Carl Nielsen
Encyclopedia
Carl August Nielsen (9 June 18653 October 1931), widely recognised as Denmark
's greatest composer, was also a conductor
and a violin
ist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen
, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age. While it was some time before his works were fully appreciated, even in his home country, Nielsen has now firmly entered the international repertoire. Especially in Europe and the United States, Nielsen's music is ever more frequently performed, with interest growing in other countries as well. Carl Nielsen is especially admired for his six symphonies
, his Wind Quintet
and his concertos for violin
, flute
and clarinet
. In Denmark, his opera Maskarade and a considerable number of his songs have become an integral part of the national heritage. While his early music was inspired by composers such as Brahms
and Grieg
, he soon started to develop his own style, first experimenting with progressive tonality
and later diverging even more radically from the standards of composition still common at the time. For many years, he appeared on the Danish hundred-kroner banknote
.
south of Odense
on the Danish island of Funen
. His father was a house painter and amateur musician who, with his abilities as a fiddler and cornet player, was in strong demand for local celebrations. Nielsen's own description of his childhood in his autobiography Min Fynske Barndom
(My Childhood in Funen) written in his later life appears to be a rather over-romanticised account. His mother whom he recalls singing folk songs during his childhood was in fact the daughter of a well-to-do family of sea captains and his uncle was a composer and performer of popular music. Nevertheless, Nielsen's own account of his introduction to music where he tells us: "I had heard music before, heard father play the violin and cornet, heard mother singing, and, when in bed with the measles, I had tried myself out on the little violin" is probably authentic.
Nielsen learned the violin
and piano
as a child and wrote his earliest compositions at the age of eight or nine: a lullaby, now lost, and a polka which the composer notated in his autobiography. He also learned how to play brass instrument
s, which led to a job as a bugler
and alto
trombonist
in the 16th Battalion at nearby Odense
. He studied at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen
from the beginning of 1884 until December 1886. Though not an outstanding student there and composing little, he progressed well in violin under Valdemar Tofte and received a solid grounding in music theory
from Orla Rosenhoff, who would remain a valued adviser during Nielsen's early years as a professional composer. He also studied composition under Niels Gade, Denmark's revered composer, whom he liked as a friend but not for his music. Contacts with fellow students and cultured families in Copenhagen, some of whom would become lifelong friends, would become equally important. The patchy education resulting from his country background left Nielsen insatiably curious about the arts, philosophy and aesthetics. But, as David Fanning
writes, it also left him "with a highly personal, common man's point of view on those subjects".
By September 1889, only three years after graduating from the conservatory, Nielsen had progressed well enough on the violin to gain a position with the second violins in the prestigious Royal Danish Orchestra
which played at Copenhagen's Royal Theater
. This position would sometimes cause Nielsen considerable frustration but he continued to play there until 1905. In between graduation and attaining this position, he gave violin lessons, made a modest income as a teacher and enjoyed continued support from patrons. Some of Nielsen's string chamber works were performed at this time, including a Quartet in F which he considered his official debut as a professional composer. However, the greatest impression was made by the Suite for Strings
, which was performed at Tivoli Hall on 8 September 1888. Nielsen would designate this work his Opus 1.
(£90), giving him the means to spend several months traveling in Europe. During this time he discovered and abandoned Richard Wagner
's music dramas, heard many of Europe's leading orchestras and soloists and sharpened his opinions on both music and the visual arts. While revering the music of Bach
and Mozart
, he remained ambivalent about much 19th century music. In Paris, he met the Danish sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen, who was also traveling on a scholarship. They toured Italy together, marrying in the English Church of St Mark's in Florence
on 10 May 1891 before returning to Denmark.
"As well as being a love match," Fanning writes, "it was also a meeting of minds. Anne Marie was a gifted artist.... She was also a strong-willed and modern-minded woman, determined to forge her own career." This determination would strain the Nielsens' marriage, as Anne Marie would spend months on location during the 1890s and 1900s, leaving Carl to raise their three young children in addition to composing and coping with his duties at the Royal Theater. While Carl suggested divorce in March 1905, the Nielsens remained married for the remainder of the composer's life. Carl sublimated his anger and frustration over his marriage in a number of musical works, most notably between 1897 and 1904, a period to which he sometimes referred as his "psychological" period. Fanning writes, "At this time his interest in the driving forces behind human personality crystallized in the opera Saul og David
and the Second Symphony ("De fire temperamenter")
and the cantatas Hymnus amoris
and Søvnen
.
on 14 March 1894 conducted by Johan Svendsen
, Nielsen played in the second violin
section. However, the symphony was a great success when played in Berlin
in 1896, contributing significantly to his reputation. Nielsen became increasingly in demand to write incidental music
for the theater and cantata
s to mark special occasions, both of which provided a welcome source of additional income. "A reciprocal relationship grew up between his programmatic and symphonic works," Fanning writes; "sometimes he would find stageworthy ideas in his supposedly pure orchestral music; sometimes a text or scenario forced him to invent vivid musical imagery which he could later turn to more abstract use."
Beginning in 1901, Nielsen received a modest state pension—800 kroner at first, growing to 7,500 kroner by 1927—to augment his violinist's salary. This allowed him to stop taking private pupils and left him more time to compose. From 1903, he also had an annual retainer from his principal publisher, Wilhelm Hansen Edition. Between 1905 and 1914 he served as second conductor at the Royal Theatre. From 1914 to 1926, he conducted the orchestra of Musikforeningen
or the Music Society. In 1916, he took a post teaching at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, and continued to work there until his death, in his last year as director of the institute.
The strain of dual careers and constant separation from his wife led Nielsen to more than one extra-marital affair. When the last one came to light, between Nielsen and his children's governess, the result was an eight-year breach in his marriage. During much of this time Carl and Anne Marie lived apart. The period led to a creative crisis for Nielsen, bringing about a powerful reappraisal of himself as a composer. This, along with World War I
and professional developments in his life, would strongly influence his Fourth
and Fifth Symphonies
, arguably his greatest works.
For his son-in-law, the Hungarian violinist Dr. Emil Telmányi
, Nielsen wrote his Violin Concerto, Op. 33 (1911).
After suffering a serious heart attack in 1925, Nielsen was forced to curtail much of his activity, although he continued to compose until his death. In 1927, he wrote My Childhood on Funen (Min Fynske Barndom
), a delightful memoir of his childhood . He also produced a short book of essays entitled Living Music (1925). Both have been translated into English, and Min Fynske Barndom was made into a docu-drama in 1994. Nielsen died in Copenhagen in 1931.
. Other well-known pieces are the incidental music
for Adam Oehlenschläger's drama Aladdin
, the opera
s Saul og David
and Maskarade, the three concerto
s for violin, flute
and clarinet
, the Wind Quintet
, and the Helios Overture
, which depicts the passage of the sun in the sky from dawn to nightfall.
The music initially had a neo-classical sound but became increasingly modern as Nielsen developed his own approach to what Robert Simpson
called progressive tonality
, moving from one key to another. Typically, he would end on a different key, sometimes as the outcome of a struggle as in his symphonies. His frequently blended melodic passages inspired by folk music with more complicated stylings including counterpoint and modern variations.
Like his contemporary, the Finn Jean Sibelius
, he studied Renaissance polyphony
closely, which accounts for much of the melodic and harmonic "feel" of his music.
Nielsen's works are sometimes referred to by FS numbers, from the 1965 catalogue compiled by Dan Fog and Torben Schousboe.
From its opening bars, Symphony No. 1 in G minor
(1890–92), while reflecting the influence of Grieg
and Brahms
, shows Nielsen's individuality. Surprisingly, it begins in C major and hints at what Robert Simpson
calls evolving or progressive tonality
or the practice of beginning a work in one key and ending in another. The composer, who was playing in the second violins at the work's premiere must have been gratified at the work's highly enthusiastic reception. From his manifestation of personal strength in the First Symphony, in the Second
Nielsen embarks on the development of human character. Inspiration came from a painting in an inn depicting the four temperaments
(choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine). The first and the third movements are reminiscent of the doleful style of Mahler
.
The Sinfonia Espansiva
is understood by Robert Simpson to mean the "outward growth of the mind's scope". It fully exploits Nielsen's technique of confronting two keys at the same time and includes a peaceful section with soprano and baritone voices, singing a tune without words. Symphony No. 4, "The Inextinguishable"
, written during the First World War
is perhaps the most popular. In the last movement two sets of timpani
are placed on opposite sides of the stage as a sort of musical duel. Nielsen described the symphony as "the life force, the unquenchable will to live". Almost as popular is the equally dramatic Fifth Symphony
, presenting another battle between the forces of order and chaos. A snare drummer is given the task of interrupting the orchestra, playing ad lib and out of time, with the intention of destroying the music. Performed by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erik Tuxen
at the 1950 Edinburgh International Festival
, it caused a sensation, inspiring interest in Nielsen's music outside Scandinavia. Finally, the Sixth Symphony
, written 1924–25, is less aurally accessible than the previous five. The tonal language is similar to Nielsen's other symphonies, but the symphony soon degenerates into a number of cameos, some sad, some grotesque, some humorous. Even Robert Simpson was confused.
(Saul and David), written in 1902 to a libretto by Einar Christiansen tells the Biblical
story of Saul
's jealousy of the young David
while Maskarade (Masquerade) is a comic opera in three acts written in 1906 to a Danish libretto
by Vilhelm Andersen, based on the comedy by Ludvig Holberg
. While Saul og David is one of Denmark's most important musical works for the theatre, it is difficult to stage as the really dramatic episodes are often separated by longer, less dynamic sequences. The choral scenes are certainly among the opera's highlights. The music, which is both dramatic and lyrical, is free of any late Romantic effects. The much lighter Maskarade, on the other hand, is considered to be Denmark's national opera as a result of its lasting success and popularity. Its many strophic songs and wonderful dances have great appeal for Danish audiences as has its underlying "old Copenhagen" atmosphere. The ensembles such as the striking wind quartet at the end of the first act are full of life while the orchestration is the most balanced in all of Nielsen's works.
Nielsen wrote a considerable number of choral works but most of them were composed for special occasions and were seldom repeated. Three fully-fledged cantatas for soloists, orchestra and choir have, however, become part of the modern repertoire. Hymnus amoris
(Hymn of Love) (1897) is inspired by Titian
's painting "The Miracle of a Jealous Husband" which Nielsen saw on his honeymoon in Italy in 1891. On one of the copies, Nielsen wrote: "To my own Marie! These tones in praise of love are nothing compared to the real thing." Nielsen composed the work after studying the choral style of the old polyphonic masters. Its premiere at the Music Society in April 1897 was a great success. Søvnen
(The Sleep), Nielsen's second major choral work, sets to music the various phases of sleep including the terror of a nightmare in its central movement which, with is unusual discords, came as an unwlecome shock to the reviewers at its premiere in March 1905. Fynsk Foraar
(Springtime on Funen), completed in 1922, is often cited as the most Danish of all Nielsen's compositions as it extols the beauty of Funen's countryside.
is a mature work, from 1911, which lies within the tradition of European classicism, whereas the Flute Concerto
of 1926 and the Clarinet Concerto
which followed in 1928 are late works, influenced by the modernism of the 1920s and the product of "an extremely experienced composer who knows how to avoid inessentials." Unlike Nielsen's later works, the Violin Concerto has a distinct, melody-oriented Neo-Classical structure. Unusually, there are three movements. The calm "Praeludium" is followed by a catching tune for the orchestra providing opportunities for tricks by the violin. The long, slow Adagio leads to the final Scherzo which, as Nielsen commented, "renounces everything that might dazzle or impress." The Flute Concerto was written for the flautist Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet who had performed in Nielsen's Wind Quintet (1922). In contrast to the rather traditional style of the Violin Concerto, it reflects the modernistic trends of the 1920s. The first movement, for example, switiches between D minor, E flat minor and F major before the flute comes to the fore with a cantabile theme in E major. Similarly, the Clarinet Concerto was specifically written for a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet, namely the clarinetist Aage Oxenvad
. Nielsen seems to have had an uncanny understanding of the clarinet, stretching its abilities to the utmost. Unusually, the Clarinet Concerto has just one continuous movement and contains a struggle between the soloist and the orchestra and between the two principal competing keys, F major and E major.
(1888), rather reminiscent of Scandinavian Romanticism as expressed by Grieg
and Svendsen
. The waltzing Intermezzo develops an appealing sparkle leading into the Finale where Nielsen demonstrates his mastery of form by cleverly reintroducing the opening theme. The work marked an important milestone in Nielsen's career as it was not only his first real success but it was also the first of his pieces he conducted himself when it was played in Odense a month later.
The Helios Overture
(1903) stems from Nielsen's stay in Athens
which gave him the inspiration of a work depicting the sun
rising and setting over the Aegean Sea
. The score is written for three flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings. A great showpiece
for orchestra, it has been one of Nielsen's most popular works ever since. Saga-Drøm
(Saga Dream), sometimes known as Gunnar's Dream, is a tone poem
for orchestra based on the Icelandic Njal's Saga
. In Nielsen's words: "There are among other things four cadenzas for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and flute which run quite freely alongside one another, with no harmonic connection, and without my marking time. They are just like four streams of thought, each going its own way — differently and randomly for each performance — until they meet in a point of rest, as if flowing into a lock where they are united."
At the Bier of a Young Artist
(Ved en ung Kunstners Baare) for string orchestra was written for the funeral of the Danish painter Oluf Hartmann in January 1910. The four-minute piece in E flat minor was first performed by the Gade Quartet at Oluf Hartmann’s funeral on 21 January in the chapel at Holmen’s Cemetery
in Copenhagen
and was also played at Nielsen's own funeral. Pan and Syrinx
(Pan og Syrinx), a vigorous nine-minute symphonic poem inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, was particularly well received at its premiere in 1911, Charles Kjerulf of Politken commenting: "For each note that was added it became more and more sublime."
The Rhapsodic Overture, An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands
(En Fantasirejse til Færøerne), is an occasional work which depicts a sea voyage from Denmark to the Islands. It draws on Faroese folk tunes but also contains freely composed sections.
Among Nielsen's orchestral works for the stage are Aladdin
(1919) and Moderen
, Opus 41 (1920). Aladdin was written to accompany a production of Adam Oehlenschläger’s fairy tale at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. The complete score, lasting over 80 minutes, is Nielsen's longest work apart from his operas but is now often performed as the shorter orchestral suite consisting of the Oriental March, Hindu Dance and Negro Dance. Moderen
, written to celebrate the reunification of Southern Jutland
with Denmark, was first performed on 30 January 1921 at the Royal Danish Theatre where it was well received. The text was basically a collection of generally patriotic verses written by Helge Rode
for the occasion.
works, some of them still high on the international repertoire. The Wind Quintet
, one of his most popular pieces, was composed in 1922 specifically for the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. Robert Simpson
writes, "Nielsen’s fondness of wind instruments is closely related to his love of nature, his fascination for living, breathing things. ... He was also intensely interested in human character, and in the Wind Quintet composed deliberately for five friends; each part is cunningly made to suit the individuality of each player."
The Fantasy Pieces for Oboe and Piano
(Fantasistykker for obo og klavier) consists of two pieces which were first performed at the Royal Orchestra Soirée in Copenhagen
on 16 March 1891. The oboist was Olivo Krause
(to whom they are dedicated) and the pianist Victor Bendix
. Transcriptions by Hans Sitt
for violin and piano and for violin and orchestra have also remained popular. Nielsen's four string quartets are all part of the current repertoire. The First String Quartet No. 1 in G minor
(1889) was innovative in the "Résumé" section which Nielsen included in the finale, bringing together themes from the first, third and fourth movements. The Second String Quartet No. 2 in F minor
(1890) provides evidence of Nielsen's early experiments with tonality. The Third String Quartet in E flat major
(1898) has remained one of Nielsen's more popular works, particularly in Denmark. The Fourth String Quartet in F major
(1904) was initially criticised by the reviewers but is now recognised for its innovative approach.
, Opus 32, which Nielsen qualified as "a really big piece, and I think effective". It was premiered by Alexander Stoffregen on 13 April 1917 and was generally well received by its reviewers. On 11 February 1918, Christian Christiansen
received an ovation when he played the piece during a concert of Nielsen’s orchestral works. Charles Kjerulf described the work as "a genuine Carl Nielsen piano-experiment".
All Nielsen's organ works were late compositions. Danish organist Finn Viderø suggests that this reflects the relative neglect of the organ during most of his life. This situation changed with the Orgeltagung (Organ Meeting) in Hamburg organised by Hans Henny Jahnn
in 1925, which was a major stimulus for the Orgelbewegung (Organ reform movement
), and the renewal of the front pipes of the Schnitger organ
in the St. Jacobi Church
by Karl Kemper from 1928–1930. Nielsen's last major work, Commotio, Opus 58, a 22-minute piece for organ, was composed between June 1930 and February 1931. The composer considered it to be one of his most important works.
, B.S. Ingemann
, Poul Martin Møller
, Adam Oehlenschläger and Jeppe Aakjær
. In Denmark, many of them are still popular today, both with adults and children. Among the more popular ones are Farvel min velsignede Fødeby! (1914), Havet omkring Danmark (1907), Hvem sidder der bag Skjærmen (Jens Vejmand) (1907), Jeg ved en Lærkerede (c. 1924), Op al den Ting, som Gud har gjort (c. 1914), Som en rejselysten Flaade (1921), Spurven sidder stum bag Kvist (1914) and Vi Sletternes Sønner har Drømme i Sind (1908).
. For some time, international interest was largely directed towards his symphonies while his other works, many of them highly popular in Denmark, have only recently started to become part of the world repertoire.
Writing in the New York Times on the occasion of Nielsen's 125th anniversary in 1990, Andrew Pincus explained that 25 years earlier Leonard Bernstein
had believed the world was ready to accept the Dane as the equal of Sibelius. He had spoken highly of "his rough charm, his swing, his drive, his rhythmic surprises, his strange power of harmonic and tonal relationships — and especially his constant unpredictability." But even in 1990, despite sporadic performances of his works, this "constant unpredictability" was still a bit too much for foreign tastes.
In London, the symphonies at least now appear to be well accepted. Paul Driver comments enthusiastically on the Colin Davis
and London Symphony Orchestra
performance of the Inextinguishable in May 2010: "Movement boundaries have become fluid; the expressive raison d’être is an evolving structure articulated by its emotional necessities rather than an externally valid architecture; and the journey from harmonic ambiguity at the opening to a stable key at the end is no mere vehicle for carrying ideas, but the whole point of the piece."
Within two months of its successful premiere at the Odd Fellows Concert Hall in Copenhagen on 28 February 1912, the Third Symphony was in the repertoire of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
in Amsterdam
, and by 1913 it had seen performances in Stuttgart
, Stockholm
and Helsinki
. The symphony was the most popular of all Nielsen's works during his lifetime and was also played in Berlin
, Hamburg
, London
and Gothenburg
.
An international breakthrough was made in 1962 when Leonard Bernstein
recorded the Fifth Symphony with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for CBS. This recording helped Nielsen's music to achieve appreciation beyond his home country, and is considered one of the finest recorded accounts of the symphony.
, Launy Grøndahl
, and Erik Tuxen
, did record his symphonies and other orchestral works, and their recordings are therefore considered to be the most "authentic" Nielsen available.
These recordings are all with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and all have been re-released on CD by Dutton Records (GB), except No. 6 which was transferred to CD by Denmark's DANACORD Records.
On the basis of information from the Carl Nielsen Society, the works currently most often performed are:
He and his wife Anne Marie had two daughters and a son. Irmelin, his eldest daughter, had studied music theory with her father. In December 1919, she married Eggert Møller (1893–1978), a medical doctor who became a professor at the University of Copenhagen
and director of the polyclinic
at Rigshospitalet
, the national hospital. Anne Marie, who graduated from the Copenhagen Academy of Arts, married the Hungarian violinist Emil Telmányi
(1892–1988) in 1918 who contributed to Nielsen's music, both as a violinist and a conductor. Nielsen's son, Hans Børge, was handicapped as a result of meningitis and spent most of his life away from the family. He died near Kolding in 1956.
Shortly before Carl Nielsen met his wife, he had a son Carl August Hansen (8 January 1888 - 4 April 1963) with housemaid Karen Marie Hansen (4 September 1865 - 17 March 1949). Mother and son emigrated in December 1901 to New York, where Carl August qualified as a pharmacist. Although he returned to Denmark for a few years, he returned to the United States in June 1921 where he resumed his career as a pharmacist. He had three children by two different wives. There are living descendants.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
's greatest composer, was also a conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age. While it was some time before his works were fully appreciated, even in his home country, Nielsen has now firmly entered the international repertoire. Especially in Europe and the United States, Nielsen's music is ever more frequently performed, with interest growing in other countries as well. Carl Nielsen is especially admired for his six symphonies
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, his Wind Quintet
Wind Quintet (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet or, more correctly, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon, Opus 43, was composed early in 1922 in Gothenburg, Sweden, where it was first performed privately at the home of Herman and Lisa Mannheimer on 30 April 1922.-Background:According to his...
and his concertos for violin
Violin Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Violin and orchestra, op. 33 [D.F.61] was written for Hungarian violinist Dr. Emil Telmányi, Nielsen's son-in-law, in 1911. The concerto has two movements.-Background:...
, flute
Flute Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Flute and orchestra [D.F.119] was written in 1926 for Gilbert Jespersen, who succeeded Paul Hagemann as flautist of the Copenhagen Wind quintet. The concerto, in two movements, was generally well received at its premiere in Paris in October 1926 where Nielsen had...
and clarinet
Clarinet Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 [D.F.129] was written for Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.-History:...
. In Denmark, his opera Maskarade and a considerable number of his songs have become an integral part of the national heritage. While his early music was inspired by composers such as Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
and Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
, he soon started to develop his own style, first experimenting with progressive tonality
Progressive tonality
Progressive tonality is the name given to the compositional practice whereby a piece of music does not finish in the key in which it began, but instead 'progresses' to an ending in a different key...
and later diverging even more radically from the standards of composition still common at the time. For many years, he appeared on the Danish hundred-kroner banknote
Banknotes of Denmark, 1997 series
Danmarks Nationalbank is issuing banknotes of the Danish Krone and is in the transition of replacing the 1997 banknote series. As of September 2010 the 200kr, 500kr and 1000kr from the 1997 series are the currently circulating notes....
.
Early years
Nielsen was the seventh of 12 children in a poor peasant family in Nørre Lyndelse near SortelungSortelung
Sortelung is a small village in on the Danish island of Funen. It is located near Nørre Lyndelse and south of the city of Odense.The village is known for being the birth place of composer and violinist Carl Nielsen....
south of Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
on the Danish island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. His father was a house painter and amateur musician who, with his abilities as a fiddler and cornet player, was in strong demand for local celebrations. Nielsen's own description of his childhood in his autobiography Min Fynske Barndom
Min Fynske Barndom
Min Fynske Barndom, translated into English as My Childhood, is Carl Nielsen's autobiographical account of his childhood on the Danish island of Funen...
(My Childhood in Funen) written in his later life appears to be a rather over-romanticised account. His mother whom he recalls singing folk songs during his childhood was in fact the daughter of a well-to-do family of sea captains and his uncle was a composer and performer of popular music. Nevertheless, Nielsen's own account of his introduction to music where he tells us: "I had heard music before, heard father play the violin and cornet, heard mother singing, and, when in bed with the measles, I had tried myself out on the little violin" is probably authentic.
Nielsen learned the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as a child and wrote his earliest compositions at the age of eight or nine: a lullaby, now lost, and a polka which the composer notated in his autobiography. He also learned how to play brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
s, which led to a job as a bugler
Bugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
and alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
trombonist
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
in the 16th Battalion at nearby Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
. He studied at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
from the beginning of 1884 until December 1886. Though not an outstanding student there and composing little, he progressed well in violin under Valdemar Tofte and received a solid grounding in music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
from Orla Rosenhoff, who would remain a valued adviser during Nielsen's early years as a professional composer. He also studied composition under Niels Gade, Denmark's revered composer, whom he liked as a friend but not for his music. Contacts with fellow students and cultured families in Copenhagen, some of whom would become lifelong friends, would become equally important. The patchy education resulting from his country background left Nielsen insatiably curious about the arts, philosophy and aesthetics. But, as David Fanning
David Fanning (musicologist)
David Fanning is a professor of music at the University of Manchester. He is an expert on the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Carl Nielsen and Soviet music...
writes, it also left him "with a highly personal, common man's point of view on those subjects".
By September 1889, only three years after graduating from the conservatory, Nielsen had progressed well enough on the violin to gain a position with the second violins in the prestigious Royal Danish Orchestra
Royal Danish Orchestra
The Royal Danish Orchestra is a Danish orchestra based in Copenhagen. The Danish name for the orchestra indicates its original function as an ensemble geared to supplying the music for court events...
which played at Copenhagen's Royal Theater
Royal Danish Theatre
The Royal Danish Theatre is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first serving as the theatre of the king, and then as the theatre of the...
. This position would sometimes cause Nielsen considerable frustration but he continued to play there until 1905. In between graduation and attaining this position, he gave violin lessons, made a modest income as a teacher and enjoyed continued support from patrons. Some of Nielsen's string chamber works were performed at this time, including a Quartet in F which he considered his official debut as a professional composer. However, the greatest impression was made by the Suite for Strings
Suite for String Orchestra (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Suite for Strings was one of the composer's earliest works and was first performed at the Tivoli Hall on 8 September 1888.-Background:...
, which was performed at Tivoli Hall on 8 September 1888. Nielsen would designate this work his Opus 1.
Marriage
After less than a year at the Royal Theater, Nielsen won a scholarship of 1,800 kronerDanish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
(£90), giving him the means to spend several months traveling in Europe. During this time he discovered and abandoned Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's music dramas, heard many of Europe's leading orchestras and soloists and sharpened his opinions on both music and the visual arts. While revering the music of Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, he remained ambivalent about much 19th century music. In Paris, he met the Danish sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen, who was also traveling on a scholarship. They toured Italy together, marrying in the English Church of St Mark's in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
on 10 May 1891 before returning to Denmark.
"As well as being a love match," Fanning writes, "it was also a meeting of minds. Anne Marie was a gifted artist.... She was also a strong-willed and modern-minded woman, determined to forge her own career." This determination would strain the Nielsens' marriage, as Anne Marie would spend months on location during the 1890s and 1900s, leaving Carl to raise their three young children in addition to composing and coping with his duties at the Royal Theater. While Carl suggested divorce in March 1905, the Nielsens remained married for the remainder of the composer's life. Carl sublimated his anger and frustration over his marriage in a number of musical works, most notably between 1897 and 1904, a period to which he sometimes referred as his "psychological" period. Fanning writes, "At this time his interest in the driving forces behind human personality crystallized in the opera Saul og David
Saul og David
Saul og David is the first of the two operas by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The four-act libretto, by Einar Christiansen, tells the Biblical story of Saul's jealousy of the young David, taken from the Book of Samuel. The first performance was at Det Kongelige Teater, Copenhagen on 28...
and the Second Symphony ("De fire temperamenter")
Symphony No. 2 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 2 De fire Temperamenter, "The Four Temperaments", Op. 16, FS 29 is the second symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, written in 1901–1902 and dedicated to Ferruccio Busoni. It was first performed in 1 December 1902 for the Danish Concert Association, with Nielsen himself conducting...
and the cantatas Hymnus amoris
Hymnus amoris
Hymnus amoris , for soloists, choir and orchestra, Opus 12, is Carl Nielsen's earliest choral work. It was first performed at the Music Society in Copenhagen on 27 April 1897 under the baton of the composer.-Background:...
and Søvnen
Søvnen
Søvnen , for chorus and orchestra, Opus 18, is Carl Nielsen's second major choral work. It was first performed at the Music Society in Copenhagen on 21 March 1905 under the baton of the composer.-Background:...
.
Mature composer
At first, he did not gain enough recognition for his works to be able to support himself. During the concert which saw the premiere of his first symphonySymphony No. 1 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7, FS 16 is the first symphony of Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Written between 1891 and 1892, it was dedicated to his wife, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen. The work's première, on 14 March 1894 was performed by Johan Svendsen conducting the Chapel Royal Orchestra , with...
on 14 March 1894 conducted by Johan Svendsen
Johan Svendsen
Johan Severin Svendsen was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania , Norway, he lived most his life in Copenhagen, Denmark....
, Nielsen played in the second violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
section. However, the symphony was a great success when played in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1896, contributing significantly to his reputation. Nielsen became increasingly in demand to write incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for the theater and cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s to mark special occasions, both of which provided a welcome source of additional income. "A reciprocal relationship grew up between his programmatic and symphonic works," Fanning writes; "sometimes he would find stageworthy ideas in his supposedly pure orchestral music; sometimes a text or scenario forced him to invent vivid musical imagery which he could later turn to more abstract use."
Beginning in 1901, Nielsen received a modest state pension—800 kroner at first, growing to 7,500 kroner by 1927—to augment his violinist's salary. This allowed him to stop taking private pupils and left him more time to compose. From 1903, he also had an annual retainer from his principal publisher, Wilhelm Hansen Edition. Between 1905 and 1914 he served as second conductor at the Royal Theatre. From 1914 to 1926, he conducted the orchestra of Musikforeningen
Musikforeningen
Musikforeningen in Copenhagen was Denmark's most important concert venue in the 19th century. It operated from 1838 to 1931 but it was especially under the leadership of Niels Gade that it became a meeting place for the city's music life with its own symphony orchestra and choir. Carl Nielsen was...
or the Music Society. In 1916, he took a post teaching at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, and continued to work there until his death, in his last year as director of the institute.
The strain of dual careers and constant separation from his wife led Nielsen to more than one extra-marital affair. When the last one came to light, between Nielsen and his children's governess, the result was an eight-year breach in his marriage. During much of this time Carl and Anne Marie lived apart. The period led to a creative crisis for Nielsen, bringing about a powerful reappraisal of himself as a composer. This, along with World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and professional developments in his life, would strongly influence his Fourth
Symphony No. 4 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable", Op. 29, FS 76, by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, was completed in 1916. Composed against the backdrop of the First World War, this symphony is among the most dramatic that Nielsen wrote, featuring a "battle" between two sets of timpani.-Origin:Danish Composer...
and Fifth Symphonies
Symphony No. 5 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 5, Op. 50, FS 97 is a symphony composed by Carl Nielsen in Denmark between 1920 and 1922. It was first performed in Copenhagen on 24 January 1922 with the composer conducting. It is one of the two of Nielsen's six symphonies lacking a subtitle....
, arguably his greatest works.
For his son-in-law, the Hungarian violinist Dr. Emil Telmányi
Emil Telmányi
Emil Telmányi, b. 22 June 1892 in Arad, then in the Kingdom of Hungary, d. 13 June 1988 in Holte, Denmark was a Hungarian violinist who invented the Bach bow, designed to play and sustain three or four notes on a violin for Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin...
, Nielsen wrote his Violin Concerto, Op. 33 (1911).
After suffering a serious heart attack in 1925, Nielsen was forced to curtail much of his activity, although he continued to compose until his death. In 1927, he wrote My Childhood on Funen (Min Fynske Barndom
Min Fynske Barndom
Min Fynske Barndom, translated into English as My Childhood, is Carl Nielsen's autobiographical account of his childhood on the Danish island of Funen...
), a delightful memoir of his childhood . He also produced a short book of essays entitled Living Music (1925). Both have been translated into English, and Min Fynske Barndom was made into a docu-drama in 1994. Nielsen died in Copenhagen in 1931.
Music
Nielsen is best known for his six symphoniesSymphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
. Other well-known pieces are the incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for Adam Oehlenschläger's drama Aladdin
Aladdin (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Aladdin, FS 89, is incidental music written to accompany a new production of Adam Oehlenschläger’s "dramatic fairy tale" presented at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in February 1919.-Background:...
, the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s Saul og David
Saul og David
Saul og David is the first of the two operas by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The four-act libretto, by Einar Christiansen, tells the Biblical story of Saul's jealousy of the young David, taken from the Book of Samuel. The first performance was at Det Kongelige Teater, Copenhagen on 28...
and Maskarade, the three concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
s for violin, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and clarinet
Clarinet Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 [D.F.129] was written for Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.-History:...
, the Wind Quintet
Wind Quintet (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet or, more correctly, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon, Opus 43, was composed early in 1922 in Gothenburg, Sweden, where it was first performed privately at the home of Herman and Lisa Mannheimer on 30 April 1922.-Background:According to his...
, and the Helios Overture
Helios Overture
Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture, Opus 17, was first performed by the Royal Orchestra, conducted by Johan Svendsen, on 8 October 1903 in the large hall of the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen.-Overview:...
, which depicts the passage of the sun in the sky from dawn to nightfall.
The music initially had a neo-classical sound but became increasingly modern as Nielsen developed his own approach to what Robert Simpson
Robert Simpson (composer)
Robert Simpson was an English composer and long-serving BBC producer and broadcaster.He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music , and for his writings on the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. He studied composition under Herbert Howells...
called progressive tonality
Progressive tonality
Progressive tonality is the name given to the compositional practice whereby a piece of music does not finish in the key in which it began, but instead 'progresses' to an ending in a different key...
, moving from one key to another. Typically, he would end on a different key, sometimes as the outcome of a struggle as in his symphonies. His frequently blended melodic passages inspired by folk music with more complicated stylings including counterpoint and modern variations.
Like his contemporary, the Finn Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
, he studied Renaissance polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
closely, which accounts for much of the melodic and harmonic "feel" of his music.
Nielsen's works are sometimes referred to by FS numbers, from the 1965 catalogue compiled by Dan Fog and Torben Schousboe.
Symphonies
Nielsen is perhaps most closely associated with his six symphones, which were written between 1892, when he was an aspiring young composer, and 1925, when he was already beginning to suffer from poor health. The works have much in common: they are all just over 30 minutes long, brass instruments are a key component of the orchestration, and they all exhibit unusual changes in tonality, which heightens the dramatic tension.From its opening bars, Symphony No. 1 in G minor
Symphony No. 1 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7, FS 16 is the first symphony of Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Written between 1891 and 1892, it was dedicated to his wife, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen. The work's première, on 14 March 1894 was performed by Johan Svendsen conducting the Chapel Royal Orchestra , with...
(1890–92), while reflecting the influence of Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
and Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
, shows Nielsen's individuality. Surprisingly, it begins in C major and hints at what Robert Simpson
Robert Simpson (composer)
Robert Simpson was an English composer and long-serving BBC producer and broadcaster.He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music , and for his writings on the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. He studied composition under Herbert Howells...
calls evolving or progressive tonality
Progressive tonality
Progressive tonality is the name given to the compositional practice whereby a piece of music does not finish in the key in which it began, but instead 'progresses' to an ending in a different key...
or the practice of beginning a work in one key and ending in another. The composer, who was playing in the second violins at the work's premiere must have been gratified at the work's highly enthusiastic reception. From his manifestation of personal strength in the First Symphony, in the Second
Symphony No. 2 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 2 De fire Temperamenter, "The Four Temperaments", Op. 16, FS 29 is the second symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, written in 1901–1902 and dedicated to Ferruccio Busoni. It was first performed in 1 December 1902 for the Danish Concert Association, with Nielsen himself conducting...
Nielsen embarks on the development of human character. Inspiration came from a painting in an inn depicting the four temperaments
Four humours
Four Temperaments is a theory of proto-psychology that stems from the ancient medical concept of humorism and suggests that four bodily fluids affect human personality traits and behaviors.- History and development :...
(choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine). The first and the third movements are reminiscent of the doleful style of Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
.
The Sinfonia Espansiva
Symphony No. 3 (Nielsen)
The Danish composer Carl Nielsen wrote his Symphony No. 3 "Sinfonia Espansiva", Op. 27, FS 60, between 1910 and 1911 by . It typically lasts around 33 minutes.The symphony followed Nielsen's tenure as bandmaster at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen...
is understood by Robert Simpson to mean the "outward growth of the mind's scope". It fully exploits Nielsen's technique of confronting two keys at the same time and includes a peaceful section with soprano and baritone voices, singing a tune without words. Symphony No. 4, "The Inextinguishable"
Symphony No. 4 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable", Op. 29, FS 76, by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, was completed in 1916. Composed against the backdrop of the First World War, this symphony is among the most dramatic that Nielsen wrote, featuring a "battle" between two sets of timpani.-Origin:Danish Composer...
, written during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
is perhaps the most popular. In the last movement two sets of timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
are placed on opposite sides of the stage as a sort of musical duel. Nielsen described the symphony as "the life force, the unquenchable will to live". Almost as popular is the equally dramatic Fifth Symphony
Symphony No. 5 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 5, Op. 50, FS 97 is a symphony composed by Carl Nielsen in Denmark between 1920 and 1922. It was first performed in Copenhagen on 24 January 1922 with the composer conducting. It is one of the two of Nielsen's six symphonies lacking a subtitle....
, presenting another battle between the forces of order and chaos. A snare drummer is given the task of interrupting the orchestra, playing ad lib and out of time, with the intention of destroying the music. Performed by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erik Tuxen
Erik Tuxen
Erik Oluf Tuxen was a Danish big band leader, composer and arranger, who worked for most of his life in Denmark. From 1936 until his death by cancer on 28 August 1957 he was conductor at the Danish National Symphony Orchestra of Danish Radio.Along with Thomas Jensen and Launy Grøndahl, Tuxen...
at the 1950 Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
, it caused a sensation, inspiring interest in Nielsen's music outside Scandinavia. Finally, the Sixth Symphony
Symphony No. 6 (Nielsen)
Symphony No. 6 "Sinfonia semplice", , FS 116. In August 1924 Danish composer Carl Nielsen began working on a Sixth Symphony, which turned out to be his last. By the end of October he wrote to Carl Johan Michaelsen:...
, written 1924–25, is less aurally accessible than the previous five. The tonal language is similar to Nielsen's other symphonies, but the symphony soon degenerates into a number of cameos, some sad, some grotesque, some humorous. Even Robert Simpson was confused.
Operas and cantatas
Nielsen's two operas are in very different styles. The four-act Saul og DavidSaul og David
Saul og David is the first of the two operas by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The four-act libretto, by Einar Christiansen, tells the Biblical story of Saul's jealousy of the young David, taken from the Book of Samuel. The first performance was at Det Kongelige Teater, Copenhagen on 28...
(Saul and David), written in 1902 to a libretto by Einar Christiansen tells the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Saul
Saul
-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
's jealousy of the young David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
while Maskarade (Masquerade) is a comic opera in three acts written in 1906 to a Danish libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Vilhelm Andersen, based on the comedy by Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian double monarchy, who spent most of his adult life in Denmark. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque...
. While Saul og David is one of Denmark's most important musical works for the theatre, it is difficult to stage as the really dramatic episodes are often separated by longer, less dynamic sequences. The choral scenes are certainly among the opera's highlights. The music, which is both dramatic and lyrical, is free of any late Romantic effects. The much lighter Maskarade, on the other hand, is considered to be Denmark's national opera as a result of its lasting success and popularity. Its many strophic songs and wonderful dances have great appeal for Danish audiences as has its underlying "old Copenhagen" atmosphere. The ensembles such as the striking wind quartet at the end of the first act are full of life while the orchestration is the most balanced in all of Nielsen's works.
Nielsen wrote a considerable number of choral works but most of them were composed for special occasions and were seldom repeated. Three fully-fledged cantatas for soloists, orchestra and choir have, however, become part of the modern repertoire. Hymnus amoris
Hymnus amoris
Hymnus amoris , for soloists, choir and orchestra, Opus 12, is Carl Nielsen's earliest choral work. It was first performed at the Music Society in Copenhagen on 27 April 1897 under the baton of the composer.-Background:...
(Hymn of Love) (1897) is inspired by Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
's painting "The Miracle of a Jealous Husband" which Nielsen saw on his honeymoon in Italy in 1891. On one of the copies, Nielsen wrote: "To my own Marie! These tones in praise of love are nothing compared to the real thing." Nielsen composed the work after studying the choral style of the old polyphonic masters. Its premiere at the Music Society in April 1897 was a great success. Søvnen
Søvnen
Søvnen , for chorus and orchestra, Opus 18, is Carl Nielsen's second major choral work. It was first performed at the Music Society in Copenhagen on 21 March 1905 under the baton of the composer.-Background:...
(The Sleep), Nielsen's second major choral work, sets to music the various phases of sleep including the terror of a nightmare in its central movement which, with is unusual discords, came as an unwlecome shock to the reviewers at its premiere in March 1905. Fynsk Foraar
Fynsk Foraar
Fynsk Foraar , for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Opus 18, is Carl Nielsen's last major choral work. Written to accompany a prizewinning text by Aage Bernsten, it was first performed in Odense's Kvæghal on 8 July 1922 where it was conduced by Georg Høeberg.-Background:Aage Bernstein, a medical...
(Springtime on Funen), completed in 1922, is often cited as the most Danish of all Nielsen's compositions as it extols the beauty of Funen's countryside.
Concertos
Nielsen wrote three concertos: the Violin ConcertoViolin Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Violin and orchestra, op. 33 [D.F.61] was written for Hungarian violinist Dr. Emil Telmányi, Nielsen's son-in-law, in 1911. The concerto has two movements.-Background:...
is a mature work, from 1911, which lies within the tradition of European classicism, whereas the Flute Concerto
Flute Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Flute and orchestra [D.F.119] was written in 1926 for Gilbert Jespersen, who succeeded Paul Hagemann as flautist of the Copenhagen Wind quintet. The concerto, in two movements, was generally well received at its premiere in Paris in October 1926 where Nielsen had...
of 1926 and the Clarinet Concerto
Clarinet Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 [D.F.129] was written for Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.-History:...
which followed in 1928 are late works, influenced by the modernism of the 1920s and the product of "an extremely experienced composer who knows how to avoid inessentials." Unlike Nielsen's later works, the Violin Concerto has a distinct, melody-oriented Neo-Classical structure. Unusually, there are three movements. The calm "Praeludium" is followed by a catching tune for the orchestra providing opportunities for tricks by the violin. The long, slow Adagio leads to the final Scherzo which, as Nielsen commented, "renounces everything that might dazzle or impress." The Flute Concerto was written for the flautist Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet who had performed in Nielsen's Wind Quintet (1922). In contrast to the rather traditional style of the Violin Concerto, it reflects the modernistic trends of the 1920s. The first movement, for example, switiches between D minor, E flat minor and F major before the flute comes to the fore with a cantabile theme in E major. Similarly, the Clarinet Concerto was specifically written for a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet, namely the clarinetist Aage Oxenvad
Aage Oxenvad
Aage Oxenvad was a Danish clarinetist who played in the Royal Danish Orchestra from 1909. Carl Nielsen wrote his Clarinet Concerto for Oxenvad who played at its premiere in 1928.-Early life:...
. Nielsen seems to have had an uncanny understanding of the clarinet, stretching its abilities to the utmost. Unusually, the Clarinet Concerto has just one continuous movement and contains a struggle between the soloist and the orchestra and between the two principal competing keys, F major and E major.
Orchestral music
One of Nielsen's earliest works for orchestra is the immediately successful Suite for StringsSuite for String Orchestra (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Suite for Strings was one of the composer's earliest works and was first performed at the Tivoli Hall on 8 September 1888.-Background:...
(1888), rather reminiscent of Scandinavian Romanticism as expressed by Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
and Svendsen
Johan Svendsen
Johan Severin Svendsen was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania , Norway, he lived most his life in Copenhagen, Denmark....
. The waltzing Intermezzo develops an appealing sparkle leading into the Finale where Nielsen demonstrates his mastery of form by cleverly reintroducing the opening theme. The work marked an important milestone in Nielsen's career as it was not only his first real success but it was also the first of his pieces he conducted himself when it was played in Odense a month later.
The Helios Overture
Helios Overture
Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture, Opus 17, was first performed by the Royal Orchestra, conducted by Johan Svendsen, on 8 October 1903 in the large hall of the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen.-Overview:...
(1903) stems from Nielsen's stay in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
which gave him the inspiration of a work depicting the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
rising and setting over the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. The score is written for three flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings. A great showpiece
Showpiece
A showpiece is:* An accomplishment which is worthy of display and admiration:* English Wikipedia's 1,000,000th qualified article, Jordanhill railway station, was called a "showpiece of parallel collaboration."* An outstanding example of a type:...
for orchestra, it has been one of Nielsen's most popular works ever since. Saga-Drøm
Saga-Drøm
Carl Nielsen's Saga-Drøm , sometimes known as Gunnar's Dream is a tone poem for orchestra based on the Icelandic Njal's Saga. It was first perfored at the Music Society in Copenhagen on 6 April 1908 under the composer’s baton.-Background:While working on the music for Ludvig Holstein's drama Tove...
(Saga Dream), sometimes known as Gunnar's Dream, is a tone poem
Symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
for orchestra based on the Icelandic Njal's Saga
Njál's saga
Njáls saga is one of the sagas of Icelanders. The most prominent characters are the friends Njáll Þorgeirsson, a lawyer and a sage, and Gunnarr Hámundarson, a formidable warrior...
. In Nielsen's words: "There are among other things four cadenzas for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and flute which run quite freely alongside one another, with no harmonic connection, and without my marking time. They are just like four streams of thought, each going its own way — differently and randomly for each performance — until they meet in a point of rest, as if flowing into a lock where they are united."
At the Bier of a Young Artist
At the Bier of a Young Artist
Carl Nielsen's At the Bier of a Young Artist for string orchestra, FS 58, was written for the funeral of the Danish painter Oluf Hartmann in January 1910.-Background:...
(Ved en ung Kunstners Baare) for string orchestra was written for the funeral of the Danish painter Oluf Hartmann in January 1910. The four-minute piece in E flat minor was first performed by the Gade Quartet at Oluf Hartmann’s funeral on 21 January in the chapel at Holmen’s Cemetery
Holmens Cemetery
Holmens Cemetery is the oldest cemetery still in use in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was first located next to the naval Church of Holmen in the city centre but relocated to its current site on Dag Hammarskjölds Allé in the Østerbro district in 1666...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and was also played at Nielsen's own funeral. Pan and Syrinx
Pan and Syrinx
Carl Nielsen's Pan and Syrinx is a symphonic poem written for a concert of the composer's works which was held on 11 February 1918 in Copenhagen.-Background:...
(Pan og Syrinx), a vigorous nine-minute symphonic poem inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, was particularly well received at its premiere in 1911, Charles Kjerulf of Politken commenting: "For each note that was added it became more and more sublime."
The Rhapsodic Overture, An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands
An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands
Carl Nielsen's Rhapsodic Overture, An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands , is an occasional work for orchestra commissioned by the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen for a gala concert celebrating a visit from the Faroes...
(En Fantasirejse til Færøerne), is an occasional work which depicts a sea voyage from Denmark to the Islands. It draws on Faroese folk tunes but also contains freely composed sections.
Among Nielsen's orchestral works for the stage are Aladdin
Aladdin (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Aladdin, FS 89, is incidental music written to accompany a new production of Adam Oehlenschläger’s "dramatic fairy tale" presented at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in February 1919.-Background:...
(1919) and Moderen
Moderen
Carl Nielsen's incidental music Moderen , Opus 41, was written for a gala celebrating the reunification of Southern Jutland with Denmark. It was first performed on 30 January 1921 at the Royal Danish Theatre...
, Opus 41 (1920). Aladdin was written to accompany a production of Adam Oehlenschläger’s fairy tale at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. The complete score, lasting over 80 minutes, is Nielsen's longest work apart from his operas but is now often performed as the shorter orchestral suite consisting of the Oriental March, Hindu Dance and Negro Dance. Moderen
Moderen
Carl Nielsen's incidental music Moderen , Opus 41, was written for a gala celebrating the reunification of Southern Jutland with Denmark. It was first performed on 30 January 1921 at the Royal Danish Theatre...
, written to celebrate the reunification of Southern Jutland
Southern Jutland
Southern Jutland is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark. The region north of the Kongeå is called Nørrejylland . Both territories had their own ting assemblies in the Middle Ages . South Jutland is mentioned for the first time in the Knýtlinga saga.In the 13th century...
with Denmark, was first performed on 30 January 1921 at the Royal Danish Theatre where it was well received. The text was basically a collection of generally patriotic verses written by Helge Rode
Helge Rode
Helge Rode was a Danish writer and critic, and journalist for Politiken, Berlingske Tidende, and Illustreret Tidende. He was a critic of Georg Brandes and the Modern Breakthrough....
for the occasion.
Chamber music
Nielsen composed a number of chamber musicChamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
works, some of them still high on the international repertoire. The Wind Quintet
Wind Quintet (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet or, more correctly, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon, Opus 43, was composed early in 1922 in Gothenburg, Sweden, where it was first performed privately at the home of Herman and Lisa Mannheimer on 30 April 1922.-Background:According to his...
, one of his most popular pieces, was composed in 1922 specifically for the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. Robert Simpson
Robert Simpson (composer)
Robert Simpson was an English composer and long-serving BBC producer and broadcaster.He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music , and for his writings on the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. He studied composition under Herbert Howells...
writes, "Nielsen’s fondness of wind instruments is closely related to his love of nature, his fascination for living, breathing things. ... He was also intensely interested in human character, and in the Wind Quintet composed deliberately for five friends; each part is cunningly made to suit the individuality of each player."
The Fantasy Pieces for Oboe and Piano
Fantasy Pieces for Oboe and Piano
Carl Nielsen's Fantasy Pieces for Oboe and Piano , Opus 2, were composed shortly after the composer had taken up the post of second violinist in the Royal Danish Orchestra in 1889. The two pieces which make up the opus were first performed at the Royal Orchestra Soirée in Copenhagen on 16 March 1891...
(Fantasistykker for obo og klavier) consists of two pieces which were first performed at the Royal Orchestra Soirée in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
on 16 March 1891. The oboist was Olivo Krause
Olivo Krause
Olivo Vilhelm Eduard Oscar Krause was a Danish oboist and composer who had studied under Edmund Neupert and Agnes Adler. A member of the Royal Danish Orchestra from 1882, he became first soloist in 1893 when he also played as a soloist at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1915, he founded and played in...
(to whom they are dedicated) and the pianist Victor Bendix
Victor Bendix
Victor Emanuel Bendix was a Jewish Danish composer, conductor and pianist. His teachers included Niels Gade....
. Transcriptions by Hans Sitt
Hans Sitt
Jan Hanuš Sitt, known as Hans Sitt, , was a Bohemian-German violinist, violist, teacher, and composer. During his lifetime, he was regarded as one of the foremost teachers of violin...
for violin and piano and for violin and orchestra have also remained popular. Nielsen's four string quartets are all part of the current repertoire. The First String Quartet No. 1 in G minor
String Quartet No. 1 (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Opus 13, was first performed privately on 18 December 1889 in Copenhagen. It was the first of Nielsen's four string quartets in the official series.-Background:...
(1889) was innovative in the "Résumé" section which Nielsen included in the finale, bringing together themes from the first, third and fourth movements. The Second String Quartet No. 2 in F minor
String Quartet No. 2 (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 2 in F minor or Quartet for Two Violins, Viola and Cello in F minor, Opus 5, was composed in 1890, partly in Denmark but mostly in Germany where the composer was travelling on a stipend...
(1890) provides evidence of Nielsen's early experiments with tonality. The Third String Quartet in E flat major
String Quartet No. 3 (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 3 in E flat major or Quartet for Two Violins, Viola and Cello in E flat major, Opus 14, was composed in 1897 and 1898...
(1898) has remained one of Nielsen's more popular works, particularly in Denmark. The Fourth String Quartet in F major
String Quartet No. 4 (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 4 in F major or Quartet for Two Violins, Viola and Cello in F major, Opus 44, was composed between February and July 1906...
(1904) was initially criticised by the reviewers but is now recognised for its innovative approach.
Keyboard works
Although Nielsen came to compose mainly at the piano, he only composed directly for it occasionally over a period of 40 years, creating five major works and several others, often with a distinctive style which slowed their international acceptance. One of his most successful compositions for piano is ChaconneChaconne (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Chaconne, Op. 32, is among the composer's most frequently played compositions for piano.-Background:In a letter to his daughter Irmelin dated 19 December 1916, Nielsen, who was spending Christmas alone because of difficulties in his marriage with Anne Marie, wrote that he was...
, Opus 32, which Nielsen qualified as "a really big piece, and I think effective". It was premiered by Alexander Stoffregen on 13 April 1917 and was generally well received by its reviewers. On 11 February 1918, Christian Christiansen
Christian Christiansen (musician)
Christian Christiansen was Danish pianist and organist born in 1884.He was known as a strong supporter of Carl Nielsen's music and used to perform it while touring in Europe....
received an ovation when he played the piece during a concert of Nielsen’s orchestral works. Charles Kjerulf described the work as "a genuine Carl Nielsen piano-experiment".
All Nielsen's organ works were late compositions. Danish organist Finn Viderø suggests that this reflects the relative neglect of the organ during most of his life. This situation changed with the Orgeltagung (Organ Meeting) in Hamburg organised by Hans Henny Jahnn
Hans Henny Jahnn
Hans Henny Jahnn was a German playwright, novelist, and organ-builder.As a playwright, he wrote: Pastor Ephraim Magnus , which The Cambridge Guide to Theatre describes as a nihilistic, Expressionist play "stuffed with perversities and sado-masochistic motifs"; Coronation of Richard III ;...
in 1925, which was a major stimulus for the Orgelbewegung (Organ reform movement
Organ reform movement
The Organ Reform Movement or Orgelbewegung was an early 20th century trend in pipe organ building, originating in Germany and already influential in the United States in the 1940s, waning only in the 1980s...
), and the renewal of the front pipes of the Schnitger organ
Schnitger organ (Hamburg)
The Arp Schnitger organ in St. Jacobi Church, Hamburg, , one of the five Hauptkirchen of Hamburg, is a world-famous monument of North-German organ building, and the largest surviving baroque organ in Northern Europe....
in the St. Jacobi Church
St. Jacobi, Hamburg
The St. Jacobi church is one of the five principal Lutheran churches of Hamburg, Germany. The church is located directly in the city center, has a 125 m tall tower and features a famous organ by Arp Schnitger from 1693. It is dedicated to St James the Greater and often incorrectly known in English...
by Karl Kemper from 1928–1930. Nielsen's last major work, Commotio, Opus 58, a 22-minute piece for organ, was composed between June 1930 and February 1931. The composer considered it to be one of his most important works.
Songs and hymns
Over the years, Nielsen wrote the music for over 290 songs and hymns, most of them for poems written by well-known Danish authors such as N.F.S. GrundtvigNikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig
Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig , most often referred to as simply N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher, and politician. He was one of the most influential people in Danish history, as his philosophy gave rise to a new form of nationalism in...
, B.S. Ingemann
Bernhard Severin Ingemann
Bernhard Severin Ingemann was a Danish novelist and poet.Ingemann was born in Thorkildstrup, on the island of Falster, Denmark. The son of a vicar, he was left fatherless in his youth. While a student at the University of Copenhagen he published his first collection of poems Bernhard Severin...
, Poul Martin Møller
Poul Martin Møller
Poul Martin Møller was a Danish academic, writer, and poet. During his lifetime, he gained renown in Denmark for his poetry. After his death, his posthumously published fiction and philosophical writings were well received. He also devoted several decades of study to classical languages and...
, Adam Oehlenschläger and Jeppe Aakjær
Jeppe Aakjær
Jeppe Aakjær was a Danish poet and novelist, described in Chambers Biographical Dictionary as "a leader of the 'Jutland Movement' in Danish literature". A regionalist, much of his writings were about his native Jutland...
. In Denmark, many of them are still popular today, both with adults and children. Among the more popular ones are Farvel min velsignede Fødeby! (1914), Havet omkring Danmark (1907), Hvem sidder der bag Skjærmen (Jens Vejmand) (1907), Jeg ved en Lærkerede (c. 1924), Op al den Ting, som Gud har gjort (c. 1914), Som en rejselysten Flaade (1921), Spurven sidder stum bag Kvist (1914) and Vi Sletternes Sønner har Drømme i Sind (1908).
Reception
Unlike his contemporary, the Finn Jean Sibelius, Nielsen's reputation abroad did not start to evolve until after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. For some time, international interest was largely directed towards his symphonies while his other works, many of them highly popular in Denmark, have only recently started to become part of the world repertoire.
Writing in the New York Times on the occasion of Nielsen's 125th anniversary in 1990, Andrew Pincus explained that 25 years earlier Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
had believed the world was ready to accept the Dane as the equal of Sibelius. He had spoken highly of "his rough charm, his swing, his drive, his rhythmic surprises, his strange power of harmonic and tonal relationships — and especially his constant unpredictability." But even in 1990, despite sporadic performances of his works, this "constant unpredictability" was still a bit too much for foreign tastes.
In London, the symphonies at least now appear to be well accepted. Paul Driver comments enthusiastically on the Colin Davis
Colin Davis
Sir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
and London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
performance of the Inextinguishable in May 2010: "Movement boundaries have become fluid; the expressive raison d’être is an evolving structure articulated by its emotional necessities rather than an externally valid architecture; and the journey from harmonic ambiguity at the opening to a stable key at the end is no mere vehicle for carrying ideas, but the whole point of the piece."
Within two months of its successful premiere at the Odd Fellows Concert Hall in Copenhagen on 28 February 1912, the Third Symphony was in the repertoire of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1988, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands conferred the "Royal" title upon the orchestra...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and by 1913 it had seen performances in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. The symphony was the most popular of all Nielsen's works during his lifetime and was also played in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
.
An international breakthrough was made in 1962 when Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
recorded the Fifth Symphony with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for CBS. This recording helped Nielsen's music to achieve appreciation beyond his home country, and is considered one of the finest recorded accounts of the symphony.
Historical recordings
Nielsen did not record any of his works as he did not believe in the medium. However, three younger contemporary conductors who had worked with him, Thomas JensenThomas Jensen
Thomas Jensen was a Danish orchestra conductor.Born in Copenhagen, Jensen led several Danish ensembles, including the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra ....
, Launy Grøndahl
Launy Grøndahl
Launy Grøndahl was a Danish composer and conductor. Grøndahl studied the violin from the age of eight. His first work as a professional musician was as a violinist was with the Orchestra of the Casino Theatre in Copenhagen when he was aged just thirteen.He was also for a long period of time the...
, and Erik Tuxen
Erik Tuxen
Erik Oluf Tuxen was a Danish big band leader, composer and arranger, who worked for most of his life in Denmark. From 1936 until his death by cancer on 28 August 1957 he was conductor at the Danish National Symphony Orchestra of Danish Radio.Along with Thomas Jensen and Launy Grøndahl, Tuxen...
, did record his symphonies and other orchestral works, and their recordings are therefore considered to be the most "authentic" Nielsen available.
- Symphony No. 1: Thomas Jensen - 1952 (DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
) - Symphony No. 2: Thomas Jensen - 1947 (EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - Symphony No. 3: Erik Tuxen - 1946 (Decca)
- Symphony No. 4: Launy Grøndahl - 1951 (EMI)
- Symphony No. 5: Erik Tuxen - 1950 (EMI); Thomas Jensen - 1954 (Decca — first LP recording)
- Symphony No. 6: Thomas Jensen - 1952 (Tono, a Danish label)
These recordings are all with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and all have been re-released on CD by Dutton Records (GB), except No. 6 which was transferred to CD by Denmark's DANACORD Records.
"Objektivering"
By this term Nielsen meant an aesthetic approach wherein the instruments, or the players operating them, are given leave to assert their individual intentions, as interpreted by the composer. At the time Nielsen was writing the Fifth Symphony, with its sometimes violent disruption by the snare drum, he also produced the Wind Quintet, Op. 43 for a group of wind players whom he knew well personally. He resolved to write a concerto for each man, but completed only the ones for flute and clarinet. The latter (1928) immortalizes a clarinettist known for being irascible, and uses this character as a means of commenting on the anxious world condition at the time.Carl Nielsen's students
From 1915, Nielsen taught at the Royal Conservatory where he became director in 1931, shortly before his death. He also had a number of private students in his earlier days in order to supplement his income. As a result of his teaching, Nielsen has exerted considerable influence on classical music in Denmark. Among his most successful pupils were:- Thorvald AagaardThorvald AagaardThorvald Aagaard was a Danish composer, organist and college teacher.He wrote the music to several continually popular songs, such as Spurven sidder stum bag Kvist and Jeg ser de bøgelyse Øer...
(1877–1937), who collaborated with Nielsen and Thomas LaubThomas LaubThomas Linnemann Laub was a Danish organist and composer.-Notable works:*1888 80 rytmiske Koraler, en enstemmig samling*1889–1891 Kirkemelodier, tre hæfter med firstemmige udsættelser...
in publishing Folkehøjskolens Melodibog, a highly popular work grouping melodies for hymns and folksongs. - Emilius BangertEmilius BangertEmilius Bangert was a Danish composer and professor.-Biography:Emilius Ferdinand Caspar Bangert was born in Copenhagen, the son of Conrad Bangert and Ida Anderson. In 1902, he graduated from Borgerdydskolen , Copenhagen’s most prestigious private school. He acquired a cand. phil. degree in 1903...
(1883–1962), who assisted Nielsen in notating and transcribing a number of his compositions, wrote a symphony, overture, string quartet, sonatas, choral works and songs. - Jørgen BentzonJørgen BentzonJørgen Bentzon was a Danish composer, father of Danish composer Niels Viggo Bentzon and flautist . He was a student of Carl Nielsen from 1915 until 1919....
(1897–1951) who composed a considerable number of works ranging from chamber music to a symphony. - Nancy DalbergNancy DalbergNancy Dalberg was a Danish composer.Dalberg grew up on the Danish island of Funen where she learned to play the piano. Her father, a well-off industrialist, refused her wish to study at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen and in the end she took private composition lessons from Johan Svendsen,...
(1881–1949), who was the first Danish woman to compose a symphony, helped Nielsen with orchestration and notation work, especially in connection with Fynsk ForaarFynsk ForaarFynsk Foraar , for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Opus 18, is Carl Nielsen's last major choral work. Written to accompany a prizewinning text by Aage Bernsten, it was first performed in Odense's Kvæghal on 8 July 1922 where it was conduced by Georg Høeberg.-Background:Aage Bernstein, a medical...
. Her chamber music has become part of the Nordic repertoire. - Knud JeppesenKnud JeppesenKnud Jeppesen was a Danish musicologist, composer, and writer on the history of music....
(1892–1974), a composer and internationally recognised musicologist, who did much to promote Nielsen's music outside Denmark. - Herman KoppelHerman David KoppelHerman David Koppel was a composer and pianist of Jewish origin.Born in Copenhagen, he fled the Nazis with his family in 1943. He wrote 13 symphonies, numerous concertos, and 20 string quartets....
(1908–1998) who wrote 13 symphonies, numerous concertos, and 20 string quartets. - Rudolph SimonsenRudolph SimonsenRudolph Hermann Simonsen was a Danish composer who studied under Otto Malling.In 1928, he won a bronze medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his Symphony No. 2: Hellas....
(1889–1947), a disciple of Nielsen's, who became chairman of the Conservatory after Nielsen's death in 1931. - Mogens WöldikeMogens WöldikeMogens Wöldike was a Danish conductor, choirmaster, organist, and scholar known for his interpretation of music from the Baroque and Classical periods. His son-in-law was the Haydn scholar Jens Peter Larsen.He studied under Carl Nielsen and Thomas Laub and graduated from Copenhagen University in...
(1897–1988), one of Denmark's most influential conductors and choirmasters in the late 20th century, who made recordings of many of Nielsen's works.
Carl Nielsen concerts today
Carl Nielsen's music is frequently performed not only at a host of venues around Denmark but also throughout the world, especially in Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.On the basis of information from the Carl Nielsen Society, the works currently most often performed are:
- Wind QuintetWind Quintet (Nielsen)Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet or, more correctly, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon, Opus 43, was composed early in 1922 in Gothenburg, Sweden, where it was first performed privately at the home of Herman and Lisa Mannheimer on 30 April 1922.-Background:According to his...
- Helios OvertureHelios OvertureCarl Nielsen's Helios Overture, Opus 17, was first performed by the Royal Orchestra, conducted by Johan Svendsen, on 8 October 1903 in the large hall of the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen.-Overview:...
- Symphony No. 5Symphony No. 5 (Nielsen)Symphony No. 5, Op. 50, FS 97 is a symphony composed by Carl Nielsen in Denmark between 1920 and 1922. It was first performed in Copenhagen on 24 January 1922 with the composer conducting. It is one of the two of Nielsen's six symphonies lacking a subtitle....
- Masquerade Overture
- Symphony No. 4Symphony No. 4 (Nielsen)Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable", Op. 29, FS 76, by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, was completed in 1916. Composed against the backdrop of the First World War, this symphony is among the most dramatic that Nielsen wrote, featuring a "battle" between two sets of timpani.-Origin:Danish Composer...
- Aladdin SuiteAladdin (Nielsen)Carl Nielsen's Aladdin, FS 89, is incidental music written to accompany a new production of Adam Oehlenschläger’s "dramatic fairy tale" presented at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in February 1919.-Background:...
- Suite for Strings
- Clarinet ConcertoClarinet Concerto (Nielsen)Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 [D.F.129] was written for Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.-History:...
- Flute ConcertoFlute Concerto (Nielsen)Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Flute and orchestra [D.F.119] was written in 1926 for Gilbert Jespersen, who succeeded Paul Hagemann as flautist of the Copenhagen Wind quintet. The concerto, in two movements, was generally well received at its premiere in Paris in October 1926 where Nielsen had...
- Symphony No. 2Symphony No. 2 (Nielsen)Symphony No. 2 De fire Temperamenter, "The Four Temperaments", Op. 16, FS 29 is the second symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, written in 1901–1902 and dedicated to Ferruccio Busoni. It was first performed in 1 December 1902 for the Danish Concert Association, with Nielsen himself conducting...
- String Quartet in G MinorString Quartet No. 1 (Nielsen)Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Opus 13, was first performed privately on 18 December 1889 in Copenhagen. It was the first of Nielsen's four string quartets in the official series.-Background:...
Family
Nielsen's parents were Maren Kirstine Jørgensen, née Johansen (9 April 1833 – 28 January 1897) and Niels Jørgensen (22 January 1835 - 22 November 1915). He was one of 12 children. The brothers and sisters were Jørgine Caroline (1854–1879), Mathilde Sophie (born 1856), Karen Marie (1857–1876), Jørgen Peter (born 1859) emigrated to Australia, Johan Sophus (1861–1942) emigrated to USA, Christian Albert (born 1863) emigrated to USA, Carl August (1865–1931), Anders Jacob (born 1867) emigrated to USA, Helene Christine Louise (born 1869) emigrated to USA, Valdemar Emil (1871–1965), Julie Christine (born 1872), Anna Dusine (8 January to 2 April 1875).He and his wife Anne Marie had two daughters and a son. Irmelin, his eldest daughter, had studied music theory with her father. In December 1919, she married Eggert Møller (1893–1978), a medical doctor who became a professor at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
and director of the polyclinic
Polyclinic
Polyclinics in England are intended to offer a far greater range of services than can be offered by current general practitioner practices and local health centres. In addition to traditional GP services they would offer extended urgent care, healthy living services, community mental health...
at Rigshospitalet
Rigshospitalet
Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, or simply Riget, is the national hospital of Denmark, located in the capital city of Copenhagen, between the streets of Blegdamsvej, Tagensvej and Nørre Allé...
, the national hospital. Anne Marie, who graduated from the Copenhagen Academy of Arts, married the Hungarian violinist Emil Telmányi
Emil Telmányi
Emil Telmányi, b. 22 June 1892 in Arad, then in the Kingdom of Hungary, d. 13 June 1988 in Holte, Denmark was a Hungarian violinist who invented the Bach bow, designed to play and sustain three or four notes on a violin for Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin...
(1892–1988) in 1918 who contributed to Nielsen's music, both as a violinist and a conductor. Nielsen's son, Hans Børge, was handicapped as a result of meningitis and spent most of his life away from the family. He died near Kolding in 1956.
Shortly before Carl Nielsen met his wife, he had a son Carl August Hansen (8 January 1888 - 4 April 1963) with housemaid Karen Marie Hansen (4 September 1865 - 17 March 1949). Mother and son emigrated in December 1901 to New York, where Carl August qualified as a pharmacist. Although he returned to Denmark for a few years, he returned to the United States in June 1921 where he resumed his career as a pharmacist. He had three children by two different wives. There are living descendants.
Further Reading
- Grimley, Daniel M. Carl Nielsen and the Idea of Modernism. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2011. ISBN 9781843835813.
Citations
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- This contents web page has links with the corresponding title to pdf files for each book.
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}. |pages=168
}}
External links
- The Carl Nielsen Edition – index page to introductory information on many of Nielsen's works from the Royal Danish Library
- Carl Nielsen bibliography 1985–2005 at Det Kongelige Bibliotek .
- The Danish Carl Nielsen Society – provides lots of detailed information on the composer and his works, including an overview of upcoming concerts
- The Carl Nielsen Museum, OdenseOdenseThe city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
– "is a museum dedicated to the composer Carl Nielsen and to his wife, the sculptor Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen." - Carl Nielsen International Music Competition & Festival – an annual music event in Odense, celebrating the composer. Organised by the Odense Symphony Orchestra
- List of works
- Carl Nielsen String Quartet Nos.1–4, sound-bites and discussion of works
- Listen to a free MP3 recording of Förunderligt och märkligt with Umeå Akademiska Kör
- Carl Nielsen at Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music
- European Archive Copyright free sound files of Carl Nielsen LPs at the European Archive (for non-American users only)
- This contents web page has links with the corresponding title to pdf files for each book.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-