Carl Nielsen - Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4 (Andris Poga)

Information

Composer: Carl Nielsen

• Symphony No. 2, Op. 16 "The Four Temperaments"
• Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 "The Inextinguishable"

Stavanger Symphony Orchestra

Andris Poga, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: LAWO Classics

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As the twentieth century approached, Carl Nielsen sought to break from the dominant German musical tradition, aiming to create a uniquely Danish style that fused high and low artistic elements. His symphonies, noted for their vitality, humor, and energy, had a profound impact on audiences. The first three symphonies allow musical energy to flow freely, while the fourth and fifth, composed during and after World War I, contrast that energy with forces of destruction. This recording by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andris Poga and released on the Norwegian label Lawo Classics, features Nielsen’s second and fourth symphonies, highlighting his inventive and dramatic orchestral voice.

Andris Poga, born in Riga in 1980, is a Latvian conductor who studied at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, the University of Latvia, and the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. He gained international recognition after winning First Prize at the 2010 Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition. Poga has served as assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi at the Orchestre de Paris and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He is Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and was Music Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2021, now serving as its Artistic Advisor. He regularly conducts major orchestras worldwide, including the NDR Elbphilharmonie, WDR Cologne, Gewandhausorchester, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and NHK Symphony Tokyo.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz