This two disc
set features
something of a rarity - a monarch conducting.
t
would be too easy to dismiss King Frederik IX as an enthusiastic
amateur who managed to indulge in his expensive (for the rest of
us) hobby of conducting. Many orchestras, are to some extent or
another available for "rent", so to speak, so that deep-pocketed
individuals would be able, for a few hours anyway, to wave the
baton in front of an ungrateful group of instrumentalists that
form the orchestra in question.
But to do so would be to do King Frederik IX a grave disservice.
Listening to these performances, one is convinced that he was much
more than just an amateur. The detailed and interesting booklet notes, beautifully written
by Claus Rollum-Larsen, describes how he set his heart on
conducting at a very early stage which subsequently led him to
perform opera overtures and Beethoven's First Symphony with a
small orchestra put together by Queen Alexandrine, his mother.
Later, he worked with the Band of the Royal Lifeguards and the
Royal Danish Orchestra.
The "band" he conducts in these discs is the Danish National Radio
Symphony Orchestra, and they play very well for their King. King
Frederik IX preferred symphonic repertoire and works such as the
mighty Tannhauser overture, featured here, show just how committed
he was to them. The overture may not be the most polished in
execution, but it is stylishly played, which is more important,
impeccably paced and indeed worthy of some of the great
Wagnerians. An irresistible swagger informs the performance and
the musicians play their hearts out. Fredrik IX proves himself to
be quite at home with rubato as well, never sounding forced or
artificial - a hugely enjoyable performance.
The same feeling
that the King was at home with the music he conducted follows his
performances of the other great works. The Beethoven Seventh
begins with a weightiness worthy of a Furtwangler and remains
remarkably in that general mold, albeit with more thrust. His
sense of logic and drama is strong and the way the symphony
unfolds is a delight. Add this to the fact that the musicians
clearly enjoy working with their King and you have a recipe for a
performance all can enjoy - not viscerally exciting, perhaps, but
definitely not superficial either, and never boring. The second
movement, played as an Adagio, emerges with a keen sense of
logic and personality. He follows Beethoven's dynamic markings
faithfully and the build-up is again impeccable. It is a
serious-mind performance that never abates. The Scherzo is
similarly warmly played and features a particularly beautifully
played Trio. The performance romps home with a weighty finale that
is still capable of lightness of touch. The reading of the
symphony on the whole is warm-hearted and lovable and should have
received greater applause than we hear on the disc.
The Eroica, which is programmed on the second disc, is similarly
weighty in conception and stems from a performance in 1950. It
suffers from a less sympathetic recording than the Seventh, but
the ear adjusts. The first movement exposition is not repeated,
but that's hardly a problem - it has a thrust here despite the
weight that is quite Beethovenian! Never does it seem to drag, and
placed in the context of an amateur conductor, this is quite an
achievement. The second movement Funeral March is full of personal
touches that show the King's familiarity with the music, the last
movement is beautifully paced and never lags, again a good
indication of how fine the performance is. The readings always
sound honest and sincere, and that's perhaps the most important
thing.
The rest of the two discs is filled with works by his countrymen.
Echoes of Ossian, or "Efterklange af Ossian" is Gade's Op. 1 but
youth is probably the last thing you'd think of listening to it -
it is serious, ambitious, very interesting and entertaining in
the best sense of the word.
Recommended to all, not just the Danes!
