Search - Carl Nielsen, Neeme Järvi, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra :: Nielsen: Symphonies Nos.4 & 6

Very good performances of Nielsen Masterpieces!!

mahlerii@aol.com | Richfield, MN | 08/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Neeme Jarvi is now my favorite living conductor because of the number of unfamiliar works that he has recorded, much to our benefit. He has amazing credentials in Nielsen, but this is the only performances of his that I have heard. You can get these same performances on his DG set of the complete works. Jarvi can be fast with swift tempos, but everything seems just about right here-maybe the 4th needs more fire at times. However, his 4th is one of the most successful in recent years. The 6th,to my mind, has no particular flaws. It is the toughest nut to crack amongst the six because of its extreme dissonance and weird humor. The only other performance I can compare it to is Blomstedt, and the race is run rather evenly. Sample Jarvi's DG set and see if you like his other performances, if not, try these. Excellent sound and performances from the Gothenburg Symphony."

Explosive Nielsen by dynamite Järvi

David Igra | Stockholm, Sweden | 02/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Typical of Neeme Järvi is his crispy clear approach to the music he conducts, these recordings are no different. Particularly the fourth symphony, 'the inextinguishable' has left me breathless since the very first time I heard it. The third movement is simply terriffic! The sharp opening sets the pace for an unforgettable listening experience. For those who aren't familiar with the SO of Gothenburg I can highly recomend it, especially recordings with it made from 1989 and forth."

Invigorating

David Saemann | 06/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My favorite Nielsen 4ths are LPs by Bernstein and Max Rudolf. I have not heard either of the CD issues of the Bernstein. Jarvi's performance is not quite in their league, but it is very good. The first two movements are rather rushed, missing some of the lyricism in this music. Some people might call this approach impulsive--I'm not sure that it is wrong. The high point of the interpretation is the third movement. It is thrilling in its intensity and is gloriously played. The excellent sound engineering comes to the fore in the finale. There the dueling timpani come across with more potency than I've ever heard before. The performance of the Sixth, recorded two years later, seems excellent. I say seems because I'm not sure that I understand the piece. I have recordings of it by Ole Schmidt, Osmo Vanska, and Adrian Leaper--this seems to be the most effective of the four of them. Neeme Jarvi has always done well by some of the more eccentric repertoire, and the Nielsen 6th certainly fits the bill. Altogether, this is an enriching if not essential album."