James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen Violin: Concerto, Symphony No. 4 (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen Violin: Concerto, Symphony No. 4 (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:07:51 minutes | 1,12 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Chandos

Nielsen’s epic Violin Concerto was premiered in Copenhagen in February 1912, by violinist Peder Moller. Nominally the work is set in two movements; both open with a slow section and move to a faster one. Whilst unusual, this could be seen as a more usual fast – slow – fast three movement form, but with an extensive slow introduction to the first movement. The music moves quickly from one idea to the next, and overall has a bold, playful and optimistic feel. In stark contrast, although written only a few years later, the fourth symphony is more cohesive and unified as a work. Written against the background of the first world war, the work is a celebration of life itself. Just before the premier in 1916, Nielsen described it as: ‘Music is Life, and, like it, inextinguishable.’ Composed in the usual four movement form, each movement continues from the last without a break. The final movement features two sets of timpani battling each other across the orchestra.

The partnership of Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic has produced strong results in recordings of music from Scandinavia and beyond, with superb engineering from the Grieghalle in Bergen and a clean string sound that can stand with any in Europe. Those virtues are apparent on this release of music by Carl Nielsen, but there is a bonus: violinist James Ehnes turns in a rigorous performance of Nielsen’s Violin Concerto, Op. 33, that is absolutely delightful. The Violin Concerto was written just a few years before the Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 (“Inextinguishable”), but it is a very different kind of work, closer to Nielsen’s light-spirited theater music than to the symphony, but still with full-scale structural contrasts between violin and orchestra. Ehnes brings pinpoint accuracy and crackling humor to the work; listeners can sample the final rondo for an idea. The Symphony No. 4 is also very strong, with somewhat slow tempos opening up a lot of carefully traced detail but a strong pulse from Gardner holding everything together. A wonderful Nielsen release. – James Manheim

Tracklist:
1. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: Ia. Praeludium (06:16)
2. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: Ib. Allegro cavalleresco (12:03)
3. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: IIa. Poco Adagio (05:37)
4. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: IIb. Rondo (09:29)
5. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 “The Inextinguishable”: I. Allegro (12:20)
6. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 “The Inextinguishable”: II. A tempo (Poco allegretto) (04:24)
7. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 “The Inextinguishable”: III. Poco Adagio (09:04)
8. James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner – Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 “The Inextinguishable”: IV. Allegro (08:35)

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