinds in 2nd mvt, virtuoso strings...great percussion.....a superior effort all around. I knew numerous trombone, tuba players who wore out several rounds of LPs....
the recent Martinon/CSO Box from RCA has terrific remasterings of this colllection... noticeably superior to previous releases...Navigator, etc....


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## Joachim Raff

As previously recommended by a number of folk. The pacing, excitement in the finale takes some beating and both timpini players go hell for leather. Now available in cd form in the Martinon/CSO box set. This I would recommend as well


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## Simplicissimus

Joachim Raff said:


> View attachment 138867
> 
> 
> As previously recommended by a number of folk. The pacing, excitement in the finale takes some beating and both timpini players go hell for leather. Now available in cd form in the Martinon/CSO box set. This I would recommend as well


The Martinon/CSO box set is fantastic and a bargain. Interested people should probably get it soon while it's still available.


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## Heck148

Simplicissimus said:


> The Martinon/CSO box set is fantastic and a bargain. Interested people shoprobably get it soon while it's still available.


Yes, it is quite spectacular, and the remasterings are the best I've ever heard for these releases.


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## Gray Bean

Thomas Dausgaard and the Seattle Symphony with a wonderful 3rd, too. I also love the New York Philharmonic cycle with Alan Gilbert. Really, really fine and very vigorous!


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## Heck148

Gray Bean said:


> Thomas Dausgaard and the Seattle Symphony with a wonderful 3rd, too. I also love the New York Philharmonic cycle with Alan Gilbert. Really, really fine and very vigorous!


Gilbert/NYPO Nielsen #3 is very good...I also have an excellent broadcast tape of Blomstedt/CSO performing it.. very excellent...
Of course, the old standby is Bernstein's inspired version with the Royal Danish Orchestra from '65.


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## Tinker2Evers2Chance

Another firm vote for Martinon and CSO.


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