Mehta/LAPO/Decca Nielsen Symphony No. 4 + Scriabin 'The Poem of Ecstasy' - Review

[Poincare]

To celebrate Carl Nielsen's 139th birthday, I grabbed a copy of the Symphony No. 4 'The Inextinguishable' coupled with Scriabin's 'The Poem of Ecstasy' by Mehta/LAPO/Decca.

This is a fabulous recording, a highlight in Zubin Mehta's tenure in Los Angeles and one of Decca's glories in the analog recording era. In fact, just about everything the Mehta/LAPO/Decca combination had done back in the 60s and 70s is a gem, especially recordings of Strauss, Wagner, and Mahler.

In my opinion, what Nielsen's Fourth to his Fifth is what Dvorak's Seventh to his Ninth ('From the New World'). In terms of thematic maturity, 'The Inextinguishable' might be a notch below the invincible Fifth Symphony, but technically it is probably more assured of the two. Mehta and his players brilliantly make the point with virtuosity, panache, refinement, and utter conviction in the way they deliver this masterpiece. In IV. the LA timpani literally rocks!

Mehta's 'The Poem of Ecstasy' is no less grandiose a rendition, full of romantic gestures and wild imaginations running real high. Mahler must have been impressed with Scriabin's supreme handling of the vast orchestra in the best Late Romanticism tradition.

Decca made some of the most vivid, natural sounding recordings back then and this is one of them.

Please Decca, bring on more from the Mehta/LAPO!

P.S. When is Chung/SPO going to perform Nielsen?

[Dorian]

P.S에 대해서라면... 마이클 파인 씨가 말하더군요. "아마 안 할 것이다. 지금 그는 더 이상 닐센에 관심이 없다."

[Poincare]

매우 유감이군요.

[Dorian]

예, 저도 정말 유감입니다... 대체 우리는 언제쯤 제대로 된 닐센 교향곡 연주를 들을 수 있을까요 ㅜㅜ
예전에 KBS에서 연주했던 1번은 영 아니었는데... ㅠㅠ