David Stewart wrote:

>Heard this at the RAH tonight.  I know Nielson has been discussed a lot
>on this list and I wondered if anyone has made any sense out of this work?
>Bizarre piece indeed.  I phased out during the first movement, but managed
>to get back in for the second.  Third was wierd and Fourth I actually
>started laughing at (where the Brass come in and 'wreck the ballroom
>furniture').  Then the coda seems ridiculously lighthearted.  Hmm.

If I recall correctly, Nielsen had turned kind of bitter about his musical
fortunes by the time he wrote the Sixth Symphony, which is quite a
sardonic, biting work, as your letter indicates.  It was never my favorite
Nielsen symphony, and I haven't heard it in a long time, so I'll leave it
at that.

If, however, this is your only exposure to Nielsen symphonies (can't tell
from the above, so forgive me if I'm wrong), don't assume this is his
typical sound.  Any of the five previous are worth exploring and none
really sounds like the Sixth.  They are all darker, more expansive, and
more "symphonic." Some are quite dramatic, even violent.  Try the First
or Third or Fifth for starters, but I love all of these works.

Roger Hecht