This admirable coupling by the
Young Danish String Quartet of Carl Nielsen's string quartets in F minor and E flat major bolsters the notion that Danish performers are still best suited to represent Nielsen's uniquely Danish compositional voice. Both works here are youthful compositions written in a style fusing those of Grieg and Brahms. The
Young Danish String Quartet rips into the big theme of the F minor quartet's opening Allegro non troppo ma energico with rhythmic power yet still express the following Un poco adagio's warm heart with yearning lines and lushly balanced sonorities. With lucidly articulated lines and effervescently buoyant rhythms, the young Danish players' interpretation of the E flat quartet's unique combination of a pastoral tone with learned counterpoint is wonderfully poised between the natural and the intellectual. If your shelf can hold only one disc of Nielsen's F minor and E flat major quartets, this disc will securely fill the spot. Dacapo's super audio digital sound is all enveloping with the four players of the quartet sitting comfortably around the listener in an otherwise empty hall.