Complete Symphonies (review)

Video recordings of concert music have always been strange animals. They remind us that—until the last century—music is as much a visual as an audio medium. Yet, unless these videos contain a legendary performance or occasion, they often lack a distinct purpose. Are consumers expected to sit in front of their television set and watch them over and over again? Are they chiefly mementos for those who attended the concerts? Are they primarily material to be used in classrooms, or are they mainly promotional material for the performers?

This three-disc Dacapo release suffers from this lack of a distinct identity. The first two discs include complete performances of the six symphonies by Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865–1931). Taken from two concerts in November 2000, these recordings by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR, conducted by Michael Schønwandt, are certainly commendable. The tempos are always well chosen, the music flows well (not an easy feat in Nielsen's music), and the execution is generally first-rate. Overall, however, these performances lack the polish, clarity, warmth, and drama of the best studio recordings (including Schønwandt's own with the same orchestra), and are therefore not renditions to which this reviewer is compelled to return.

Despite my reservations about the quality of these performances, this Dacapo release might still have been valuable to many educators and libraries if the producers had taken advantage of the many possibilities offered by the DVD medium. They could, for example, have included excerpts of rehearsals, one or more audio tracks containing commentary from the conductor, scholars or orchestra members, optional subtitles that point out important themes or moments in these symphonies, or discussions of artworks that are inspired by Nielsen and his symphonies. In its current form, however, the first two discs of this DVD set contain neither transcendent performances nor great educational material.

Before moving onto the third disc, I need to briefly mention the orchestra's visual presentation. I understand that this is, with some justification, a highly controversial topic in the orchestral world. At the same time, the conductor and the orchestra members need to know that, thanks to close-ups, their gestures and facial expressions will greatly affect a viewer's perception of the performance. In this particular case, I have no doubt that my enjoyment was lessened by some of Schønwandt's wilder gestures and the uninviting expressions on several of the musicians' faces.

The final disc of this DVD set contains a one-hour documentary entitled The Light and the Darkness. Written by composer/ conductor Karl Aage Rasmussen (b. 1947), this film is a good introduction to Nielsen's works and personality. It provides background information about most of Nielsen's major compositions and, more importantly for educators, contains excellent and detailed commentary on several key works, such as the Third, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. It also explores in depth the tender but tumultuous relationship between Nielsen and his wife, the sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen. Of particular interest is the discussion about how the couple's art not only inspired each other, but was also a major source of conflict in their relationship.

The Light and the Darknessincludes rare footage of Carl Nielsen visiting a patron's house, shots of numerous photographs, and video excerpts of many concerts, including Leonard Bernstein's historic performance of Nielsen's Third Symphony with the Royal Danish Symphony Orchestra in 1965. Overall, my reservations about the film are quite minor. The biggest problem is the absence of information about the soundtrack. While the voiceover commentary often refers to the music that is played on the soundtrack, there are numerous instances where viewers are left to wonder what music they are hearing and who the performers are. This problem could be alleviated...