Carl Nielsen’s 150th birthday this year has meant that his six symphonies, not over-recorded before, have recently been treated to several strong new interpretations on disc. This one, conducted by John Storgårds, principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, follows a strong Sibelius cycle from the same forces last year. But it’s not Sibelius that these performances bring to mind as much as, at times, Bruckner: Storgårds makes these works sound monumental, though not grand, and he takes the long view. Conflict and resolution tend to be played out in broad, propulsive spans rather than in brief exchanges; for example, the beginning of the slow movement of Symphony No 4 is relentless in its intensity, and when the woodwind interjections come, they are something that has to be absorbed rather than fought. It’s a more solid, more prosaic approach than some, but it works, and the orchestra is on classy form.
