Moderen
Encyclopedia
Carl Nielsen's incidental music
Moderen (The Mother), 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
. The text was basically a collection of generally patriotic verses written by Helge Rode
for the occasion.
, London
and Amsterdam
. In addition, he was already starting to work on his Fifth Symphony
. Nevertheless, as time went by he grew increasingly interested in the project. By the beginning of October, he was able to tell Johannes Nielsen, the theatre director: "It is a beautiful play and it interests me to be part of it" and inform Rode: "Your gala play has given me pleasure, so I want to do what I can with my music."
The gala performance which was originally scheduled for Boxing Day 1920 had to be rescheduled for January as the score had not been completed in time for rehearsals. After considerable preparations, it took place on 30 January 1921. The accompanied songs assigned either to the Scald or to the Jester were sung by Svend Methling
and Johannes Poulsen
.
The fourth scene opens with a prelude: long, mournful cadences from the strings and muted wailing from the horns are permeated with unsettling melodic twists and turns. The Bard's song Så bitter var mit hjerte (So bitter was my heart), describes the lonely, frozen country around him and calls for the return of spring. When the West Wind responds, with great fanfare, by blowing down a wall of ice, the lost son appears. All return to the King's court, where they take part in a glorious procession, accompanied by Nielsen's beloved "March" with its fiery, patriotic spirit and its ceremonious yet joyous tone. People representing different regions of Denmark join in, symbolically welcoming mother and son. The entire company closes with the anthem-like song, Som en rejselysten flåde ("Like a venturous fleet at anchor").
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"....
Moderen (The Mother), Opus 41, was written for a gala celebrating 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. It was first performed on 30 January 1921 at the Royal Danish Theatre
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...
. 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.
Background
Nielsen began to compose the music for the various songs in April 1920. The work proceeded rather slowly, partly because he was not too keen to be working for the theatre once more and partly because he was travelling on assignments in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 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 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...
. In addition, he was already starting to work on his 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....
. Nevertheless, as time went by he grew increasingly interested in the project. By the beginning of October, he was able to tell Johannes Nielsen, the theatre director: "It is a beautiful play and it interests me to be part of it" and inform Rode: "Your gala play has given me pleasure, so I want to do what I can with my music."
The gala performance which was originally scheduled for Boxing Day 1920 had to be rescheduled for January as the score had not been completed in time for rehearsals. After considerable preparations, it took place on 30 January 1921. The accompanied songs assigned either to the Scald or to the Jester were sung by Svend Methling
Svend Methling
Svend Methling was a Danish actor and film director.He was a director for Dansk Skolescene 1924-1929, for Folkescenen 1925 and for Komediehuset 1929-1930.He also worked as a director at the Det Ny Teater 1926-1929....
and Johannes Poulsen
Johannes Poulsen
Johannes Poulsen was a Danish actor and director.He debuted with the Dagmar Theatre in 1901.In 1909 he joined the Royal Theatre as an actor, and from 1917 was also a stage director....
.
Reception
While the reviews were not too enthusiastic about the production as a whole, most of them welcomed the music. Extrabladet praised "Carl Nielsen’s often magnificent music, clear and straightforward and with a rhythmic beauty of tone as it should be in a national gala play" while Gunnar Hauch commented in Theatret that Nielsen had succeeded in conveying a Danish tone, especially in the song about "Princess Tove of Denmark" which was "played upon strings that were so authentic".Music
Rode's play is a fairy-tale allegory about the return of a kidnapped son. The famous melody for flute and harp, Tågen letter (The Fog is Lifting), accompanies the first scene in which the King sees a mother parting from her son through the rising fog. The King instructs his Bard and his Fool to go out into the world and return in one year with joyful news. The Bard thinks of the beautiful Princess Tove, whose praises he sings in the light, spirited song, Min pige er så lys som rav (My girl is fair as amber), portraying her as a beautiful personification of Denmark. The Fool, however, expresses his cynicism in the song Dengang ørnen var flyveklar (The day the eagle was ready to fly). The music here is sharp, edgy, with occasional moments of dissonance, and its refrain snarls, "Strong is the eagle, broad are its wings: hatred is strongest!"The fourth scene opens with a prelude: long, mournful cadences from the strings and muted wailing from the horns are permeated with unsettling melodic twists and turns. The Bard's song Så bitter var mit hjerte (So bitter was my heart), describes the lonely, frozen country around him and calls for the return of spring. When the West Wind responds, with great fanfare, by blowing down a wall of ice, the lost son appears. All return to the King's court, where they take part in a glorious procession, accompanied by Nielsen's beloved "March" with its fiery, patriotic spirit and its ceremonious yet joyous tone. People representing different regions of Denmark join in, symbolically welcoming mother and son. The entire company closes with the anthem-like song, Som en rejselysten flåde ("Like a venturous fleet at anchor").
External links
- [ Moderen from Allmusic.com]