� These recordings, made during Sir Colin Davis' 'Indian summer' with the London Symphony Orchestra, are acknowledged amongst the finest recordings ever made of this repertoire, receiving numerous awards. � The symphonies were originally released between 2011 and 2013 and are now made available together for the first time as a splendidly packaged 3 SACD box set, including one Pure Audio Blu-ray disc. � Despite giving titles to the majority of his symphonies, Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) was often vague about what influenced each work. � That fact notwithstanding, Neilsen was a master symphonist and his music is often mesmerizing, combining propulsive energy with lyrical invention. � 'Colin Davis establishes himself as a first-class Nielsenian on our pick of the week...' LSO0722 Symphonies Nos 2 & 3 (The Sunday Times) � Editor's Choice LSO0694 Symphonies 4 & 5 (Gramophone) � Disc of the Week LSO0715 Symphonies Nos 1 & 6 (BBC Radio 3)

Nielsen's "Maskarade" is regarded as Denmark's national opera. It combines folk-song character, Mozartean elegance and virtuoso surprises to create what conductor Titus Engel describes as 'musical comedy that's both witty and of the highest calibre'. Based on an 18th-century play by Ludvig Holberg, the story revolves around Leander and Leonora who meet at a masquerade ball, swear undying love, and then have to deal with the complicated consequences of their situation, all accompanied by Nielsen's irresistibly sparkling score. This acclaimed contemporary staging from Oper Frankfurt is sung in a new German translation and directed by Tobias Kratzer.

The Subscription Concert Series of the Wiener Philharmoniker from the Golden Hall of the famous Musikverein are special concerts reserved for subscribers. Due to the exceptional quality of the concerts and the limited offer, the average waiting time for subscribers is more than 10 years. With this series, these very special concerts are made available for the first time audiovisually to a wider audience worldwide. Conductor Herbert Blomstedt, honorary member of the orchestra, is a regular guest at the subscription concerts. For this one he chose Carl Nielsen's Fifth Symphony: "It is full of Danish humour: very serious and at the same time very comic and yet sublime. " As a counterpoint to Nielsen's exciting experimentation, Greek star violinist Leonidas Kavakos interprets Johannes Brahms' Violin Concerto, one of the most beloved and frequently performed works in the violin concerto repertoire. "Leonidas Kavakos, together with the Philharmoniker, makes this beautiful work a true celebration. " (klassik-begeistert. De) Program: Johannes Brahms: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra J. S. Bach: Partita for violin solo No. 1, III. Sarabande - Double Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 5

Leif Ove Andsnes is a leading pianist of his time, known for his exceptional musicianship and subtil touch, his considerable technical flair being unfailingly put at the service of his interpretations. He was a pioneer for being the first home-trained superstar pianist to have emerged from Norway. This box is the story of a 20-year partnership that has yielded a rich seam of recorded treasures, first for Virgin and then for EMI. Running through this cornucopia of 34 albums (36 CDs), we find recurring themes: Grieg (Andsnes even recorded some Lyric Pieces on the composer's own piano at Troldhaugen), Nordic music in general, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Schubert.

"The Hindemith concerto, while not exactly revealing itself as an unregarded masterpiece, gets just the right degree of tempered bombast and pastoralism - suggesting that here is a piece ripe for reassessment."

-- BBC Music Magazine reviewing Sony 64507

"These two concertos are the product of Nielsen's last years: the Clarinet Concerto, surely one of his strangest and most powerful utterances, was written in 1929, only two years before his death, and the Flute Concerto comes from 1927. They are two of the most masterly concertos for their respective instruments (Nielsen whose understanding of the wind was second to none had planned a concerto for each of the wind family) and Robert Simpson rightly calls the Flute Concerto "the richest and most original" written for the instrument...Stanley Drucker gives an intelligent account of his demanding part...Julius Baker is the excellent soloist in the Flute Concerto which he plays with great virtuosity."

-- Gramophone Reviewing original LP, CBS 72639

NIELSEN, C.: String Quartets, Vol. 2

The First Bass of the Royal Opera Aage Haugland marked the 100th appearance at New York’s Metropolitan Opera a few years ago. He performs all major cities’ opera houses with prominent conductors e.g. Ozawa, Abbado, Solti, Maazel a.o. Here on his second CD on Kontrapunkt. Haugland accompanied by Jens E. Christensen sings and recites hymns by the famous 18th century Danish poet H.A. Brorson.

Summer Music

Songs

Young Nielsen

The increasingly popular Nielsen symphony series reached its fifth volume here including two pieces for string orchestra: Andante Tranquillo and Scherzo which are premier recordings. Earlier releases received a number of favourable reviews: KPT 321771 “...one of the most interesting interpretations available in the market now...the orchestra presentation is absolutely impeccable...” (The Jutland Post) KPT 32178 “...The Odense orchestra play with sensitivity and a total commitment throughout...” (The Gramophone)

Ibert, Nielsen, Jolivet: Concertos For Flute And Orchestra

Complete String Quartets

Danish Organ Music

The Danish Song Treasury

Wind Chamber Music 4

The Danish Song Treasury, Vol.

The year 2005 marked the bicentennial anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth, whose's writing has been the treasury of the world. Internationally renowned tenor Poul Elming compiled an album of Lieder by great composers inspired Andersen's poetry.

The Danish Song Treasury, Vol.

In the summer of 1910 Carl Nielsen was asked to write incidental music for the inauguration of Denmark’s first open-air theatre in the royal deer park (Dyrehavbakken) just north of Copenhagen. This theatre was in use for about three decades and Nielsen composed for a few dramas for this theatre. As the scores have never been published, the music was little known to the later generation. In collaboration with Odense Symphony Orchestra, Kontrapunkt revived these “unknown” Nielsen works to add to our Nielsen series. Though the scoring is limited to voices, wind instruments and some percussion due to the open-air circumstances, music is very typically Nielsen from his most creative period.

They're still talking about Bernstein's "Espansiva" in Denmark, and with good reason. While better known for his Mahler, Bernstein's advocacy of Nielsen arguably achieved just as much, alerting music lovers beyond Denmark of a composer of international stature. Not all of Bernstein's Nielsen was equally good. His Second and Fourth symphonies are nowhere near as fine as these two, which are stunning. The "Espansiva" has all of the openhearted warmth that Nielsen requires. Bernstein's tempo in the finale is a touch slow, but grand and celebratory. The sonics were good for their day, and they still sound well.

Bernstein's reading of the Fifth is also magnificent. For sheer excitement it has never been surpassed, particularly in the second movement, which is wildly uninhibited and urgent. In the first movement, outstanding work from the solo clarinet meets a pretty terrifying snare drum cadenza at the climax. Only the sonics, which relegate the timpani to the rear of--somewhere--let the show down a bit, but the drive and communicativeness of the music-making ultimately win the day. This is a great recording, plain and simple, now available "on demand" from Arkivmusic.com.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Carl Nielsen's "other" orchestral music includes a number of overtures and tone poems that on recordings usually show up appended to performances of his six symphonies. This primarily theatrical music reveals a surprisingly fantastical side to the composer's imagination, freed from the strictures of symphonic form. This is especially evident in the Aladdin Suite, where Nielsen concocts some fetching and convincingly authentic-sounding Arabian melodies, all lavished with exotic orchestral coloring. Dance rhythms abound, punctuated by spiky percussion. Niklás Willén and his South Jutland Symphony players effectively capture the distinctly-drawn moods of widely varied movements, though Esa-Pekka Salonen's Sony recording bristles with an energy and excitement (especially in the Festival March and Negro Dance) that's less apparent here.


Atmosphere again is Willén's strong suit as he evokes the mystical realms of Saga-Dream and Pan and Syrinx while deftly rendering the Helios Overture's stirring drama. Maskarade's bright comedy comes across effectively (though Järvi is unmatched for sheer exuberance). Finally, the brief Cupid and the Poet is from Nielsen's late style, sounding very much like his quirky and tonally ambiguous Clarinet Concerto. Overall, this is a fine set of performances, and it's great to have all these Nielsen gems together on one disc. Naxos' big-hall perspective is somewhat distant, but the sound-picture fills out nicely at those big, brassy climaxes.
--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

NIELSEN: SYMPHONY NO 1, LITTLE

THE ROYAL EDITION - NIELSEN: S

These are intense and memorable performances with an outstanding, exciting and colourful ‘Sinfonia espansiva’ and a ferociously energetic, yet life-affirming ‘Inextinguishable’ Symphony No. 4. All in all, a distinguished, top drawer set.

-- MusicWeb International