CD 1 [81:30]
Symphony No. 1 in G minor Op. 7/FS16 (1891-92) [35:45]
Symphony No. 2 The Four Temperaments Op. 16/FS 29 (1901-02) [33:41]
Helios Overture Op. 17/FS 32 (1903)* [10:58]
CD 2 [80:34]
Symphony No. 3 Sinfonia Espansiva Op. 27/FS 60 (1910-11) [36:14]
Anu Komsi (soprano); Christian Immler (baritone)
Symphony No. 4 The Inextinguishable Op. 29/FS 76 (1914-16) [35:31]
Saga-Drøm Op 39/FS 46 (1907-08) * [7:43]
CD 3 [79:19]
Symphony No. 5 Op. 50/FS 97 (1921-22) [36:40]
Symphony No. 6 FS116 (1924-25) [33:44]
Pan og Syrinx Op. 49/FS 87 (1917-18)* [7:49]
This exceptionally generous set brings together the cycle of
Nielsen symphonies that Osmo Vänskä set down during
the time that he was at the helm of the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra. At its heart lie very fine performances of the Fourth
and Fifth symphonies but everything else in the package has
strong claims on the attention of collectors.
The Fourth symphony receives a completely convincing performance
from Vänskä. There’s great energy in the first movement
right from the very start, where Nielsen’s music just erupts,
as it should. Throughout this set the playing of the BBCSSO
is excellent and in this movement it’s the contribution of the
brass – sonorous and incisive – that particularly catches the
ear. Later on, in the second movement, which is close to a Brahmsian
symphonic intermezzo, the woodwind carry most of the musical
argument and they don’t disappoint. The strings take centre-stage
at the start of the third movement and the searing violins in
the opening measures set the tone for an intense performance.
At 5:27 the first of a series of staccato woodwind interjections,
breaking into the hushed reverie of the strings, heralds the
start of the ascent to the ardent climax of the movement, which
Vänskä and his players deliver superbly. The finale
is vibrant and thrusting. The onslaughts from the two timpanists
are savage and presage the disruptive efforts of the side-drummer
in the Fifth symphony. The passage between 5:17 and 6:10 is
like a musical thunderstorm, superbly played and recorded. After
this conflict the final triumph of the music, though hard-won,
is marvellous to hear and in these final pages the timpani,
previously destructive, now add grandeur at the end of a most
impressive reading of this engrossing symphony.
The Fifth is just as successful. From the glacial, threatening
opening, Vänskä’s conception of the first movement
– one of the most original symphonic movements I know – is masterly.
Those collectors who acquire this set will soon discover that
the BIS engineers have produced magnificent results. One example
of their excellence is the thrilling way in which the percussion
is caught from 4:17 onwards. The Adagio (from 10:45) is warmly
expressive at the start, which makes the shrill woodwind interjections
from 14:44 all the more unsettling and once the brass join in
(from 15:55) the cumulative power of the performance is tremendous.
I want to comment in some detail on one crucial aspect of this
performance, Ever since I first heard Jascha Horenstein’s 1969
recording for Unicorn I have despaired of ever hearing, whether
live or on disc, a side-drummer with the courage and imagination
to match the ferocious onslaught of Alfred Dukes’ playing for
Horenstein. However, in the BBCSSO’s Heather Corbett we have
such a percussionist. She is quite outstanding in confronting
the slow-moving music that her colleagues are playing (between
16:34 and 18:10) and – praise be! – she even adds rim shots
after 17:36. Her combative contribution makes the victory of
the adagio over the drumming all the more imposing to hear.
In the wonderfully effective subdued closing pages the clarinet
playing of Yann Ghiro may not quite erase memories of John McCaw
on the Horenstein disc but it’s a close run thing. Vänskä
leads a gripping and powerfully projected traversal of the second
movement. In all respects this is one of the best accounts of
the Fifth that I’ve encountered on disc.
The Espansiva is a conspicuous success too. Vänskä
invests the opening of I with an outpouring of vital energy
but, as the movement unfolds, he shows that he can relax when
the music requires it. His reading of II is expertly controlled
and he obtains some first rate playing from the orchestra. The
wordless soloists are good (from 5:59) and they’re well balanced;
the voices aren’t too prominent but, instead, are a part of
the overall texture, as should be the case. At the start of
IV the fine, broad tune strides forward in a sturdy and confident
manner. I thoroughly enjoyed Vänskä’s account of this
movement, culminating in the apotheosis of the big tune and
a jubilant ending.
The two earliest symphonies also fare well. The first movement
of Number 1 fairly bounds along. Vänskä evidently
relishes this youthful, uninhibited music and his account of
the finale similarly bursts with vitality. In between, the second
movement is warmly expressive; the BBCSSO strings excel here.
The reading of The Four Temperaments finds Vänskä
responsive to all its moods. Of special note is the very fine
account of II, an impressively eloquent composition. Here once
again we find the strings in fine fettle and Vänskä
builds the climaxes in an authoritative fashion. I find his
approach to the exuberant, extrovert finale completely convincing.
I must admit that I’ve never really understood the Sixth symphony.
Mind you, I was somewhat cheered to learn that, apparently,
it took the noted Nielsen authority, Robert Simpson, a long
time to ‘get’ this work. I find it very elusive. That said,
hearing it as part of a cycle enabled me to hark back to the
symphony’s two immediate predecessors when listening to Vänskä’s
reading of the first movement and this made more sense of the
music. It seems to me that there are definite ‘pre-echoes’ of
Shostakovich in this symphony and particularly of his Fourth
and Fifteenth symphonies, not least in Nielsen’s second movement,
which is scored primarily for wind and percussion. This is as
sardonic as anything that came from Shostakovich’s pen, not
least the ‘raspberries’ from the trombone. Vänskä
directs a pert and agile reading. The strings come into their
own in III, and eloquently so in this performance. But what
are we to make of the finale? This is a theme and nine variations
and, for me, it’s the real puzzle of this work. What was
Nielsen getting at here? I find it a most perplexing end to
his career as a symphonist. Whilst I don’t pretend to understand
the music of the finale it is clear that this present performance
features agile and acute playing. Once again the engineers are
on fine form too: for example the percussion, especially the
bass drum, is reported with stunning realism in the short ninth
variation (8:20 – 8:44).
As if it were not enough to have all six Nielsen symphonies
in such fine performances, BIS add to the attractiveness of
this collection by including three generous ‘fillers’ in the
shape of shorter orchestral works, one to complete each disc.
For these pieces Vänskä directs the Lahti Symphony
Orchestra in performances that are as excellent as they are
idiomatic and authoritative.
This is a compelling box, offering a Nielsen cycle of uncommon
distinction and authority. It would be hard to better Vänskä’s
performances not least for their consistency. BIS has a deserved
reputation for the quality of its recorded sound and these discs
are in the finest traditions of the house. There’s good bloom
on the sound and just the right amount of resonance and, above
all, the sound is crystal clear, allowing an abundance of detail
to register very naturally. The sound is completely truthful
and realistic and there’s an impressive dynamic range, which
allows the biggest climaxes to register thrillingly.
Collectors who have not yet sampled Osmo Vänskä in
Nielsen should hasten to make good that omission by investing
in this excellent set.
John Quinn
see also review of individual releases by John
Phillips (2 & 5) and Rob
Barnett (3 & 4)
Masterwork Index: Nielsen
symphonies
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/*Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä
