Symphony No. 4 (Nielsen)

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The Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable (Danish: Det Uudslukkelige), by Carl Nielsen, was completed in 1916. This symphony is among the most dramatic that Nielsen wrote, featuring a 'battle' between two sets of timpani.

The title, Inextinguishable, does not apply to the symphony itself. In his notes for the symphony, Nielsen refers the 'the elemental will to live" ('inextinguishable' is not an exact translation of uudslukkelige, which itself suggests the life-force). It is scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 2 sets of timpani, and strings.

It is in four movements played without breaks. The first movement begins with a fierce tutti pitting D minor against its flat seventh, C, in an almost antiphonal manner. After the tutti, the clarinets introduce in A major the theme that will culminate the work. The second movement, in G major, is more an intermezzo than the expected adagio, a function filled by the third movement. The second set of timpani appears in the final movement, and at the very end E major emerges as the key to conclude the work.

The two sets of timpani are placed on either side of the orchestra. The fierce timpani duel in the last movement require the two timpanists to change the pitch of the timpani while playing. This was never called for before.

The most recorded of Nielsen's symphonies, No. 4 presents some unique problems to the interpreter. In his book Carl Nielsen: Symphonist, Robert Simpson devotes nearly a page to "features that can lead the exhibitionist conductor astray", mostly relating to matters of tempo.