NIELSEN. Symphony No. 6, Op. 50. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Berglund. HMV A5D3083 (i2.85).

Selected comparisons:

New Philh., Horensteln (8/89) RHS300

Suisse Romande, Kletzki (3/71) SXL8491

It is good that the gramophone companies are again turning their attention to Nielsen. After the complete survey of the symphonies from Ole Schmidt and the LSO on Unicorn, we are promised an eight-record set of the concertos and symphonies with miscellaneous orchestral works from the Danish Radio Orchestra under Herbert Blomstedt on HMV. The Fifth is generally regarded as the greatest of the six : in fact Deryck Cooke has gone so far as to hail it as the greatest symphony of the twentieth century. Be this as it may, it certainly enshrines the most deeply characteristic facets of the composer's personality as well as charting territory unexplored by any other composer of his time. It has been well served on records: Tuxen's pioneering set of 78 rpm discs has long ago disappeared from circulation but the Jensen which followed it is still available (Decca Eclipse ECS570, 9/70) and sounds astonishingly good. It has the additional attraction of offering the First Symphony on the reverse side. Among modern recordings, now that Bernstein has been deleted, we have only two single disc competitors: Kletzki on Decca and Horenstein on Unicorn. The latter has special claims not only for the sake of the fill-up, En Sagadrcim but because it reverts to Nielsen's original at those points in the score which Tuxen had edited. Admittedly these are not of vital importance to the general music-lover but they are of undoubted interest to specialist collectors. Rehearing it the Horenstein version seemed to me as a shade earthbound: it is spacious, well-shaped and obviously dedicated but wanting the last ounce of poetry. Kletzki's finely recorded account with the Swiss orchestra is well characterised but the playing lacking in finesse. It certainly does not compare favourably with that of the Bournemouth orchestra which is in excellent form here. The wind produce eminently well-blended tone, the phrasing is sensitively shaped throughout and the strings have both unanimity and body of tone to commend them. Paavo Berglund's tempi are excel lently judged throughout and I liked particularly his slightly brisk tempo for the second movement, a genuine allegro, At times I have found Berglund a little unimaginative in the concert hall but this performance is one of the very best he has committed to record and matters are helped by a recording of splendid range and presence as well as atmosphere. Every detail is clearly in focus and although the side-drum sounds at one point as if it is actually going to stop the orchestra, as Nielsen asks in the score, it never seems louder than it would be in a hall.

Were Ole Schmidt's performance available separately (a seven-record set—Unicorn RHS324-30, 1/75) I think it would be my first choice, for the small reservations I have about the quality of the recorded sound, are offset by the flair and poetic feeling that Schmidt brings to this music and the splendid fire of the LSO's playing. However, there is not really a great deal to choose between them and, as I have indicated, HMV provide Berglund with a really outstanding recording that is of demonstration quality. A strong recommendation. R.L.