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Nielsen—Symphony No. | in G Minor, Op. 7 (1892) Saul and David: Prelude to Act II

André Previn conducting the

London Symphony Orchestra

Produced by Peter Dellheim ¢ Recording Engineer: K. E. Wilkinson

... the first realization of a childhood dream

to ““make great music” for big orchestras. On the evening of March 14, 1894, the venerable walls of Copenhagen’s Odd Fellow Palaet concert room resounded to the enthusiastic applause of an audience headed by King Christian IX and Queen Louise. Johan Svendsen, who had virtually forsaken his career as Norway’s foremost composer after Grieg for that of conductor, had just led the Royal Orchestra in a new Danish symphony—the Symphony No. | in G Minor, Op. 7, by one of the orchestra’s violinists, 28-year- old Carl Nielsen. Three times the stocky, blue-eyed, crew-cut young composer rose modestly from his place among the second violins to acknowledge the warm reception to this, the first realization of a childhood dream to ‘‘make great music” for big orchestras.

The early years of that childhood had been spent as a poor farm boy on Hans Christian Andersen’s island of Fyn (Fiinen), and though he had shown musical gifts at an early age and had played fiddle for village dances, even the barest hope of music as a way of life did not come his way until at the age of 14 he won a place in the regimental band at Odense. Over the next four years lessons from an old but well-schooled tavern musician enabled Nielsen to grasp the rudiments of composition to the point of writing a string quartet, a violin sonata, a piano trio and pieces for brass instruments. Thanks to the encouragement of educator (later defense minister) Klaus Berntsen, the young man went to Copenhagen with letters of introduction to the eminent Niels Gade at the Royal Conservatory of Music and was accepted as a scholarship student. A decade later the onetime farm boy found himself the toast of an elite Copenhagen audience.

Unlike his contemporary in Finland, Jean Sibelius, Nielsen did not receive

the status of national cultural hero at the time of his first symphony, for Denmark was not an embattled, underdeveloped country seeking its cultural identity in the face of imperial oppression. Denmark had long known its own imperial grandeur and had contributed to the mainstream of European arts and sciences since the 17th century. Thus it was as a “‘promising young musician” that Nielsen first made his mark, and it would be another 25 years before unqualified recogni- tion as a major symphonist would come his way, even in Scandinavia. Indeed, it took until 1965 for the world at large to recognize that the six symphonies of Carl Nielsen belong alongside the seven of Sibelius as the finest and most distinc- tive of their kind to come out of Scandinavia. ,

The First Symphony

Rhythmic vitality, solid yet flexible structure and a fascinatingly fluid harmonic flow in no way related to the chromaticism of Wagner and his followers—these are the qualities that impress themselves on a listener after several hearings of this work. The solid bass underpinning may be in the Brahmsian tradition, but the bright and open instrumentation will make one think of Dvof4k (though it is also characteristic of the symphonic works of Svendsen). Those acquainted with Nielsen’s greatest symphonies—No. 3 (‘‘Sinfonia Espansiva’’), No. 4 (‘‘The Inextinguishable”) and No. 5—will recognize, in the lyrical theme of the first movement and throughout most of the surprisingly elaborate scherzo, elements of harmonic adventurousness that were to be developed to their fullest in the later scores, the so-called “progressive tonality” arising out of modal-flavored linear thematic material.

Just as Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra (premiéred two years after

Nielsen’s First Symphony) exploits the conflict between C and B, so Nielsen’s Symphony sets the keys of C and G minor at loggerheads, beginning right off with a loud C major chord, then launching into a virile main theme in the proper key. The fascinating fluidity of the lyrical theme, introduced by solo oboe, has already been noted. There is contrast aplenty throughout the movement, not only in terms of G minor versus C but also with respect to ruminatively feminine lyrical as opposed to assertively masculine rhythmic materials. G minor and the fiercely masculine win out decisively in the end. Not without reason did Nielsen give this movement the highly individual designation Allegro orgoglioso (““haughty’’).

The gentle Andante is predominantly in G major-minor. A pervasive rising and falling four-note figure in the minor derives directly (and possibly uncon- sciously) from the initial four notes of the first movement’s main theme. Its seeming kinship to the opening of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto is purely fortuitous, since the Bohemian master’s work was written later.

The so-called scherzo begins as a flowing 6/4 Allegro comodo in E-flat, but almost immediately contrasting thematics, not wholly unrelated to elements of the first-movement opening, enter the picture. The ensuing musical events pursue a course related more to sonata development and rondo pattern than to the simple A-B-A sequence of the classical movement of this type. The solemn, recurrent Andante sostenuto interlude in G minor is in reality a transformation of earlier material in the movement rather than a trio in the accepted sense.

The athletic main theme of the final movement is propelled initially before a gusty string tremolando and C major blast from the brasses. The C major- G minor battle is renewed in this movement; it reaches its climax toward the end, but along the way are charming lyrical-pastoral digressions—breathing spells from the intense dynamic momentum that characterizes the assertive main subject matter. While G minor won the upper hand at the end of the first move- ment, a sudden quickening of tempo and upsurge of brass hands the final victory to C major by way of terse but jubilant fanfare.

Saul and David: Prelude to Act II

Nielsen completed his monumental opera in April 1901, and he himself conducted its premiére on November 28, 1902, in Copenhagen.

Saul and David follows closely the great Old Testament tale, though with suit- able operatic emphasis on the moody Boris Godounov aspects of Saul and the love interest implicit in the story of David and Saul’s daughter Michal. The role of Jonathan is decidedly subordinate. Nielsen wrote some of his most powerful and characteristic music into this opera. The Prelude to Act II is a brief but telling piece, martial in character, that sets the scene for the climactic episode of David’s acceptance to take on the fearsome Goliath in single combat. The contrasting middle section, nobly lyric in utterance, refers oddly enough not to action in Act II but rather to the episode of David’s short-lived reconciliation with Saul in Act III.

Nielsen’s use of dissonance and rhythmic accent in this Prelude reveals the composer entering upon the full artistic maturity that was to produce his three greatest symphonies.

—Davip HA Contributing Editor, HiFi/Stereo Review

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Library of Congress Card Numbers R67-2943 (Mono) and R67-2944 (Stereo) apply to this recording. DYNAGROOVE

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2 (‘‘Little Russian” );

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Timings: Side 1—9:37, 8:36 Side 2—8:52, 8:30, 5:20 (ASCAP)

© 1967, RCA, New York, N.Y. ¢ Printed in U.S.A.