Carl Nielsen Best Music

Nielsen: "Antithesis of Romanticism"

Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) is the most influential figure in Danish music. His fame - both nationally and internationally - is based on the complex and modern music he wrote for the concert hall; in addition, his songs based on Danish folk traditions are particularly appreciated in the country of his birth, although they are virtually unknown abroad.

Raised on the island of Funen (near Odessa), the young Carl Nielsen spent a few years as an army trumpeter before attending the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he studied violin and composition with Niels Gade and Hartmann, among others. After graduating from the Academy, Nielsen played violin in the Royal Danish Orchestra from 1886 to 1905. He then served as Kapellmeister at the Royal Theater (1908-14) and conductor of the Copenhagen Musical Society (1915-27), and from 1915 he taught at the Royal Conservatory, where he became director in 1931, shortly before his death.

In 1891, Nielsen married the Danish sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen in a relationship that was a "meeting of minds." Anne Marie was a gifted artist and a "strong-willed and modern woman, determined to make her own career. After her husband's death, she sculpted the Nielsen Monument in Copenhagen. Their daughter Anne Marie married the Hungarian conductor and violinist Emil Telmányi, who was instrumental in promoting Nielsen's music both as a violinist and as a conductor.

Nielsen's early music is still rooted in the 19th century, but his later style is a powerful fusion of chromatic and often dissonant harmony, solid contrapuntal structure, concentrated motivic treatment, and bold extensions of tonality with frequent polytonal passages. His personal style is the antithesis of Romanticism, perhaps a little dry, but also infused with humor. But there is also a certain hardness and stiffness in his music that makes it difficult for some listeners (not the writer - I am a great fan of Nielsen's music!) to feel close to it - unlike the mysterious and melodious music of that other great Northern European composer, Sibelius.

[Carl Nielsen in 1917]

Symphonies

Outside of Denmark, Nielsen is most closely associated with his six symphonies, powerful works that feature decisively articulated tonal progressions, written between 1892 and 1925. 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 feature unusual changes in tonality that heighten the dramatic tension. Symphony No. 1 (1890-92), while reflecting the influence of Grieg and Brahms, shows Nielsen's individuality from its opening bars. In Symphony No. 2 (1901-02), Nielsen embarks on a description of human personality, inspired by a painting of the four temperaments (choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine). Symphony No. 3, "Sinfonia Espansiva" (1910-11), exploits Nielsen's technique of juxtaposing two keys, and includes a peaceful section with a wordless chorus. Symphony No. 4, "The Inextinguishable" (1914-16), written during World War I, is one of the most frequently performed of the symphonies. In the final movement, two sets of timpani are placed on opposite sides of the stage and engage in a kind of musical duel. Nielsen described the symphony as "the life force, the unquenchable will to live. Also frequently performed is Symphony No. 5 (1921-22), which presents another battle between the forces of order and chaos. A snare drummer is given the task of interrupting the orchestra, playing "ad libitum" and out of time, as if to destroy the music. In Symphony No. 6 (1924-25), "Sinfonia Semplice," the tonal language seems similar to that of Nielsen's other symphonies, but the symphony develops into a series of cameos, some sad, some grotesque, some humorous.

I have already discussed the Fifth Symphony in my article "Best Symphonies from the Twentieth Century, Part One," so here I'll take a closer look at the Sixth Symphony.

Symphony No 6 "Sinfonia Semplice"

The sixth and final symphony, Sinfonia semplice, was written in 1924-25 and is a strangely oblique and fascinating work. It is emotionally ambiguous and complex - although the music itself is not at all difficult. The textures are very spare. The first movement is as anti-heroic as they come, oscillating between outrageous humor and at times almost menacing drama. The "modern music" of the second movement mocks and derides the avant-garde, turning it into a circus act that amuses and disturbs. The Bartokian nature of the intense string fugue gives the third movement (called "Serious Proposition") a powerful but enigmatic atmosphere. The "Theme and Variations" of the final movement all too easily dissolves into chamber music or passages of extreme elegiac expressiveness, the elements of which refuse to coalesce into any kind of wholeness. As Nielsen said, the bizarre variation with tuba and percussion represents "death knocking at the door," but the following fanfares seem a death-defying gesture. The symphony ends with two bassoons playing powerfully at their lowest pitch, as if giving the finger to death.

 

Listen to the hr-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Paavo Järvi:

Concertos

Nielsen wrote three concertos: the Violin Concerto, Op. 33, is a mid-period work from 1911, in the tradition of European classicism, while the Flute Concerto of 1926 and the Clarinet Concerto that followed in 1928 are late works influenced by the modernism of the 1920s. In contrast to Nielsen's later works, the Violin Concerto has a distinctly melody-oriented neoclassical structure. The two-movement Flute Concerto was written for flutist Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet, which premiered Nielsen's Wind Quintet. In contrast to the more traditional style of the Violin Concerto, it reflects the modernist trends of the time. The first movement, for example, alternates between D minor, E-flat minor, and F major before the flute enters with a cantabile theme in E major. The Clarinet Concerto was also written for a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet, Aage Oxenvad. Nielsen stretches the capabilities of the instrument and the player to the limit; the concerto has only one continuous movement and contains a struggle between the soloist and the orchestra and between the two main competing keys.

Clarinet Concerto

Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra op. 57 was composed between April and August 1928 and expresses the essence and expressive potential of the clarinet with a small orchestra and snare drum playing with and against each other.
and against each other. In addition to the instrument itself, Carl Nielsen was inspired by the person for whom the work was intended: the unique and spirited clarinetist Aage Oxenvad, a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet and a participant in the very first performance of Nielsen's Wind Quintet (see below).

Eschewing the large classical concerto form, Nielsen has cast the Clarinet Concerto in one continuous movement. It begins with a firm Allegretto un poco, relieved by a somewhat more songful second theme. There are many stormy exchanges between the soloist and the orchestra, and between the two main competing keys, F major and E major. Each time hostilities seem to be at an end, a snare drum incites the combatants to renewed conflict. A poco adagio follows, interrupted several times by faster, more disturbed sections. The final section is an energetic Allegro vivace, but a return to the Adagio brings the work to a conclusion of calm austerity, with the key of F major ultimately triumphant.

Listen to Sebastian Manz with the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart directed by Herbert Blomstedt:

Orchestral Music

Nielsen's first work composed specifically for orchestra was the immediately successful Suite for Strings (1888), which evoked Scandinavian Romanticism as expressed by Grieg and Svendsen. The work marked an important milestone in Nielsen's career, as not only was it his first real success, but it was also the first of his works that he conducted himself when it was performed in Odense a month later.

The Helios Overture (1903) dates from Nielsen's stay in Athens, which inspired him to compose a work depicting the rising and setting of the sun over the Aegean Sea. The score is a showpiece for orchestra and is one of Nielsen's most popular works. Saga-Drøm (Saga Dream, 1907-08) is a tone poem for orchestra based on the Icelandic saga Njal's Saga. At the Beer 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 and was also played at Nielsen's own funeral. Pan and Syrinx (Pan og Syrinx), a powerful nine-minute symphonic poem inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, was premiered in 1911. The rhapsodic overture, "An Imaginary Journey to the Faroe Islands" (En Fantasirejse til Færøerne), draws on Faroese folk tunes but also includes freely composed sections.

Nielsen's orchestral works for the stage include Aladdin (1919) and Moderen (The Mother, 1920). Aladdin was written to accompany a production of Adam Oehlenschläger's fairy tale at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. Moderen, written to celebrate the reunification of South Jutland with Denmark, was first performed in 1921; it is a setting of patriotic verses written for the occasion.

Aladdin, Suite for Orchestra, Op 34

Aladdin is a "dramatic fairy tale" in verse, in a prologue and five acts, based on The Arabian Nights, written in 1805 by Adam Oehlenschläger (along with Ludvig Holberg, the foremost Danish dramatist - their statues still flank the entrance to the Royal Theatre). It is the most extensive of Nielsen's scores for the theater, and with some 80-85 minutes of music, it is his largest work overall, apart from his two operas. It is also one of his most inventive scores, and the musical language he developed for the exotic dances and depictions of good and evil greatly enriched his style and exerted a strong influence, for example, on his Fifth Symphony of 1921-1922. Nielsen frequently conducted orchestral excerpts from Aladdin, both in Denmark and abroad, always to great popular acclaim. His supporters believed that his music for Aladdin could eventually do for his reputation what Peer Gynt had done for Grieg. The three solo songs from Aladdin were published in 1919, followed in 1926 by a suite of four orchestral pieces arranged for small orchestra. In 1940, to coincide with a new production of the drama using Nielsen's music, a definitive suite of seven pieces was published, which has since been widely performed and recorded.

Listen to the  hr-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Constantinos Carydis:

 

Chamber Music 

String Quartets

Nielsen wrote four string quartets. The First String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13 (1889, revised 1900) contains a "Résumé" section in the finale, bringing together themes from the first, third and fourth movements. The Second String Quartet No. 2 in F minor, Op. 5 appeared in 1890 and the Third String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 14 in 1898.  The Fourth String Quartet in F major (1904) initially received a mixed reception, with critics unsure of its restrained style. Nielsen revised it several times, the final version in 1919 being listed as his Op. 44.

String Quartet in F major Op 44 (1919)

Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 4 in F major was composed between February and July 1906, after one of Nielsen's major dramatic works, the comic opera Maskarade. The last of Nielsen's four string quartets, its first public performance took place in Copenhagen on November 30, 1907. The quartet was originally titled "Piacevolezza" after the first movement, which was marked Allegro piacevolo ed indolente (Pleasant and Lazy). In the revised 1919 edition, the movement was renamed Allegro non tanto e comodo and the title was dropped.

The opening movement, Allegro non tanto e comodo, is a perfect example of the studied nonchalance of a composer who was an expert at creating music of a certain character whenever he chose. Note the polyphonic dexterity with which the composer expresses himself, and the cheerful bird chirping that gives the piece its own tone. The second movement, Adagio con sentimentio religioso, shows Nielsen's interest in music for Denmark's national songs. It is evocative cathedral music. The third movement, Allegretto moderato ed innocento, is a graceful scherzo full of surprises. Beginning quietly, the theme is interrupted by a forte glissando that leads into a charming rondo. The Trio begins with a pleasant melody in the cello, followed by a brief dramatic crescendo, before ending with the main theme. The finale, introduced by a brief Molto adagio, moves into an Allegro non tanto, ma molto scherzoso, which forms the main section. The lyrical, lighthearted second theme is perhaps the most telling part of the work, ending in full harmony.

It is a pity, however, that Nielsen wrote only string quartets (and a string quintet) in the early years of his career - I would have liked to see how his style would have developed in his later mature phase.

For another discussion of this string quartet, see my blog article Best String Quartets Part 3.

Listen to the Akela String Quartet:

My blog article Best String Quintets contains a discussion of Nielsen's 1888 string quintet, a very harmonious work.

Violin Sonatas

The violin was Nielsen's own instrument, and he composed two major chamber works for it. The departures from standard procedures in the First Sonata, Op. 9 (1895), including its often sudden modulations and terse thematic material, unsettled Danish critics at its first performance. The Second Sonata, Op. 35 of 1912 was written for the violinist Peder Møller, who had premiered the composer's Violin Concerto earlier that year. The work is an example of the composer's progressive tonality, for although it is in G minor, the first and last movements end in different keys.

Violin Sonata No 2 Op 35 in G minor

Nielsen's Second Violin Sonata was composed in 1912. It is a darker affair than the First Violin Sonata and contains more dissonance than its predecessor. There are echoes of the Third Symphony, but there is none of the composer's self-confidence in that symphony, and it does not reveal its secrets as easily.

It is in three movements. The opening movement, Allegro con tiepidezza, begins gently, with a pastoral calm. However, it is quickly followed by a powerful risoluto section. This is followed by a quieter and more lyrical section, and this remains the pattern throughout this substantial movement. There is a note of tragedy in the second movement of the sonata before it becomes more lyrical, even wistful. There are also loud chords in the piano, with the violin "screaming" above them, indicating that all is not well, before the movement ends quietly and peacefully in major. The movement has a powerful, schizophrenic character. The flowing main theme of the finale, another Allegro piacevole, breaks the mood and provides the necessary contrast before becoming agitated with fast, repeated notes in the piano with the singing violin above. The G minor Sonata is probably Nielsen's most frequently performed violin work abroad, thanks in part to Telmányi's dedication to the piece, which he called "a work without equal in the sonata literature. Both he and Nielsen themselves considered the second movement to be particularly unique.

Listen to Christine Pryn and Manuel Esperilla play Carl Nielsen's 2nd sonata:

Music for Winds

The Wind Quintet, one of Nielsen's most popular pieces, was composed in 1922 for the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. It was deliberately composed for the five members of that Quintet, each part cleverly made to suit the individuality of each player.

Wind Quintet Op 43

The Wind Quintet is one of the composer's last works in which he attempted to express the characters of the various instruments. At one moment they are all speaking at once, at another they are all alone. The work consists of three movements: a) Allegro, b) Minuet, and c) Prelude - Theme with Variations. The theme for these variations is the melody of one of Carl Nielsen's hymns, which is used here as the basis for a series of variations, at times merry and whimsical, at times elegiac and serious, ending with the theme in all its simplicity and very quietly expressed. Overall, the piece combines aspects of neoclassicism and modernism.

Listen to Denmark's best known woodwind quintet CARION:

Music for Piano

Over a period of 40 years, Nielsen composed only occasionally for the piano (he does not seem to have been a great pianist himself - he was more of a violinist and started out as a trumpeter). The 8 major piano works he wrote can be divided into shorter character works (the Five Piano Pieces Op. 3, the Bagatelles Op. 11, and the delightful teaching pieces that make up Piano Music for Young and Old Op. 53), and the more important (anti-Romantic) works in which Nielsen's individual style comes through (the Symphonic Suite Op. 8, the Chaconne Op. 12, and the large-scale Theme and Variations Op. 40 (arguably Nielsen's greatest piano work, the Suite Op. 45, and finally the Three Pieces Op. 59).

Theme and Variations

In Theme and Variations, Op. 40, critics have recognized the influences of Brahms and also of Max Reger, of whom Nielsen had previously written to a friend: "I think that the public will not be able to grasp Reger's work at all, and yet I am much more sympathetic to his efforts than to those of Richard Strauss.

Here is Theme and Variations played by the Ukrainian pianist Mariya Orlenko:

 

Music for Organ

Commotio

Nielsen's organ works were late compositions. Nielsen's last major work – Commotio, Op. 58, a 22-minute piece for organ – was composed between June 1930 and February 1931, only a few months before his death.

Here it is played by Nils Henrik Asheim (with dance by Lene Aareskjold) on the Stavanger Konserthus Orgel:

 

 

Operas

Nielsen's two operas are very different in style. The four-act 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 is a comic opera in three acts, written in 1906 to a Danish libretto by Vilhelm Andersen, based on the comedy by Ludvig Holberg. Saul and David received a negative press when it premiered in November 1902, and did no better when it was revived in 1904. In contrast, Masquerade was a resounding success in November 1906, with an extraordinary run of 25 performances in its first four months. Generally regarded as Denmark's national opera, it has enjoyed enduring success and popularity in its home country, thanks to its many strophic songs, its dances and its underlying "old Copenhagen" atmosphere.

Maskarade Overture played by Danish National Symphony Orchestra with Fabio Luisi:

*****

The Carl Nielsen Society maintains a list of performances of Nielsen's works by region (Denmark, Scandinavia, Europe outside Scandinavia, and outside Europe), which shows that his music is regularly performed throughout the world. The concertos and symphonies appear frequently in these lists.

The Carl Nielsen International Competition began in the 1970s under the auspices of the Odense Symphony Orchestra. A violin competition has been held there every four years since 1980.

In his native country, the Carl Nielsen Museum, in Odense, is dedicated to Nielsen and his wife, Anne Marie.

[Contains edited text from the relevant articles about Nielsen in the English and Dutch Wikipedia]