Nielsen Violin: Concerto, Symphony No. 4 James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner

• Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931): Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61:
• 1 Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: Ia. Praeludium 06:16
• 2 Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: Ib. Allegro cavalleresco 12:03
• 3 Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: IIa. Poco Adagio 05:37
• 4 Nielsen: Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: IIb. Rondo 09:29
• Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 "The Inextinguishable":
• 5 Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 "The Inextinguishable": I. Allegro 12:20
• 6 Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 "The Inextinguishable": II. A tempo (Poco allegretto) 04:24
• 7 Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 "The Inextinguishable": III. Poco Adagio 09:04
• 8 Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76 "The Inextinguishable": IV. Allegro 08:35
• Total Runtime 01:07:48

Info for Nielsen Violin: Concerto, Symphony No. 4

Nielsen’s epic Violin Concerto was premiered in Copenhagen in February 1912, by violinist Peder Møller. Nominally the work is set in two movements; both open with a slow section and move to a faster one. Whilst unusual, this could be seen as a more usual fast – slow – fast three movement form, but with an extensive slow introduction to the first movement. The music moves quickly from one idea to the next, and overall has a bold, playful and optimistic feel. In stark contrast, although written only a few years later, the fourth symphony is more cohesive and unified as a work. Written against the background of the first world war, the work is a celebration of life itself. Just before the premier in 1916, Nielsen described it as: ‘Music is Life, and, like it, inextinguishable.’ Composed in the usual four movement form, each movement continues from the last without a break. The final movement features two sets of timpani battling each other across the orchestra.

James Ehnes, violin
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Edward Gardner, conductor

James Ehnes
Known for his virtuosity and probing musicianship, violinist James Ehnes has performed in over 30 countries on five continents, appearing regularly in the world’s great concert halls and with many of the most celebrated orchestras and conductors.

In the 2013-2014 season James performs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Australia. Season highlights include concerts with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Toronto Symphony, and a three-week residency in Melbourne, as well as performances in London, Paris, Berlin, Leipzig, Brussels, Prague, Tel Aviv, and Moscow. An avid chamber musician, Ehnes will tour with his string quartet, the Ehnes Quartet, and lead the winter and summer festivals of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, where he is the Artistic Director.

James Ehnes has an extensive discography of over 30 recordings featuring music ranging from J.S. Bach to John Adams. Recent projects include a disc featuring concertos by Britten and Shostakovich, three CDs of the music of Béla Bartók as well as a recording of Tchaikovsky’s complete oeuvre for violin. Upcoming releases include a double CD of the complete violin works by Prokofiev and a recording of Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto paired with Shostakovich’s String Quartets Nos. 7&8. His recordings have been honored with many international awards and prizes, including a Grammy, a Gramophone, and 7 Juno Awards.

James Ehnes was born in 1976 in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. He began violin studies at the age of four, and at age nine became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin. He studied with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and from 1993 to 1997 at The Juilliard School, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music upon his graduation. Mr. Ehnes first gained national recognition in 1987 as winner of the Grand Prize in Strings at the Canadian Music Competition. The following year he won the First Prize in Strings at the Canadian Music Festival, the youngest musician ever to do so. At age 13, he made his major orchestral solo debut with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

He has won numerous awards and prizes, including the first-ever Ivan Galamian Memorial Award, the Canada Council for the Arts’ Virginia Parker Prize, and a 2005 Avery Fisher Career Grant. James has been honoured by Brandon University with a Doctor of Music degree (honoris causa) and in 2007 he became the youngest person ever elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada. In 2010 the Governor General of Canada appointed James a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2013 he was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, limited to a select group of 300 living distinguished musicians.

James Ehnes plays the "Marsick" Stradivarius of 1715.

Booklet for Nielsen Violin: Concerto, Symphony No. 4