Scandinavian American. [volume], June 01, 1947, Page 6, Image 6

About Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
6
DANISH MUSIC
(Continued from Page 1)
Danish note its special imprint
of intimate emotion in his simple
and unpretentious score to Th.
Thaarup‘s song-play “Harvest
Festival" and “Peter’s Wedding."
With his “Lieder im Volkston"
Schulz set himself a lasting mem
orial abroad: and in Denmark
many tunes from his song-plays
have survived to the present day.
His successor as musical director
of the Royal Orchestra was F.
L. 1E. Kunzen (1761-1817) whose
masterpiece “Ogiei- the Dane"
was composed to the libretto of
the Danish poet Jens Baggesen
(1764-1826).
The seed planted by Shulz was
destined to come to fruition in
his pupil C. E. F. Weyse (1774-
1842). Weyse hailed from Altona.
thus being a native of Holstein
and a Danish subject. He came
to Copenhagen in 1789; Schulz
looked after him with paternal
care and let Weyse stay in his
house for three years. Weyse be
came organist of Our Lady's, the
cathedral of Copenhagen, a post
he held for many years. His
Works comprise song-plays and
operas (”The Sleeping Potion"
and “The Festival at Kenil
worth"), symphonies and canta
tas. The latter were of a religious
character_ for the court, or com
posed for ceremonies at the Uni
versity. His contemporaries appre
ciated him especially as a com
poser of spiritual music. whereas
a later age favored his ballads
and songs. In the ballad where
the lyrical anul the dramatic ele
ments intertwine and merge com
pletely Weyse attained the sub
lime. To produce his effects he
Used the simplest means and in
a most wonderful way he was
able to carry over and embody
in his. songs the tone and accent
of the Danish language. His talent
reaches its pinnacle when, toward
the eventide of his life. he com
posed his expressive melodies for
Bei nhard Severin Ingemann's
morning and evening songs. so
I‘lL‘h for all the.r simplicity. - One
of \Yeyse's contemporaries was
Frederich D. R. Kuhlau (1786-
1‘32». a native of Hannover. His
gemiis had a more universal trend
than that 01‘ \Vt'ySc. His chamber
music and compositions for piano
fo:te became international and
Wei-known. an-l even today his
sciatinas are used in all parts
a: thv World by toalhers and stu
dvztts or the pimiu. In Denmark
his fame came to be based more
especially on his operas: “ROVer
borgen" rThe Castle of BrigandSl
tinged with poetry. and “Lulu“ in
which imagination piedominates.
and. last but not least. his music
for “Elverhoj” «Elf-Hill! (1828»
which has gradually come to be
known as Denmark’s national
song-play. It has been given more
than TOO performances at the
Royal Theatre: the overture ends
with the Danish national anthem:
“King Christian stood by lofty
mast, in smoke and mist." Long
fellow has translated the poem
into English.
After Weyse's death in 1842.
thzough the next half century.
Danish musical life was entirely
dominated by Niels W. Gade 418-
17-1890: and I. P E. Hartmann
11805-1900). Both were romanti
cists through and through. Gade
was rather swayed by emotion.
whereas in Hartmann imagination
predominated. (13:19 was strongly
inxluencul by Felix Mendelssohn.
He became m'ernatinnally known
for his symphonies and choral
works; hanw-r his finest com
positions m» 'Z'uv 4~\Prtlll‘e "Echo;
from Osstsir" ge-nnraily listed un—
der the {it-“nan title "Nachklange
ans: Osman. Opus 1. and the sym
phonies Nu, l fir. the {air plains
of Sealandi and No. 4. In the
choral work "Elverskud" (Elf-
Bewitchedu hp paints a life-like
picture of the Danish summer
night with its strange enchant
ment and the spell of dancing
elf-maiden From about 1850 un—
til his death Gade was directo:
of the “Musical Association" it
which all Danish musical life cen-
ltered. In I; P. E. Hartmann the
lnorthern force, already latent ‘in
1 his grandfather, Johan Ernst Hart—
‘mann. emerged unhampered. It is
imost strikingly in evidence in his
‘two ballets “The Valkyrie" and
3"The Lay of Thrym". the themes
l'Of which are taken from the old
sagas; moreover. in the choral
Work “Volven's Prophecy" (Vol
ven was the nordic Sibyl). and
in the overtures to the tragedies
of the great romantic poet and
dramatist Adam Oehlenschlager,
"Earl Hakon” and “Yrsa”. But
,Hartmann also plays on other
lstrings. His short opera “Little
Kirsten", to the libretto of Hans
Christian Andersen, is inspired by
folkloristic themes and endowed
with the tender. gentle charm of
a Danish folk-song.
Among the devotees of pure in
strumental music in the 19th cen
tury Fr. Frohlich (1806-1860) de
serves special mention. He was an
eminent violinist and has left a
number of excellent violin con
certos. The lighter vein in music
was represented mainly by H. C.
Lumbye (1810-1874) who for
|many years was orchestra leader
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in the famous Copenhagen amuse
ment-park “Tivoli.” His waltzes,
polkas and galops brought him
international fame. He traveled
all over Europe with his orchestra
and conquered Paris as well as
Vienna with his gay, ingratiating
tunes. In every Dane his music
conjures up a. picture of the. cozy
and charming petty bourgeois life
in Copenhagen about 1840 and
1850. His compositions live on,
their charm unimpaired. although
they were only intended to be
creations of the' moment when
they were first played a century
ago.
The Danish ballad had a re
birth with the composer Peter
Heise (1830-1879) who was able
to transplant Robert Schumann's
romantic Lieder to Danish soil.
Heise’s principal composition is
the national opera “Drot 0g
Marsk" (King and Marshall), the
book of which. by the Danish poet
Christian Richardt, deals with the
assassination of the medieval
Danish king. Eric Glippinge, in a
barn in the village of Finderup.
Heise‘s exquisite ballad art was
perpetuated by Peter Emil Lange
Miller (1850-1926) who further
composed the vibrant and spirit
ed incidental music for the fairy
tale comedy “Der var engang" -
(Once upon a time) by the great
poet Holger Drachmann. music
which, its simplicity notwith
standing, is the work of genius
No Danish composer more than
Lange-Miller has drawn his in
spiration from the shimmering
Danish summer night with its
pale lingering light.
On the borderline between the
Gade-Hartmann period and more
recent times stands C. F. E.
rHorneman (1840-1906). one of the
most torn, but also one Of the
most richly endowed personalities
in Danish music. His production
is limited. Best known is his opera
“Aladdin" with its brilliant over
ture. written in the composer's
earliest youth.
The last representative of ro
manticism in Denmark was Fini
Henriques (1867-1940). principally
known for his music to the melo
drama “Volund. the Blacksmith"
by Holger Drachmann.
The greatest name in more re
cent Danish music is Carl Niel
sen (1865-1931). From modest be
ginnings as a musician in a mili
tary band on the island of Funen
he worked his way up and
brought a grand rebirth to Dan
ish music. Taking his point of de
parture in Hartmann. Horneman
and the Norwegian composer. Jo
han Svendsen. he created a tone
language all his own. It bears the
imprint of strength, willpower and
light. The motory element is very
prominent in his music, one is
ever conscious of a living pulse
beat. On the other hand. his com
positions rarely excel in colorful
THE SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN
brilliance neither in instruments.
tion nor in harmony, but when it
comes to stringent logic of line
and composition and contrapumu:
force he is among the greatest
of his generation. The most Char
acteristic of his style is found
in his violin concerto and his sym~
phonies, particularly in No. 2
“The four temperaments." No. 3
“Espamiva,” No. 4 “The unvx‘
tinguish’ahle" and in the monu
mental Not 5. More e’asy of Mn
cess are his “Suite for Strings
Opus 1, the overture "Helios" and
the orchestral work “A sag:
dream". One of his most populn:
compositions is the amusing mu
sic for the play “Aladdin‘t
Among his piano compasitions
“Ciaconne” and “Theme with var
iations" deserve special mention.
and among his chamber music Ihv
same is true of “The Quintet for
wind-instruments” Opus 43 mm
the “String quartet in F-majm‘
Opus 44. He has written two up
eras for the Royal Theatre: “Soul
and David" (1902), and "Mas
querade" (1906) on a comedy by
Ludvig Holberg who lived from
1684 till 1754 and is sometimns
called the Danish Moliere. In
“Masquerade” Carl Nielsen paints
a vivid picture of life in Copen
hagen two centuries ago. ”Saul
and David" is one of Carl Niol~
sen‘s ‘most lofty compositions
charged with high pathos, and of
Continued on Page 7)