Paavo Järvi returned to London last week to conduct the Philharmonia in the second of four concerts dedicated to the symphonies of Carl Nielsen. The Guardian’s review headline read “Järvi Järvi tames Nielsen’s wild masterpiece. An awesomely executed performance of Nielsen’s fourth symphony sat alongside perfectly pitched Haydn and sparkling Beethoven.”
Seen and Heard International wrote “Järvi and the Philharmonia captured the white heat of the opening movement presenting us with an uncontained maelstrom of sound. Järvi synthesised the composite elements into a seamless organic whole, bringing out the angularity of the writing and feelings of disquiet in the more reflective material. Nielsen’s sonic and harmonic shocks, rhythmic asymmetries and unusual textural collages were all brought thrillingly to life … This was great playing from Järvi and the Philharmonia – and it’s good to see these wonderful symphonies by Carl Nielsen receiving so much public exposure.” Classicalsource.com also gave the performance a full thumbs up commenting “ This was a concert to make one realise why one keeps coming back for more.”
