This is the best of Salonen's Nielsen cycle, featuring performances of great thrust and unflagging energy, played with the necessary sharp rhythmic focus, and vividly recorded. The Sixth Symphony comes off especially successfully: Salonen's unsentimental approach does justice both to the "semplice" elements in the opening movements as well as to the grotesque humor of the finale, with the result that the music's tragic outbursts register all the more forcefully. And while there may be warmer versions of the Espansiva on disc (Bernstein, Schonwandt, or Blomstedt), few offer as much visceral excitement or textural clarity, particularly in the first and third movements. If you are looking for this coupling, then having this title available "on demand" from Arkivmusic.com provides a very viable option.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com