SCANDINAVIAN SYMPHONIES From the 19th Century To the Present A Discography of CDs & LPs Prepared by Michael Herman CARL NIELSEN (1865-1931), DENMARK Born in Sortelung (Nørre Lyndelse), near Odense. He learned the violin and piano as a child and began composing as well. After learning how to play brass instruments, he got a job as a as a bugler and trombonist in an Odense band. His formal musical education was at the Copenhagen Music Conservatory where he studied the violin with Valdemar Tofte, music theory with Orla Rosenhoff and music history with Niels Gade. He was a violinist with the orchestra of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen and earned some extra income as a teacher before making his breakthrough as a composer with his Suite for Strings. After receiving a state pension, he often appeared as a conductor but he was able to devote his musical career mostly to composition. He is uncontestedly seen as Denmark's greatest composer, whose cycle of Symphonies reached world prominence and whose other major works, the Concertos for Violin, Clarinet and Flute, his 2 operas and various chamber works are of the highest quality. Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7 (1890-2) Paavo Berglund/Royal Danish Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4 ,5 and 6) RCA RED SEAL 88875052182 (3 CDs) (2015) (original CD release: RCA VICTOR RED SEAL 7701-2) (1988) Herbert Blomstedt/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, At the Bier of a Young Artist and Bohemian-Danish Folk Melodies) EMI CLASSICS TRIPLE 500829-2 (3 CDs) (2007) (original release: HMV SLS 5027 {8 LPs}) (1975) Herbert Blomstedt/San Francisco Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3, Maskarade Overture and Aladdin Suite) DECCA DOUBLE DECCA 460985-2 (2 CDs) (1999) (original CD release: DECCA 425607-2) (1989) Douglas Bostock/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 6) CLASSICO CLASSCD 299 (2002) Myung-Whun Chung/Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra ( + Rhapsody-Overture and Flute Concerto) BIS CD-454 (1990) Thomas Dausgaard/Seattle Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 2) SEATTLE SYMPHONY MEDIA SSM102 (2020) Sir Colin Davis/London Symphony Orchestra MusicWeb International Last update: August 2020 Nielsen Symphonies ( + Symphony No. 6) LSO LIVE LSO 0715 (2012) János Fürst/Ulster Orchestra (rec. 2002) ( + Sibelius: Symphony No. 1) BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE BBC MM268 (2006) Alan Gilbert/New York Philharmonic ( + Symphony No. 4) DACAPO SACD 6.220624 (2014) Neeme Järvi/Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) TRIO 4775514 (3 CDs) (2005) (original CD release: DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 439775-2) (1993) Paavo Jarvi/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) RCA 88875178802 (3 CDs) (2015) Thomas Jensen/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1952) ( + Symphony No. 5, Helios Overture, Flute Concerto, Maskarade: Overture, Magdelone’s Dance Scene, Prelude and Dance of the Cockerels and Schultz: Serenade for Strings) DECCA ELOQUENCE 4801858 (2 CDs) (2011) (original LP release: DECCA LXT 2748/LONDON LL 635) (1952) Okko Kamu/Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Sibelius: Symphony No. 7) CLASSICO CLASSCD 115 (1996) Theodore Kuchar/Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) BRILLIANT CLASSICS 92885 (3 CDs) (2006) Adrian Leaper/National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland ( + Symphony No, 6) NAXOS 8.550826 (1995) Yoel Levi/Montpellier National Orchestra ( + Violin Concerto) ACCORD 4760944 (2004) Tor Mann/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (rec. 1958) ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 6, Saga-Dream, Aladdin: Oriental Festival March and Saul and David) DANACORD DACOCD 6276-30 (4 CDs) (2006) Terje Mikkelsen/Norwegian Radio Orchestra ( + Violin Concerto) FINLANDIA 398422836-2 (1998) Sakari Oramo/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 3) BIS SACD-2048 (2015) MusicWeb International p2 Nielsen Symphonies Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 6 and Maskarade: Overture and Prelude to Act II) SONY ESSENTIAL CLASSICS 63040 (1997) (original LP release: CBS 72606/COLUMBIA MS-7004) (1967) André Previn/London Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 4, Saul and David: Prelude to Act II and The Mother: The Fog is Lifting) RCA CLASSICAL NAVIGATOR 74321 21296-2 (1994) (original LP release: RCA RED SEAL SB 6714/RCA VICTOR LSC 2961) (1967) Ari Rasilainen/Norwegian Radio Orchestra ( + Violin Concerto) APEX 092740622-2 (2001) Gennady Rozhdestvensky/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) CHANDOS CLASSICS CHAN 10271X (3 CDs) (2004) (original CD release: CHANDOS CHAN 9260) (1994) Esa-Pekka Salonen/Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Little Suite) CBS MASTERWORKS MK 42321 (1987) Jukka-Pekka Saraste/Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 2) FINLANDIA 8573-85574-2 (2005) Ole Schmidt/London Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3 and 6) REGIS RRC 2046 (2 CDs) (2004) (original LP release: UNICORN RHS 324) (1974) Michael Schønwandt/Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 6) NAXOS 8.570737 (2008) (original CD release: DACAPO 8.224169) (2001) Eduard Serov/Odense Symphony Orchestra ( + Helios Overture and Saul and David: Suite) KONTRAPUNKT 32157 (1993) Sir Georg Solti/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (rec. ) (included in collection: "A Tribute to Solti") Chicago Symphony Orchestra CSO CD89-10-20 (2 CDs) (1989) John Storgårds/BBC Philharmonic ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) CHANDOS CHAN10859(3) (3 CDs) (2015) Bryden Thomson/Royal Scottish National Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 2) CHANDOS CHAN 8880 (1992) MusicWeb International p3 Nielsen Symphonies Erik Tuxen/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1957) ( + Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4 ,5 and 6) DANACORD DACOCD 351-3 (3 CDs) (1994) (original release: DANACORD DACO 121-3 {3 LPs}) (1984) Erik Tuxen/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1957) ( + Symphony No. 5 and Helios Overture) DUTTON LABORATORIES CDLXT 2505 (1995) Osmo Vänskä/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 6) BIS CD-1079 (2002) Symphony No. 2, Op. 16 "The Four Temperaments" (1902) Paavo Berglund/Royal Danish Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) RCA RED SEAL 88875052182 (3 CDs) (2015) (original CD release: RCA VICTOR RED SEAL 7884-2) (1989) Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic ( + Symphony No. 4) SONY BERNSTEIN ROYAL EDITION SMK 47597 (1993) (original LP release: CBS 73299/COLUMBIA MASTERWORKS M 32779) (1974) Herbert Blomstedt/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, At the Bier of a Young Artist and Bohemian-Danish Folk Melodies) EMI CLASSICS TRIPLE 500829-2 (3 CDs) (2007) (original release: HMV SLS 5027 {8 LPs}) (1975) Herbert Blomstedt/San Francisco Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, Maskarade Overture and Aladdin Suite) DECCA DOUBLE DECCA 460985-2 (2 CDs) (1999) (original CD release: DECCA 430 280-2) (1990) Douglas Bostock/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 5) CLASSICO CLASSCD 296 (1999) Myung-Whun Chung/Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra ( + Aladdin Suite) BIS CD-247 (1983) Thomas Dausgaard/Seattle Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 1) SEATTLE SYMPHONY MEDIA SSM102 (2020) Sir Andrew Davis/BBC Symphony Orchestra ( + Sibelius: Symphony No. 5) BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE BBC MM 103 (1992) MusicWeb International p4 Nielsen Symphonies Sir Colin Davis/London Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 3) LSO LIVE LSO 0723 (2012) Carl von Garaguly/Tivoli Concert Symphony Orchestra ( + Little Suite) FONA-KLUBBEN LPK 510/VOX STPL 512.550 (TURNABOUT TV34049DS) (LP) (1965) Alan Gilbert/New York Philharmonic ( + Symphony No. 3) DACAPO SACD 6.220623 (2012) Morton Gould/Chicago Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 4, Helios Overture and The Mother: The Fog is Lifting) RCA CLASSIC LIBRARY 8287676237-2 (2006) (included in collection "Morton Gould -The Complete Chicago Symphony Orchestra Recordings) RCA 5120702 (6 CDs) (2016) (original LP release: RCA RED SEAL SB 6701/RCA VICTOR LSC-2920) (1967) Launy Grøndahl/ Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1956) ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4 ,5 and 6) DANACORD DACOCD 351-3 (3 CDs) (1994) (original release: DANACORD DACO 121-3 {3 LPs}) (1984) Neeme Järvi/Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) TRIO 4775514 (3 CDs) (2005) (original CD release: DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 439775-2) (1993) Paavo Jarvi/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) RCA 88875178802 (3 CDs) (2015) Thomas Jensen/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1947) ( + Symphony No. 4) DUTTON LABORATORIES CDCLP 4001 (1996) (original LP release: ODEON KDO 2013) (1961) Thomas Jensen/Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1944) ( + Symphony No. 5, Maskarade: Dance of the Cockerels, Songs and Choral Works) DANACORD DACOCD 365-7 (3 CDs) (1996) Theodore Kuchar/Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) BRILLIANT CLASSICS 92885 (3 CDs) (2006) Adrian Leaper/National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland ( + Symphony No, 3) NAXOS 8.550825 (1995) Tor Mann/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (rec. 1944) ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 6, Saga-Dream, Aladdin: Oriental Festival March and Saul and David) DANACORD DACOCD 6276-30 (4 CDs) (2006) MusicWeb International p5 Nielsen Symphonies Sakari Oramo/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphony No. 6) BIS SACD-2128 (2015) Gennady Rozhdestvensky/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) CHANDOS CLASSICS CHAN 10271X (3 CDs) (2004) (original CD release: CHANDOS CHAN 9360) (1994) Esa-Pekka Salonen/Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( + Pan and