By MS65515
22-Mar-2013

Energising Espansiva!  

Having downloaded Tuxen's Nielsen 5th and Grondahl's Nielsen 4th, I just couldn't resist adding Tuxen's take on the 3rd. All three symphonies have the trademark Nielsen qualities of dynamism, energy and optimism. The latter being particularly true of the 3rd symphony. I have several other recordings of this work (Blomstedt II, Kuchar, Chung, Schonwandt, Bernstein, but it was easy to add this one, especially at the fair price offered by ClassicsOnline!

Tuxen manages to get the right tempo throughout, neither dawdling nor rushing - just as one might expect from someone who had actually known the composer and seen him conduct. That essential spark vital to any successful Nielsen work is clearly present here from start to finish.

The sound is not as good as the Grondahl's recording of the 4th (but let's face it, that was a miraculous recording for its period!) but it is definitely more than serviceable, and most importantly, it lets you hear the many strands of Nielsen's polyphonic writing. I prefer this kind of sound picture to an overly lush one anyday. There is some congestion and breakup in tutti and fortissimo passages, the brass has a hard edge too, but for me that's a bonus!

Overall, a small price to pay (in every sense of the word) for a towering and invigorating performance which of course carries a certain authority, given the conductor's and orchestra's close association with the composer. Highly recommended, so snap it up - at this price you can't go wrong!
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