Nielsen, Carl August (EN)

Nielsen Carl August, *9 June 1865 Noerre Lyndelse (island Fionia), †5 October 1931 Copenhagen, Danish composer. He came from a poor rural family; his father, Niels Jørgensen, was a painter-craftsman and, at the same time, a musician in a folk band (he played the violin and clarinet); thanks to his mother, Carl learned simple folk songs. In 1879–93, Nielsen was a military musician in the garrison in Odense. In 1884–86, Nielsen studied at the Copenhagen Conservatory – violin with V. Tofte, piano with G. Matthison-Hansen, theory with J.P.E. Hartmann and O. Rosenhoff, and music history and composition with N. Gade. In 1889, he took up work as a second violinist in the Kongelig Kapel (Danish Opera Orchestra), where he worked until 1914 (with a break in 1905–08), from 1908 as a conductor. His first piece, Lille suite for strygere op. 1, comes from 1888. In 1890–91, Nielsen was on a scholarship in Germany and Paris, where he met his future wife, Anna Marie Brodersen, a famous sculptor. He had two daughters: Irmelin and Anna Marie, and a son, Hans Børge.

In 1915–27, Nielsen was conductor of the Copenhagen Music Society and, from 1916, teacher of composition at the conservatory, where in 1931, shortly before his death, he was appointed rector. He contributed much to the development of Danish musical life and was highly regarded in wide circles of the Danish cultural elite. Particularly important was his cooperation with the reformer of church music Th. Laub, with whom he published a collection of songs for singing in the folk schools in 1915–17, which played an important role in the development and dissemination of culture. The collection Folkehøjskolens Melodibog, published in 1922, contains 40 melodies composed by Nielsen, most of which are known throughout Denmark. Nielsen left a rich creative legacy, including, in addition to six symphonies and two operas, violin concertos (1911), flute concertos (1926), a highly regarded clarinet concerto (1928), chamber works and vocal-instrumental works: Hymnus amoris, Fynsk Forår (1921), piano and violin pieces, and the monumental Commotio for organ (1930–31). In the last years of his life, Nielsen suffered from a heart condition, which was the cause of his premature death; the composer’s funeral was very solemn.

Nielsen’s genre-diverse oeuvre can be divided into the following periods: 1. covering the years 1888–1915 (Lille suite for strygere, Symphonies No. 1 and No. 2, the opera Saul og David, the vocal-instrumental Søvnen, the overture Helios), in which the crowning achievement is Symphony No. 3 “Espansiva”; 2. called by J.I. Jensen the “sunny” period, in which Nielsen undertook innovative activities, covering the years 1916–24 (Symphonies No. 4 and No. 5, music for the play Aladdin, piano Chaconne, Wind Quintet); 3. 1925–31, the period of experimentation (Symphony No. 6, Flute Concerto, Clarinet Concerto, Prelude and Theme with Variations and Preludio e presto for solo violin, 3 Motetter for a cappella choir and Commotio for organ).

Nielsen’s music stems from the tradition of Danish Romanticism (N. Gade, J.P.E. Hartmann, Ch. Horneman) and refers to the achievements of German composers (mainly J. Brahms), but even in his earliest works, one can notice individual features and connections with neoclassicism, expressed primarily in the treatment of melody and harmony. Nielsen’s melody often features chromaticism, influencing the intensification of the melodic movement. The composer also often used church scales, mainly Mixolydian or Dorian (e.g. in the piano piece Chaconne). The characteristic of his compositional procedure is the ambivalence of the minor and major third (an interval considered by Nielsen to be a “gift of God”), shaping the melody around one central sound and repeating the same interval or sound. In terms of harmony, Nielsen gradually moved away from the major-minor system; in his works from the 1920s, in addition to polytonality, there are fragments with extended tonality or partial atonality. In later compositions (Symphony No. 4–6, Clarinet Concerto), rhythm became one of the main form-forming elements.

Nielsen’s compositional technique is based on counterpoint. Linear thinking is evident in all the musical genres he practices, and in symphonies, it often determines the instrumentation. In terms of form, the composer refers to tradition; in instrumental music, he uses mainly classical forms, and in vocal music (Hymnus amoris, Saul og David, 3 Motetter), he draws inspiration from the works of the Renaissance and Baroque. Nielsen’s music is permeated with a specific dualism in both micro- and macrostructures. Naive, simple melodies appear next to sophisticated melodic turns, and unexpected modulations appear in the harmony. Nielsen’s compositions are distinguished by a dynamic that surprises with unexpected turns and makes the composer’s individual style clearly recognisable.

The core of Nielsen’s work is made up of symphonies, which have become a permanent part of the international concert repertoire; they show the composer’s path from the romantic style to an individual style, presenting the neoclassical trend. Symphony No. 1 was written under the influence of Brahms; Symphony No. 2 “De fire temperamenter” is programmatic in nature and presents the musical characteristics of the choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine. Symphony No. 3 “Espansiva”, in which Nielsen introduces modal structures, initiates changes in tonality, texture and shaping of the melody. Symphonies No. 4 and No. 5 are examples of the composer’s mature style; this is manifested in the departure from traditional formal models, the exposition of the rhythmic element, the preference for linear texture and the use of polyphony in orchestral groups. The chamber Symphony No. 6 shows the greatest affinity with neoclassical aesthetics thanks to the use of polyphonic technique and the individualisation of instruments (Part 2 of this symphony is intended for 6 wind instruments and 3 percussion). Nielsen’s Violin Concerto is distinguished by maintaining a perfect balance between the soloist’s part and the orchestra. After a dozen or so years, Nielsen reached for the concerto form again, writing the Flute Concerto and Clarinet Concerto, in which he used the solo instrument’s possibilities to the maximum. Other orchestral works include the Helios overture – a musical image of the sun’s journey across the sky from sunrise to sunset, and Sagadrøm – a series of symphonic images illustrating events from Icelandic legends. The symphonic fantasy Pan og Syrinx was inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Nielsen pursued chamber music throughout his life, mainly in the first period of his creative career. Of the four string quartets, Quartet in F major is considered Nielsen’s crowning achievement in the field of chamber music, demonstrating melodic invention and mastery of compositional technique. Violin Sonata No. 2 in G minor is also highly regarded. Quintet for wind instruments is also very popular, in which the first two parts show neoclassical features, Part 3 is very expressive, and Part 3 consists of variations on his own church melody. Min Jesus lad mit hjerte faa, showing the expressive possibilities of individual instruments; this work became a model for many Danish composers.

Nielsen’s piano pieces are scarce; two small cycles come from his youth: 5 Klaverstykker, Humoreske-Bagateller and Symfonisk suite. Innovative pieces appeared only in the second phase of his work: Chaconne op. 32, built on a theme in the Doric scale, and Thema med Variationer. The suite Den Luciferiske abounds in contrasts between the individual parts: polyphonic, rhythmically diverse parts are adjacent to impressionistic fragments, humoresques and pastoral episodes. Nielsen’s most innovative compositions include 3 Klaverstykker, especially the third piece from this cycle, which is atonal, almost dodecaphonic.

In his first major instrumental-vocal work, Hymnus amoris (1897), written to a text by A. Olrik and translated into Latin at Nielsen’s request, the composer celebrates love in its various shades, drawing inspiration from late Renaissance vocal music. In Søvnen – a work for which J. Jørgensen wrote the text based on Nielsen’s idea – the second movement, Mareridtet (‘nightmares’), is particularly dramatic. The lyrical humoresque Fynsk Forår, celebrating the beauty of Nielsen’s home island, is characterised by the simplicity of folk songs adapted by the composer. Of the 13 occasional cantatas, the best known is Kantate ved Universitetets Aarsfest.

The collection of masterful miniatures 29 smaa Præludier for organ without pedal was written under the influence of studies on early North German Baroque music. They can also be seen as introductory exercises to one of Nielsen’s most outstanding works, the Commotio for organ, modelled on Buxtehude’s one-movement works. This work confirms the composer’s enormous melodic inventiveness, who combined polyphonic finesse with strong expressiveness. Nielsen presented a new approach to Palestrina polyphony in Three Motets for a cappella choir.

Songs occupy a significant place in Nielsen’s work (over 250 pieces) and have a distinctly folk character. The starting point for this renewal of popular song is J.A.P. Schulz’s preface to Lieder im Volkston (1782–90), which postulated that new “folk” songs should be composed in such a way as if they were already known from somewhere. Nielsen carried out this task by creating the collections En Snes danske Viser (1915, 1917), Tyve folkelige Melodier (1921), Ti danske Smaasange (1924), songs from plays, collaborating on the editing of the multi-volume edition Sangbogen Danmark and Folkehøjskolens Sangbog. In addition, in 1912–16, Nielsen composed Salmer og aandelige Sange for voice and piano, stylistically similar to folk songs, although not all of them entered the church repertoire. The solo songs of the romanza type from his early period were of lesser importance.

Both his operas also belong to the early phase of Nielsen’s work. The libretto for the opera Saul og David based on the Old Testament was written by E. Christiansen according to the composer’s sketches. Thanks to the very extensive choral parts, this opera approaches the form of an oratorio. Nielsen avoids lyrical arias, focusing on a dramatic recitative with an extensive orchestral part. The instrumental music (overture, numerous dances) in the comic opera Maskarade is completely different: lively and full of humour; Nielsen placed particular emphasis on the characters’ sketches and the image of the era (the first half of the 18^th century). Maskarade is the most frequently performed Danish opera, and fragments from it enjoy great popularity. In addition, Nielsen wrote many musical illustrations for theatre plays. The most famous include the music inspired by Eastern folklore for the play Aladdin by the Danish Romantic A. Oehlenschläger, often performed as a concert suite, and for the play Moderen by H. Rode. The widely known piece Tågen letter for flute and harp comes from the latter, as well as numerous patriotic songs.

Nielsen, the most outstanding Danish composer at the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, influenced the next generation of Danish (J. Bentson, F. Høffding, V. Holmboe, H. Koppel) and Swedish composers, indicating the possibilities of new sound solutions within traditional musical forms and compositional techniques. His instrumental works stand out against the background of European neoclassicism with their specific expression of sound colour, similar to the work of Sibelius and the French impressionists (Debussy). The second, radically different trend of his activity grew out of his concern for raising the level of musical culture in the country, thanks to which a rich repertoire of simple songs for schools and churches was created.

Editions: collective edition of Nielsen’s all works, Carl Nielsen Udgaven, ed. N. Krabbe, Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Copenhagen, began in 1997, completed in 2014. It consists of three series: series A – musical works, it contains three subgroups: I. stage music, II. Instrumental music (8 volumes published so far), III. vocal music (1 volume published so far); series B – unfinished works, sketches, fragments, parts of works in series A, as well as critical remarks by publishers and a list of variants; series C – literary works: Nielsen’s autobiography Min fynske barndom, articles, essays, lectures, music criticism. The whole edition can be accessed on the website:  https://www.kb.dk/findmateriale/samlinger/nodesamlingen/nodeudgivelser-ogvaerkfortegnelser-fra-det-kgl-bibliotek.

Literature: D. Fog and T. Schousboe Carl Nielsen Kompositioner. En bibliografi (‘Nielsen’s compositions, bibliography’), Copenhagen 1965; J. Fabritius Carl Nielsen 1865–1931. En billedbiografi (‘iconographic bibliography’), Copenhagen 1965; C. Fabricius-Bjerre Carl Nielsen. A Discography, Copenhagen 1968; B. Bjørnum, K. Møllerhøj Carl Nielsens samling. Katalog over komponistens musikhåndskrifter and Det kongelige Bibliotek, Copenhagen 1992 (catalogue of Nielsen’s manuscripts in Det Kongelige Bibliotek); Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Artikler, foredrag, interview, presseindlæg, værknoter og manuskripter (‘Carl Nielsen to the Moderns: Articles, Lectures, Interviews, Press Releases, Work Notes, and Manuscripts’), 3 volumes, ed. J. Fellow, Copenhagen 1999; Breve fra Carl Nielsen til E.B. Sachs (‘letters of Carl Nielsen to E.B. Sachs’), Copenhagen 1952; Carl Nielsens breve i udvalg, ed. I.E. Møller and T. Meyer, Copenhagen 1954 (selection of Nielsen’s letters); Carl Nielsen dagbøger og korrespondance med Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen (‘Carl Nielsen’s diaries and correspondence with Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’), ed. T. Schousboe and I.E. Møller, Copenhagen 1983; Carl Nielsen: Brevudgaven (complete edition of Nielsen’s letters, 12 volumes), ed. J. Fellow, Copenhagen 2006, Danske komponister i det 20. aarhundredes begyndelse (‘Danish composers at the beginning of the 20^th century’), ed. G. Lynge, Århus 1917; H. Seligman Carl Nielsen, Copenhagen 1931; T. Meyer and F. Schandorf Petersen Carl Nielsen. Kunstneren og mennesket (‘Carl Nielsen. Artist and man’), 2 volumes, Copenhagen 1947–48; L. Dolleris Carl Nielsen. En musikografi, Odense 1949; R. Simpson Carl Nielsen. Symphonist 1865–1931, London 1952, 2^nd ed. 1979; Carl Nielsen i hundredåret for hans fødsel (‘Carl Nielsen on his 100^th birthday’), ed. J. Balzer, Copenhagen 1965, English ed. entitled Carl Nielsen. Centenary Essays, London 1966; R. Simpson Sibelius and Nielsen. A Centenary Essay, London 1965; F. Matthiassen Livet, samfundet og musikken. En bog om Carl Nielsen (‘life, society and music, a book about Carl Nielsen’), Århus 1986; M. Miller Carl Nielsen. A Guide to Research, New York 1987; S. Jacobsen Carl Nielsen, Stockholm 1987; J.I. Jensen Carl Nielsen, Danskeren, Copenhagen 1991; M.R. Mogensen Carl Nielsen der dänische Tondichter. Biographischer Dokumentationsbericht, 5 volumes, Arbon 1992; The Nielsen Companion, ed. M. Miller, London 1995; D. Fanning Nielsen. Symphony No. 5, London 1997; J. Lawson Carl Nielsen, London 1997; S.Ch. Steensen Musik er liv. En biografi om Carl Nielsen (‘music is life, biography of Carl Nielsen’), Frederiksberg 1999; C. Eskildsen Carl Nielsen. Life and Music, Odense 1999; numerous articles in “Dansk musik tidsskrift”, including: H.D. Koppel Carl Nielsen og de yngste (‘Carl Nielsen and the youngest’) and T. Kristensen Carl Nielsen som prosaist (‘Carl Nielsen as a prose writer’), VII, 1932, J. Maegaard Den sene Carl Nielsen (‘late Carl Nielsen’), XXVIII, 1953, K. Riisager Carl Nielsen befragtet fra i dag (‘Carl Nielsen from today’s perspective’) and R. Simpson Carl Nielsen and Tonality, XL, 1965; H. Truscott The Piano Music of Carl Nielsen, “The Chesterian” XXXIV, 1960; P. Garvie Carl Nielsen, “Canadian Music Journal” V, 1961; K. Jeppesen Carl Nielsen i hundredaarsdagen (‘Carl Nielsen on his 100^th birthday’), “Dansk aarbog for musikforskning” IV, 1964–65; S. Martinotti Sibelius e Nieelsen nel sinfonismo nordico, “Chigiana” XXII, 1965; T. Schousboe Carl Nielsen’s Fifth Recorded, “Musical Denmark” 23, 1971–72 and Tre program noter af Carl Nielsen om „Sinfonia Espansiva” (‘programme sketches for Sinfonia Espansiva’), “Musik og forskning” VI, 1980; S. Pade Carl Nielsen and Contemporary Danish Music, “Nordic Sounds” II, 1990 and Carl Nielsen og den nye dansk musik (‘Carl Nielsen and new Danish music’), “Musik og forskning” XVI, 1990; T. Schousboe Carl Nielsen forskningen (‘Carl Nielsen, research), “Musik og forskning” XVI, 1990; A.Ø. Jensen Two Great Danish Editions in Progress. N. Gade and Carl Nielsen, «Fontes Artis Musicae» XLII, 1995

5. Dürrfeld Den lille Carl Nielsen, Koepnhaga 2014; M. F. Miller Carl Nielsen. A guide to research, New York 1987, D. Grimley Carl Nielsen and the Idea of Modernism, Oxford 2011; D. Grimley Organicism, Form and Structural Decay: Nielsen’s Second Violin Sonata, “The Musical Quarterly” 86 (1), 2002; J. Atkins A Danish Knight and his Sword: A Study on Carl Nielsen and his Symphony No. 5., California 2012, https://www.academia.edu/36716216/A_Danish_Knight_and_His_Sword; O. Burton Beyond Centricity: Residual Diatonicism in Carl Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony, in: White Rose, College of Arts and Humanities, Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York. Student Journal, 3^rd ed. 2017, https://www.academia.edu/34030921/Beyond_Centricity_Residual_Diatonic

Carl Nielsens Studies, ed. D. Fanning, M. Fjedsøe, D. Grimley, N. Krabbe, Copenhagen 2003–2020:

Carl Nielsen Studies, vol. 1, 2003: D. Fanning (Manchester) Carl Nielsen in the Light of Soviet Symphonic Tradition, M. Fjeldsøe (Copenhagen) Organicism and construction in Nielsen’s Symphony No. 5, D. Grimley (Surrey) Analytical and Aesthetic Issues in Carl Nielsen’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, FS 129, P. Hauge (Copenhagen) Carl Nielsen and Intentions: Concerning the Editing of Nielsen’s Works, K. Ketting (Copenhagen) Carl Nielsen and Tivoli, N. Krabbe (Copenhagen) Ebbe Hameriks påståede korrumpering af Carl Nielsens første symfoni eller Om nytten af kildestudier, T. Pankhurst (Manchester) ‘Different Names for the Same Thing…’: Nielsen’s Forces, Schenker’s Striving, Tarasti’s Modalities and Simpson’s Narratives, A.-M. Reynolds (New York, Geneseo) Carl Nielsen Unmasked: Art and Popular Musical Styles in his Opera Maskarade, C. Roth (Sheffield) Stasis and Energy. Danish Paradox or European Issue?

Carl Nielsen Studies, vol. 2, 2005: P. Hauge (Copenhagen) Carl Nielsen And The Gothenburg Orchestral Society, 1914–31: The Contact, Programming and Repertoire, K. Ketting (Copenhagen) Carl Nielsen And The Radio, E. Bruunshuss Petersen (Copenhagen) Karl Nielsen, Kvartet for to violiner, bratsch og cello, opus 5, Et kig ind i komponistens værksted, T. Pankhurst (Manchester) “We Never Know Where We’ll End Up”: Nielsen’s Alternative Endings to the Flute Concerto, K. Flensborg Petersen (Copenhagen) Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto: Form and Revision of the Ending, F. Krummacher (Kilonia), Steps To The Modern: Carl Nielsen`s String Quartets, L. A. Jensen (Copenhagen) Carl Nielsen And Nancy Dalberg, Nancy Dalberg as Carl Nielsen’s Pupil, Assistant and Patron

Carl Nielsen Studies, vol. 3, 2008: D. Fanning Carl Nielsen Under The Influence: Some New Sources for the First Symphony, J. Fellow A Patriotic Song With Consequences: ‘Du danske Mand’ a hundred years on, L. A. Jensen The Rosenhoff Affair, F. Mathiassen Carl Nielsen: Music And Philosophy, K. Vestergård, I.-M. Vorre Danishness in Nielsen’s ‘folkelige’ songs

Carl Nielsen Studies, vol. 4, 2009: D. Fanning Carl Nielsen, Theories Of Symphonism, M. Fjeldsøe Carl Nielsen And The Current Of Vitalism In Art, D. Grimley Nielsen’s Symphonic Waves, L. A. Jensen Carl Nielsen’s Juvenilia et Addenda, R. Knapp Carl Nielsen And The Nationalist Trap, T. Krácmar Nielsen – Brod – Jannácek, N. Krabbe The Carl Nielsen Edition, P. McCreless Strange Bedfellows. The Hebrew Bible and Wagner, in Saul og David, A.-M. Reynolds Carl Nielsen’s Folk-Like Songs And The ‘Danish National Tone’, C. Roth Carl Nielsen And The Danish Tradition Of Story Telling

Carl Nielsen Studies, vol. 5, 2012: J. Crummenerl Carl Nielsen And His Organ Preludes, D. Fanning, M. Assay ‘Dreams And Deeds’ And Other Dualities, J. Fellow Carl Nielsen – The Human Crisis, Then And Now, M. Fjeldsøe, J. Boeg Carl Nielsen And The Idea Of English National Music, G. D. Goss Sibelius, A Towering National Composer, D. Grimley Nielsen On The Boulevard, T. H. Hansen Carl Nielsen And Knud Jeppesen, R. Knapp Music As Life: Authority And Meaning In Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony, P. Muntoni Nielsen In The United Kingdom, S. H. Nielsen Alternative Neo-Riemanian Approaches To Carl Nielsen, A.-M. Reynolds Nielsen’s Saul And David As Tragedy, R. Rival Flatwards Bound: Defining Harmonic Flavour In Late Nielsen, R. Ross Nielsen’s Arcadia: The Case Of The Flute Concerto, C. Roth Carl Nielsen’s Cultural Self-Education, U. S. Sørensen Metrical Dissonance In The Works Of Carl Nielsen, M. Vad Signifyin(G) Carl: Nielsen’s Music In The Jazz Repertoire

Carl Nielsen Studies, vol. 6, 2020: J.-L. Caron, M. Assay Nielsen and the French Press (1903–1951), P. Muntoni Nielsen’s Saul and David and Italian Opera, K. Eskildsen Nielsen and Gade. Landmarks of Musical Denmarks, C. Røllum-Lrasen, M.-L. Zervides, D. Fanning Louis Glass and Carl Nielsen: Opposites in Danish Musical Life, N. Krabbe Knud Ketting (1942–2016); Erland Kolding Nielsen (1946–2017), N. Krabben Nielsen’s Unrealised Opera Plans, D. Fanning, M. Assay Nielsen, Shakespeare and the Flute Concerto: From Character to Archetype, M.-L. Zervides Nielsen, Saul and David end the Symbolist Movement, A.-M. Reynolds Carl Nielsen: Selected Letters and Diaries, selected translated and annotated by David Fanning.

Carl Nielsen Studies: 2019–2022: Additions, supplements etc. Carl Nielsen Bibliography 1985–2019, https://tidsskrift.dk/carlnielsenstudies.