Composer: Carl August Nielsen
Performer: Samuel Coles, Mark Van de Wiel
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra
Conductor: Paavo Järvi
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Signum
Catalogue: SIGCD477
Release: 2017
Size: 1.12 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Flute Concerto, FS119
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Allegretto
Clarinet Concerto Op. 57 (FS129)
03. I. Allegretto un poco
04. II. Poco adagio
05. III. Allegro non troppo – Adagio
06. IV. Allegro vivace
Aladdin Suite, Op. 34
07. I. Oriental Festive March
08. II. Aladdin’s Dream and Dance of the Morning Mist
09. III. Hindu Dance
10. IV. Chinese Dance
11. V. The Marketplace in Ispahan
12. VI. Dance of the Prisoners
13. VII. Negro Dance
The Philharmonia Orchestra and Paavo Järvi perform two of Nielsen’s characteristically fiery concertos, orchestral principals Samuel Coles (flute) and Mark van de Wiel (clarinet) stepping up as the intrepid soloists.
Unlike his more conventionally melodic Violin Concerto of 1911, Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto and his Clarinet Concerto reflect his coming to terms with modernism in the 1920s, and share similar expressions of unease and instability with his Symphony No. 5 and the Symphony No. 6, “Sinfonia Semplice,” which were composed in the same decade. Nielsen wrote the Flute Concerto in 1926 for Holger Gilbert-Jespersen and the Clarinet Concerto in 1928 for Aage Oxenvad, both members of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet, an ensemble Nielsen especially admired for its beautiful tone. Yet the music in each work is quite demanding, with solo parts that often play up technical difficulties over lyricism, and the orchestra provides contentious accompaniment, at times threatening to overwhelm the soloists with aggressive outbursts and sniping commentary. For this 2017 album on Signum Classics, flutist Samuel Coles and clarinetist Mark Van de Wiel are joined by Paavo Järvi and the Philharmonia Orchestra in vivid renditions of both concertos, and the exotic Aladdin Suite is provided as filler. While the sound of the recording is exceptional for a standard CD, it’s unfortunate that a multichannel version wasn’t issued, because the soloists are spectacular in the concertos, and the Philharmonia plays in top form, with clean separation of parts, remarkable depth, and wonderfully rich tone colors. Recommended for any newcomers to Nielsen’s music.