Tír Na HiFi

I have just finished listening to this week's BAL and the winner, chosen by Dave Fanning, by a mere nose hair "despite its imperfection and with its rambunctiousness" is Ole Schmidt's early seventies recording with the LSO of Nielsen's Second Symphony.



The runner up was Blomstedt's magnificent Decca recording with the SFSO. I must have missed something because, to my ear, the Blomstedt reading was far preferable to the Schmidt recording, is this a British thing or is it just me?



Next week it's Haydn Clock Symphony.

Seán wrote:I have just finished listening to this week's BAL and the winner, chosen by Dave Fanning, by a mere nose hair "despite its imperfection and with its rambunctiousness" is Ole Schmidt's early seventies recording with the LSO of Nielsen's Second Symphony.



The runner up was Blomstedt's magnificent Decca recording with the SFSO. I must have missed something because, to my ear, the Blomstedt reading was far preferable to the Schmidt recording, is this a British thing or is it just me?

I have both of those sets Seán and I have to confess that I prefer the Schmidt interpretations.

Thanks of that Fergus, I do not have the Schmidt/LSO Nielsen cycle. I didn't hear anything this morning that would have me choose it over the Blomstedt but I am delighted with your response, perhaps I should get that set.

Seán wrote:Thanks of that Fergus, I do not have the Schmidt/LSO Nielsen cycle. I didn't hear anything this morning that would have me choose it over the Blomstedt but I am delighted with your response, perhaps I should get that set.

Hi Seán,

As with all of these things it comes down to personal taste and subjective interpretation. In this case I should of course point out that I see (hear) nothing wrong with the Blomstedt set; it comes down to personal taste and preferences in interpration as I have said. If my memory serves me correctly (and it does so less and less these days!) Schmidt's was the first stereo cycle to be issued in the 1970's. The sound quality is not poor but obviously would not match the pristine recordings of today. That does not bother me in the least and you too if I am correct. My preference is based entirely on interpretation of the music and I again distinguish between interpretation from performance. Schmidt's interpretations have an edge for me; they can be harder and darker, if you know what I mean, yet somehow always eventually portraying a positive outlook on the music. That is the way that I like the music of Sibelius also. I suppose that both men being Danish I perceive that Schmidt would have great insights into the music both culturally and historically and would therefore bring that to his interpretations. The Schmidt is a very powerful cycle for me and I think that I wrote something in the Nielsen Symphony No. 5 thread in the old monthly projects.

fergus wrote:

Seán wrote:Thanks of that Fergus, I do not have the Schmidt/LSO Nielsen cycle. I didn't hear anything this morning that would have me choose it over the Blomstedt but I am delighted with your response, perhaps I should get that set.

Hi Seán,

As with all of these things it comes down to personal taste and subjective interpretation. In this case I should of course point out that I see (hear) nothing wrong with the Blomstedt set; it comes down to personal taste and preferences in interpration as I have said. If my memory serves me correctly (and it does so less and less these days!) Schmidt's was the first stereo cycle to be issued in the 1970's. The sound quality is not poor but obviously would not match the pristine recordings of today. That does not bother me in the least and you too if I am correct. My preference is based entirely on interpretation of the music and I again distinguish between interpretation from performance. Schmidt's interpretations have an edge for me; they can be harder and darker, if you know what I mean, yet somehow always eventually portraying a positive outlook on the music. That is the way that I like the music of Sibelius also. I suppose that both men being Danish I perceive that Schmidt would have great insights into the music both culturally and historically and would therefore bring that to his interpretations. The Schmidt is a very powerful cycle for me and I think that I wrote something in the Nielsen Symphony No. 5 thread in the old monthly projects.

Thanks for sharing your views Fergus. I know that the Scmidt/LSO cycle is held in very high regard by a number of people, but from what I heard yesterday it certainly didn't eclipse the Blomstedt/SFSO recording, that said, these were only excerpts so perhaps I was being too hasty in my criticism of its selection as the recommended recording, interesting.