Carl August Nielsen (June 9, 1865 – October 3, 1931) was a conductor, violinist, and composer from Denmark. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures The following lists of violinists are available List of classical violinists, names of great violinist from baroque era till 20th century A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe His works have long been well known in Denmark and they have been "a mainstay thoughout the Nordic countries and, to a lesser extent, in Britain," noted the critic Alex Ross in 2008 in The New Yorker, and rising young conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel and Alan Gilbert are now playing Nielsen's music in the United States. Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American Comic book painter, Illustrator and The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born January 26, 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor. Alan Gilbert (born 1967 New York City) is an American violinist and conductor.
Carl Nielsen is especially admired for his six symphonies and his concertos for violin, flute and clarinet. A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra.
Contents |
Life
Nielsen was the seventh of twelve children in a poor peasant family in Sortelung (Nørre Lyndelse), south of the city of Odense, Denmark. Sortelung is a small village in on the Danish island of Funen. The city of Odense (Danish ˈoð̞ˀn̩sə) is the fourth largest city in Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe His father was a house painter and amateur musician. Carl first discovered music by experimenting with the sounds and pitches he heard when striking logs in a pile of firewood behind his home. He managed to learn the violin and piano as a child. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers
He also learned how to play brass instruments, which led to a job as a bugler in the 16th Battalion at nearby Odense. A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator. "Bugler" redirects here For the tobacco brand see Bugler (tobacco. The city of Odense (Danish ˈoð̞ˀn̩sə) is the fourth largest city in Denmark. He later studied violin and music theory at the Copenhagen Music Conservatory, but never took formal lessons in composition. Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city Nonetheless, he began to compose. At first, he did not gain enough recognition for his works to support him. During the concert which saw the premiere of his first symphony on March 14, 1894 conducted by Johan Svendsen, Nielsen played in the second violin section. A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Johan Severin Svendsen ( September 30, 1840 &ndash June 14, 1911) was a Norwegian Composer, conductor and The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member However, the same symphony was a great success when played in Berlin in 1896, and from then his fame grew. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany.
Nielsen continued to play the violin at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen until 1905, when he became 2nd conductor at the Theatre (till 1914). From 1914-26, he conducted the orchestra of "Musikforeningen". In 1916 he took a post teaching at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen, and continued to work there until his death, in his last year as director of the institute.
On April 10, 1891 Nielsen married the Danish sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen, after having met just a month before in Paris, and the couple honeymooned in Italy. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Despite a long period of marital strife including a lengthy separation and mutual accusations of infidelity, they remained married until Nielsen's death. They had three children: Irmelin, Anne Marie, and Børge.
For his son-in-law, the Hungarian violinist Dr. Emil Telmanyi, Nielsen wrote his Violin Concerto op. 33 (1911).
Nielsen suffered a serious heart attack in 1925 and from that time on he was forced to curtail much of his activity, although he continued to compose until his death. Also during this period he wrote a delightful memoir of his childhood called My Childhood on Funen (1927). He also produced a short book of essays entitled Living Music (1925). Both have been translated into English. He died in Copenhagen in 1931. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Music
- Further information: List of compositions by Carl Nielsen
Nielsen is best known for his six symphonies. The musical compositions by Carl Nielsen can be listed in terms of their genre opus numbers and FS numbers that largely follow their chronological order A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. Other well-known pieces of his are the incidental music for Adam Oehlenschläger's drama Aladdin, the operas Saul og David and Maskarade, the concerti for flute, violin, and clarinet, the wind quintet, and the Helios Overture, which depicts the passage of the sun in the sky from dawn to nightfall. Incidental music is Music in a play, Television program Radio program Video game, film or some other form not primarily musical Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger (November 14 1779 &ndash January 20 1850 was a Danish Poet and Playwright. Aladdin (an Anglicisation of the Arabic name (originally Syrian Alāʼ ad-Dīn, Arabic: علاء الدين literally "nobility of the faith" Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Saul og David ( Saul and David) is the first of the two Operas by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The term Concerto (plural concertos or concerti) usually refers to a three part musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an Orchestra Carl Nielsen 's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra op 57 '' was written for Danish Clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928 A wind quintet, also sometimes known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, Oboe, clarinet, horn The vast majority of Danes know and sing the numerous songs by various poets, set to music by Carl Nielsen. The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants
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. In Music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent Melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice ( Monophony
Nielsen's works are sometimes referred to by FS numbers, from the 1965 catalog compiled by Dan Fog and Torben Schousboe.
Symphonies
Nielsen's approach to sonata form, as seen in his six symphonies, is one of gradual abandonment. Sonata form is a Musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical period. In considering the first movements of each symphony in turn, the first two reveal Nielsen working fairly comfortably within the confines of sonata form as later 19th century composers saw it; the middle two include certain high-level references to sonata form but little of the detail, and the last two inhabit a completely new world of Nielsen's own devising, wherein the structure of the movement can only be understood within the context of the material he is working with. By that point in his output there are no more parallels with any other forms or past traditions of musical construction.
- Symphony No. 1
- Nielsen's early Symphony No. 1 in G minor (1890-92) already shows his individuality and hints at what Robert Simpson calls "progressive tonality", by which he refers to Nielsen's habit of beginning a work in one key and ending in another. The Symphony No 1 in G minor (Op 7 FS 16 is the first orchestral Symphony of Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Robert (Wilfred Levick Simpson ( 2 March 1921 &ndash 21 November 1997) was an English Composer and long-serving BBC It was written at the same time as, and shares some qualities with, the Holstein songs of Op. 10.
- Symphony No. 2
- A painting Nielsen saw at an inn, depicting the four temperaments (choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine), inspired him to write Symphony No. 2, "The Four Temperaments" (1901-02). Humorism, or humoralism, was a theory of the makeup and workings of the human body adopted by Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers The Symphony No 2 "The Four Temperaments" (Op 16 FS 29 is the second Symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen written in 1901 to It is in four movements, each illuminating one of the temperaments, but despite this apparent tendency toward being a suite of tone poems, it is a fully integrated symphony. It is not true "program music" but rather a group of general character sketches, and one need not know which temperament Nielsen is considering in order to appreciate the work as a whole.
- Symphony No. 3
- Symphony No. 3, "Espansiva" (1910-11) was premiered in the same concert as the Violin Concerto. Carl Nielsen 's Symphony No 3 or Symphony Espansiva is one of Nielsen's most successful compositions and symphonies The second movement contains wordless solos for soprano and baritone voices (which can be played by clarinet and trombone if voices are not available). This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s
- Symphony No. 4
- Perhaps the best known of Nielsen's Symphonies is Symphony No. 4, "The Inextinguishable" (1914-16). The Symphony No 4, The Inextinguishable ( Danish: Det Uudslukkelige) by Carl Nielsen, was completed in 1916. It is in four connected movements and is the most dramatic Nielsen had written to date. In the last movement two sets of timpani are placed on opposite sides of the stage as a sort of musical duel. Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family
- Symphony No. 5
- Symphony No. 5, Op. The Symphony No 5 (Op 50 FS 97 by Danish Composer Carl Nielsen was completed on 15 January 1922 and first performed in Copenhagen 50 (1921-22) is the second of two of Nielsen's symphonies that lack a subtitle (which for Nielsen in any case are only very general signposts of intent, not indicating specific story-telling qualities). Like symphony no. 4, it has very dramatic use of percussion: at the climax of the first movement – which itself consists of two large structures joined to one another – the snare drummer is instructed to improvise "as if at all costs to stop the progress of the orchestra. " The second of the two large movements rises out of the ashes of the first, like a train ride into a better, post-World-War-I future. This symphony is the one by which Nielsen's music made its first significant post-war impact outside Scandinavia, when the Danish Radio Symphony, conducted by Erik Tuxen, performed it at the 1950 Edinburgh International Festival where it caused a sensation. The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of Performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around
- Symphony No. 6
- Even Robert Simpson was at first confused by Nielsen's Symphony No. 6, "Semplice" (1924-25). The Symphony No 6 by Carl Nielsen, written in 1925, is a work in four movements Tempo giusto Humoreske Allegretto Proposta It is not as obviously dramatic as the previous two and in some ways it strikes listeners as strange. After an anything but "simple", in fact tragic first movement, the second is only scored for nine instruments of the orchestra (piccolo, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, "sneering" trombone, and percussion) and represents Nielsen's commentary on trends in modern musical composition at the time (the mid-1920s). It is by far the most elusive of his symphonies to grasp, yet its very subtle architectural structure coupled with its enigmatic emotional tone make it a challenging, fascinating, and ultimately rewarding listening experience.
Historical Recordings
Nielsen did not record any of his works (he did not believe in the medium). However, three younger contemporary conductors, Thomas Jensen, Launy Grøndahl, and Erik Tuxen, who had worked with him, did record his symphonies and other orchestral works, and their recordings are therefore considered to be the most 'authentic' Nielsen available. Thomas Jensen (1898 &ndash 1963 was a Danish Orchestra conductor. Launy Grøndahl (1886–1960 was a Danish Composer and conductor. Erik Olaf Tuxen ( July 4, 1902 - August 28, 1957) was a German-born Orchestra conductor, Composer
- Symphony No. 1: Thomas Jensen - 1952 (Decca)
- Symphony No. Decca Records is a British Record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. 2: Thomas Jensen - 1947 (EMI)
- Symphony No. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in 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 by the Danish State Radio Symphony Orchestra, and all have been re-released on CD by Dutton Records (GB), except No. 6 which was transferred to CD by the Danish DANACORD Records.
"Objektiviering"
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 dialogue between the clarinet and the snare drum, he also produced the Wind Quintet, 0p. 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.
Media
-
Wind Quintet Op. 43 - Allegro ben moderato Wind Quintet Op. 43 - Menuetto Wind Quintet Op. 43 - Praludium: Adagio. Tema con variazioni: Un poco andantino - Problems playing the files? See media help.
References
- Sadie, Stanley; Latham, Alison (1994). Carl Nielsen entry in The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393037533.
- Kennedy, Michael; Bourne, Joyce (1996). Carl Nielsen entry in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, 4th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019280037X.
- Nielsen, Carl by David Fanning, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an Encyclopedia of Opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
- Inextinguishable. The fiery rhythms of Carl Nielson by Alex Ross in The New Yorker magazine, 25 Feb 2008
External links
- Carl Nielsen at Allmusic
- Carl Nielsen exhibit by Knud Ketting at Kunststyrelsen
- Carl Nielsen bibliography 1985-2005 at Det Kongelige Bibliotek (English). Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American Comic book painter, Illustrator and The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide.
- The Danish Carl Nielsen Society (Danish)
- Chronological Catalogue
- Free scores by Carl Nielsen in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)
- Carl Nielsen String Quartet Nos.1-2, sound-bites and discussion of works
- Carl Nielsen was listed in the International Music Score Library Project
- Listen to a free MP3 recording of Förunderligt och märkligt with Umeå Akademiska Kör. The Werner Icking Music Archive, often abbreviated WIMA, is a web archive of Public domain Sheet music. The International Music Score Library Project ( IMSLP) is a project for the creation of a virtual library of Public domain music scores, based on the
- Carl Nielsen at Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nielsen, Carl |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nielsen, Carl August (full name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Danish composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 9, 1865 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sortelung, Denmark |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 3, 1931 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Copenhagen, Denmark |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic