Nielsens nr 1 (english)

This is a translation of a posting in Danish from February 22. 2009.

- from Nørresnede, as my late dad would have added. But it is long since I could share my musical experiences and discoveries with him. Now I must share with you!

In the recent days I have heard two other recordings of the Carl Nielsen Symphony no 1. Both with Danish conductors, but very different. And both very right and not as I had remembered or expected them.


First Thomas Jensen and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (LP, Decca Eclipse ECS 570, copy from 1970). It is both factually and audible the oldest one. Technically the quality is good, but the soundstage is a little compressed and not as broad and expansive as later recordings – and that is quite natural. I have not been able to date this recording precisely. It must be not earlier than 1957 when Jensen moved from Aarhus to Copenhagen, and not later than 1963 when he dies. This is well in line with the recording being in stereo. The first recordings Thomas Jensen made of the Nielsen symphonies are dated from 1944 and into the early 1950's and all in mono. The major difference to more modern recordings is the tempo. The tempo is faster and more insisting than I have ever heard on any other recording. It is absolutely worth hearing as a fresh wind thru well known music, and not just as a historical document. When you have in mind that Thomas Jensen studied under Carl Nielsen at the academy of music and that he played all of the symphonies as a cellist with Nielsen himself conducting the orchestra it is not strange that the daughters of Carl Nielsen said that Thomas Jensen was the conductor that came closest to their farther in his performances of the symphonies.


The contrast of the day is the Ole Schmidt recording of no 1 with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) (LP, Unicorn RHS 324-330 box-set with all 6 symphonies from 1973-74). Here the technical quality is at the top, the orchestral play is marvelous and the tempo somewhat slower. I thought I remembered Ole Schmidt as very temperamental and almost violent? It must be time and memory playing around here ;-)

In short – this is Nielsen to my taste!


It is much fun to compare the performances from different times and different countries of the same piece of music. If I myself must conclude anything it will be that Schmidt and Ormandy has got the solid mainstream offerings of this symphony. Jensen has the very interesting alternative – and maybe more original – performance. While Bostock not quite gets it. But it is the differences that enrich.

I wonder if not the next project in comparative record listening must be the Symphony no 5 by Carl Nielsen? Not just because it for many years has been my top favourite symphony but also because I have a whole lot of (very different) recordings – and it is years since I last heard any of them.