Re: Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 6
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 4:49 pm
Very interesting posts Fergus, thanks for that.
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Re: Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 6
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 6:37 pm
Great analysis Fergus. Quite an effort you're putting in here with this work.
Re: Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 6
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:06 pm
Cheers guys....I was determined to get a handle on this elusive work!
Re: Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 6
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:07 pm
Finally, the last Nielsen 6 in my collection....
Schmidt’s version also opens expansively and optimistically. The contrast of the succeeding dark clouds is well handled and there is an immediate sense of tension introduced. The first movement delves into despair and the “heart attack” sequence is terrifying and very well done.
The second movement is very quirky with plenty of charm and humour to be found there. It is beautifully played with a lovely light touch.
The third movement for me is the darkest of this performance. I think that it has moments of terror and despair that others do not possess. It is also beautifully played with great emotional breadth.
The variations are neither deep, dark nor nasty but rather have questioning tone which I rather like.
Schmidt’s 1973 cycle was apparently the first to be recorded in stereo. This veers towards a dark rendition of the work and I find that it also has a great sense of foreboding and disquiet in places. My sense is that this is not a sparse interpretation rather an expansive one. Schmidt tried to evoke Nielsen’s original sense of the idyllic and handles the sense of conflict and turmoil very well. Although it has its dark moments however and they are well done I think that this version ultimately strives more towards the optimistic and positive.
Schmidt’s version also opens expansively and optimistically. The contrast of the succeeding dark clouds is well handled and there is an immediate sense of tension introduced. The first movement delves into despair and the “heart attack” sequence is terrifying and very well done.
The second movement is very quirky with plenty of charm and humour to be found there. It is beautifully played with a lovely light touch.
The third movement for me is the darkest of this performance. I think that it has moments of terror and despair that others do not possess. It is also beautifully played with great emotional breadth.
The variations are neither deep, dark nor nasty but rather have questioning tone which I rather like.
Schmidt’s 1973 cycle was apparently the first to be recorded in stereo. This veers towards a dark rendition of the work and I find that it also has a great sense of foreboding and disquiet in places. My sense is that this is not a sparse interpretation rather an expansive one. Schmidt tried to evoke Nielsen’s original sense of the idyllic and handles the sense of conflict and turmoil very well. Although it has its dark moments however and they are well done I think that this version ultimately strives more towards the optimistic and positive.
Re: Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 6
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:11 pm
In Summary:
I find it to be a work of reflection of Life as Nielsen finds it at that particular point in time. It is certainly not a simple work and it most definitely does not represent a simple world. The old world has definitely gone being wiped out by World War I. In its place there are no certainties and this naturally leads to questioning, perplexity and a search for answers. I do not think that anything is resolved in this work and it perhaps it raises more questions than it actually answers but perhaps that is the fragile nature of the human condition. It is a work that is full of turbulence and conflict that perhaps reflects his own personal life as well as that of the changing times in which he lived. Perhaps there is a sense of melancholy and longing and yet a certain element of embracing the bold new world that is emerging. The music of the sixth symphony is immersed in the realism of the world in which it was conceived and also reflects. There is beauty in it however and it certainly is not dull, dry or boring. It required quite a lot of repeated listening on my part to even begin to come to terms with it. I must admit though that having acquired a semblance of understanding for the work I now hold it in high regard. Yes it is challenging but it does eventually yield up its secrets and the subsequent rewards as a result are rich and varied.
I find it to be a work of reflection of Life as Nielsen finds it at that particular point in time. It is certainly not a simple work and it most definitely does not represent a simple world. The old world has definitely gone being wiped out by World War I. In its place there are no certainties and this naturally leads to questioning, perplexity and a search for answers. I do not think that anything is resolved in this work and it perhaps it raises more questions than it actually answers but perhaps that is the fragile nature of the human condition. It is a work that is full of turbulence and conflict that perhaps reflects his own personal life as well as that of the changing times in which he lived. Perhaps there is a sense of melancholy and longing and yet a certain element of embracing the bold new world that is emerging. The music of the sixth symphony is immersed in the realism of the world in which it was conceived and also reflects. There is beauty in it however and it certainly is not dull, dry or boring. It required quite a lot of repeated listening on my part to even begin to come to terms with it. I must admit though that having acquired a semblance of understanding for the work I now hold it in high regard. Yes it is challenging but it does eventually yield up its secrets and the subsequent rewards as a result are rich and varied.