Nancy DALBERG (1881-1949)
String Quartet No.1 in D minor (1915) [24.32]
String Quartet No.2 in G minor, op. 14 (1922) [26.44]
String Quartet No.3, op.20 (1927) [19.50]
Nordic String Quartet
rec. 2018, Koncertsalen, Royal Danish Academy of Music
DA CAPO SACD 6.220655 [71.08]
This is a genuinely exciting release, and not only for the devotee of Scandinavian music. These are string quartets of genuine quality, revealing a distinctive compositional voice, here in very fine performances and transparent recording. The music is serious, often very muscular, both strong and rewarding, tonal and assured.
Nancy Dalberg is not well-represented on record, though there is an interesting compilation from 1999 (Da Capo 8224138) which contains orchestral pieces, including Capriccio for orchestra, Scherzo for String Orchestra ,eight selected songs, Fantasy Piece for Violin and Piano, and a performance of String Quartet No. 2 by the esteemed Carl Nielsen Quartet. Interestingly, the second quartet is something of a staple for Nordic and – especially – Danish quartets, yet the other two, no less worthy, are here receiving world premiere recordings. The earlier performance has many delights, is generally swifter than the new, yet the Nordic Quartet lose nothing in urgency while being served by superior sound. The new recording has the extra merit of being heard in the context of the other two, and my preference is for the new one.
Nancy Dalberg’s output was relatively small, consisting largely of songs and these quartets. Her orchestral works, mentioned above, also included a symphony – the first written by a Danish woman. Contemporaries commented that her symphony had nothing specifically feminine about it (why should it?). It would be good to have a modern recording – a cursory search revealed no sign of one.
The First Quartet was performed privately – among the players was Carl Nielsen, her friend and teacher. It follows the usual four movements with a cheery scherzo in second place. A strong sense of rhythm is evident in all three faster movements. The cello-led Adagio is both dark and intense, despite its brevity. Though written when Dalberg was still Nielsen’s pupil, this is no prentice work but a significant contribution to the medium.
The more familiar Second Quartet is very spirited, more instantly attractive, but the slow movement, Andante con moto e cantabile, again in third place, touches many depths in stern elegance.
The final quartet is in only three movements and is musically the most advanced and tightly constructed. There is no slow movement, but an intensity of feeling and some sense of sadness is evident throughout. Instruments often appear in high pitches (most notably the cello) and there is confident handling of the most complex polyphonic forms.
Recording quality is as fine as we might expect from this source, and my recommendation is unreserved.
Michael Wilkinson
Information received
We have heard from Jens Chr Uldall-Hansen, who is a descendant of
Nancy Dalberg; she was his great-aunt. He has a great interest in her music
and proposed not only the recordings of her string quartets to DaCapo
Records but also prompted the publication of the music. He advises that the
symphony, referenced in the above review, no longer exists, though this
information was not publicly available to our reviewer. He writes: "After
the first performance in 1918, at which also her Capriccio was performed for
the first time, Nancy Dalberg decided to remove the first movement and
rename the work "To Orkesterstykker, op. 9" (Two pieces for Orchestra, op.
9). It is not known why she did so. Around 2004 I decided to reconstruct the
symphony, and, during my proof reading I noticed, that in all the parts used
in the performance in 1918, the first movement was simply cut out with a
knife, or, where this would remove some of the second movement, a piece of
paper was glued over the rest of the first movement. So, she really meant
that the symphony, as a whole, was not to be played again, and I realised
that the word 'symphony' was not relevant any more. At some time it may be
possible, however, to record these three pieces, or a combination of them."
