Half a decade after their first release on Chandos, Brilliant Classics
has re-released Thomas Dausgaard and the Danish National Radio
Symphony's recording Berwald's four symphonies. The only thing that has
changed between the two releases is the price. The quality of the
pieces, the performances, and the sound remain as they were before. The
pieces, of course, are far and away the best symphonies written by a
Swede in the Romantic period. Highly imaginative, brilliantly scored,
robustly rhythmic, formally inventive, and thoroughly melodic, Berwald's
symphonies rank right below Mendelssohn and Schumann's symphonies in
the post-Beethoven/pre-Brahms repertoire. The performances, while very
good, are not quite great. A skillful conductor, Dausgaard clearly
understands the music and manifestly feels some affection for it, but
his performances are just a tad too heavy and a shade too dark for the
ebullient Berwald. Where the music should run, it jogs, and where it
should soar, it plods. The Danish musicians do an adequate job of
getting through the scores, but their playing lacks shine and sparkle.
Chandos' sound was a bit distant, but clear and colorful, and
Brilliant's sound is exactly identical. Of the digital recordings, Okko
Kamu's, Roy Goodman's, Sixten Ehrling's, and Herbert Blomstedt's are
better choices. James Leonard
FRANZ BERWALD (1796-1868)
Tracklist 1 :
1-4. Sinfonie Sérieuse (Symphony No. 1) In G Minor
5. Erinnerung An Die Norwegischen Alpen (Memory Of The Norwegian Alps)
6-8. Sinfonie Capricieuse (Symphony No. 2) In D Major
Tracklist 2 :
1-3. Sinfonie Singulière (Symphony No. 3) In C Major
4. Elfenspiel (Play Of The Elves) Tone Painting For Large Orchestra
5-8. Sinfonie Naïve (Symphony No. 4) In E Flat Major
Credits :
Conductor – Thomas Dausgaard
Orchestra – Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. 
sábado, 7 de fevereiro de 2026
FRANZ BERWALD : Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (Thomas Dausgaard) 2CD (2004) Two Version | APE (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless
segunda-feira, 15 de abril de 2024
RUED LANGGAARD : Symphonies 2 and 3 (Thomas Dausgaard) (2007) SACD, Hybrid | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
From his youthful Second and Third symphonies, it is possible to discern only a few of the artistic fingerprints of the mature Danish post-Romantic composer Rued Langgaard. One hears his love of nature, his love of life, and, in his expansive developments and extended climaxes, his love of his own compositional technique. One hears his energy, his exuberance, and his artless purloining other composers' styles, to wit, Strauss and Scriabin with a dash of Mahler in the Second, the "Awakening of Spring," and Schumann with a drop of Liszt in the Third, "The Flush of Youth," a high-flown romantic piano concerto in all but name. Though his later symphonies ventured further into harmonic dissonance, melodic violence, and formal incoherence, Langgaard's Second and Third prove to be easily accessible and guilelessly attractive works in these superbly played performances with Thomas Dausgaard leading the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, plus soprano soloist Inger Dam-Jensen in the Second and pianist Per Salo in the Third. Although dedicated fans of Scandinavian symphonies may already have Ilya Stupel and the Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic's recording of these two works, this disc features the world-premiere recording of the original version of the Second that adds about 10 minutes to its length, if not much to its formal coherence. Furthermore, the sound of these 2006 Dacapo recordings is much smoother, rounder, and deeper than the sound of the 1992 Danacord recordings. James Leonard Tracklist & Credits
