Carl Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (Live)

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What an album from Thomas Dausgaard! The Danish conductor is at ease in the Nordic repertoire and took on Sibelius’ Kullervo (Hyperion) following Paavo Berglund’s world-premiere performance in Bournemouth in 1970. He now continues as Music Director for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra with the second instalment of their recordings of all of Nielsen’s Symphonies, featuring Symphonies 1 & 2. His conducting is remarkably lively and fluid here and is mindful of the rhythm as well as the peculiarities of the instrumentation, which is filled with combinations of unusual timbres. Indeed, Symphony No. 2 (1901-1902, the same time as Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2) also hints at what was to come in Nielsen’s later work, especially through its woodwind arrangements. In this delicate score, Thomas Dausgaard characterises the four temperaments depicted in the movement with astonishing finesse; opening with the Collerico  (Choleric), an energetic allegro, followed by the delightful Comodo e Flemmatico (Phlegmatic), almost nonchalant temperament. The third is an energetic andante that evokes Bruckner’s choral works with dark brass creating the Malincolico (Melancholic) mood. Finally comes a more hesitant tone in the Sanguineo (Sanguine), a skilful mix between the initial collerico and the middle malincolico, with dynamic strings and brassy outbursts. Symphony No. 1 (Op. 7, FS 16, 1892, the same year that Kullervo was premiered) is transformed under the baton of Thomas Dausgaard into an exciting orchestral study that transcends the young Nielsen’s many influences in a veritable burst of creativity. From the very first opus, Thomas Dausgaard offers the listener a glimpse down the radically different path that Nielsen would go down compared with his Finnish counterpart Sibelius, (whom he deeply admired, as evidenced by the letters they exchanged!) and their very different relationship with tradition. An interpretation with much more acuity than many others. A must-listen. © Pierre-Yves Lascar/Qobuz