Search - Friedrich Kuhlau, Hans Christian Lumbye, Franz [Vienna] Schubert :: King Frederik Conducts the Royal Danish Orchestra

Majestic reading

Tommy Nielsen | Kolding Denmark | 11/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"King Frederik IX was a great musicien. Whenever he had the possibility he attended the opera performances at The Royal Theatre. He would arrive at he very last minute - not to cause any disturbance - bringing with him the score. At special occasions he conducted the Royal Orhestra and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Once, he even went in the pit for Cavalleria Rusticana - a favourite of his.No need to say that this recording is something out of the ordinary - especially for the Danes. But is this recording justified from a musical point of view?The opening bars of the Schubert 8th has always been tricky. The intense athmosphere which should be created is always/often absent with moderne conductors - not even Abbado in his highly acclaimed cycle gets it out of the orchestra. Furtwängler, Casals, Krips are the conductors we must return to. And - surprise - King Frederik IX. This is the best recording of the piece with a Danish orchestra, and when it comes to creating the right intense athmosphere, rhythm and structure "Fernhör" you must go to the above-mentioned conductors for a recording as satisfactory as this one.When it comes to the Danish "showpieces" on this recording they are all far better played that on the recent Bellincampi on Naxos."