Sunday 20 May 2012

Day 26: Nielsen Symphony no.3


Day 26: Nielsen Symphony no.3

Carl Nielsen was a Danish composer who was born in 1865, just a year after Richard Strauss. He was quite a prolific composer, writing 6 symphonies, various concertos [ok, concerti if one must be pedantic!], many orchestral and ensemble works, a couple of operas, and lots of hymns.

His early influences were composers like Grieg and Brahms, although as his career progressed his music became more modern in outlook.

The third symphony is called Sinfonia Espansiva, and was described by Nielsen himself in a programme note:

“The symphony expresses – namely in the first movement - a strong tension which in the second movement  … has been completely eradicated by idyllic calm. Towards the end of this movement two human voices sing on the vowel a, as though to bring about a sort of flegmatically paradisal mood.”

“The third movement is something that cannot really be characterised in that both good and evil make themselves felt without a real outcome. The finale … is straightforward: a hymn to work and the healthy enjoyment of daily life. Not a pathetic celebration of life but a sort of general joy in being able to participate in the work of daily living and to see activity and capability unfold all around us.”

My recording was of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Myng-Whun Chung.

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