Label news: DG signs Luisi
mainThe yellow label has signed the Italian conductor Fabio Luisi with Denmark’s national orchestra to record its first-ever cycle on the Carl Nielsen symphonies.
Fabio Luisi says: ‘For me, exploring Nielsen’s symphonies together with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra has been almost like a love affair. The more familiar I have become with this music, the more fascinating I find it, and it seems that this approach adds an extra dimension to the orchestra’s strong Nordic Nielsen tradition. Nielsen is a highly interesting, complex and deeply original composer, and I am very grateful that our new recording cycle for Deutsche Grammophon will let his music reach an even greater audience.’
It has been a good week for Luisi. He has also signed on with a Tokyo orchestra.
When this ensemble was known as the Danish Radio SO, it recorded Nielsen’s 6 symphonies with Herbert Blomstedt.
https://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/51245/Nielsen_-_Symphonies_Nos_1_-_6.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjwvMqDBhB8EiwA2iSmPC9ISqqZuwS6akktp5XOeLTm297eS2vqPNQz0VuYGeqmSBomziruDhoCGqUQAvD_BwE
Nemee Jarvi has recorded the Nielsen cycle for DG in Gothenburg
And it’s a very good cycle, too. With some other things added in. It’s in a super cheap box now. So Luisi is only now learning these scores? Wouldn’t it make more sense to record something you’ve known an loved for a long time and then commit it to record? And do we really need yet another Nielsen set? He’s not that popular and there must be a dozen cycles by others.
The Nielsen symphonies aren’t hard to come by these days, though still exotic enough that when Alan Gilbert performed/recorded them with the NY Phil it was labeled “The Nielsen Project” as though something so out of the ordinary. But it’s good for a super-mainstream label like DG to record them, and with a magnificent orchestra that still seems to fly under the radar.
I hope they’ll do the three concertos, too.
There is already some tough competition out there for the Nielsen symphonies – Paavo Berglund, Blomstedt, plus Neeme and Paavo Jarvi to name but four that occupy my shelves
My favourite is the recent Sakari Oramo cycle on BIS with the Stockholm orchestra: do check it out
…. and Dausgaard
Thanks, @Jean and @Phok – I will do!
Wait until he discovers Langgaard.
No such thing as too much Nielsen symphonies! This old drummer especially loves #4 (2 wild antiphonal solo timpani parts) and #5 (improvised snare drum solo.)
I hope he gets to record something in Dallas. However, I know American orchestras are more expensive. Nothing wrong with the Royal Danish, though.
Different orchestras …
Royal Danish: Opera
(Luisi’s) Danish National: Radio
Still, nothing wrong with both!
Nielsen, along with Charles Ives, are the two most overrated composers of all time.
Perhaps he could be persuaded to add some Holmboe…
Did DG sign Luisi? For Nielsen? Or did they actually sign the Danish Radio Orchestra with their authentic Nielsen tradition? Another misleading headline here?