Nielsen: Symphonies nos 1 & 6

"From the outset of the opening movement's allegro orgoglioso (proud), the tension never flags...the LSO's principal trombone relish[es] his derisive "yawns"...With the dazzling final theme and variations, Nielsen grapples with the pessimistic zeitgeist and the inevitability of death, but his spirit ultimately triumphs - as do Davis and the LSO."
(Sunday Times)

"In Davis's hands the First Symphony is a more substantial work than its reputation would suggest: his performance reveals its Beethovenian dynamism...The Sixth is a superficially jocular work, but thanks to the LSO's virtuoso handling of its jabs, scowls and woodwind figurations, it emerges as a set of enigmatic variations"
(Financial Times)

"an often probing account of a perenially disconcerting piece [the Sixth], rendered with evident conviction by the London Symphony...[some] may find Davis underselling what is a symphony in constant and unfulfilled transition. The First Symphony (1892), however, is an almost total success."
(International Record Review)

"More fiery and dramatic Nielsen from Sir Colin Davis and the LSO...The First Symphony here is beautifully paced, balancing drive with poetry. The slow movement may be on the broad side but, buoyed up by such musicianship and affection, it can take it...Davis has his finger on the psychological as well as the rhythmic pulse."
(Gramophone)