Musikforeningen (The Music Society) in Copenhagen was Denmark 's most important concert venue in the 19th century. It operated from 1838 to 1931 but it was especially under the leadership of Niels Gade (1850–90) that it became a meeting place for the city's music life with its own symphony orchestra and choir. Carl Nielsen was director from 1915–27. Other leaders included Franz Gläser , Emil Hartmann and Franz Neruda .
31-473: Copenhagen's Musikforeningen was founded in 1836 by among others Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann and Edvard Collin. Its objective was to publish Danish musical works "for which failure to publish would represent a loss to art". In addition, the association was also to present awards and organise concerts. The mandate for putting on concerts soon became by far the most important function for the Society, making it
62-656: A Danish pendant to the Bartered Bride , which was performed by Liszt in Weimar , and which remains today the most often played Danish opera). Hartmann also cooperated with other important Danish writers of his time, such as Henrik Hertz on his opera Korsarerne or with Adam Øhlenschlæger , writing incidental music and overtures to several of his plays, as well as music in the form of both songs and also melodramas for some of his poems (e.g. Guldhornene ), and cooperating in writing numerous cantatas. In 1836, Hartmann made
93-538: A Flute Sonata or a Piano Quartet were still written in Beethoven's lifetime and are naturally in the style of the Viennese classicist period. Influences from the then prevailing German models - Weber , Spohr or Marschner - can also be detected. Much of his later work belongs to the generation of Robert Schumann or Felix Mendelssohn . Still his style continued developing over the years. Later compositions, such as
124-612: A number of Scandinavian composers, he encouraged and taught Edvard Grieg , Carl Nielsen , Louis Glass , Elfrida Andrée , Otto Malling , August Winding and Asger Hamerik . Among Gade's works are eight symphonies, a violin concerto , chamber music , organ and piano pieces and a number of large-scale cantatas , Comala (1846) and Elverskud (1853) among them, which he called "concert pieces" ( koncertstykker ). These products, embraced post-1848 as works of Romantic nationalism , are sometimes based on Danish folklore . Apparently Gade never rated "The Bridal Waltz" ( Brudevalsen ). It
155-556: A renowned composer, while their son Carl Christian Ernst Hartmann (1837–1901) became a sculptor. Two of their daughters married composers; Emma Sophie (b. 1831) married Niels Gade and Clara (b. 1839) married August Winding (1835–1899). Many important later Danish artists, such as the composer Niels Viggo Bentzon and the director Lars von Trier descend from Hartmann. Hartmann's works are characterized by artistic seriousness, dramatic vitality, and in particular, by national coloring. The Nordic elements, which can be discerned in
186-590: A result of the economic recession but especially because the Music Society was increasingly seen as an outdated institution. Poor reviews, triggered perhaps by his lack of professional experience as a conductor, led Nielsen to leave in 1927. He was succeeded by Ebbe Hamerik who, despite considerable experience, was unable to prevent the Music Society's closure in 1931. Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann (14 May 1805 – 10 March 1900) was, together with his son-in-law Niels W. Gade ,
217-560: A state of steady decline ever since the great days of Niels Gade. But Nielsen managed to revive interest, reorganising the choir and somewhat modernising the rather conservative repertoire. He started to include works by contemporary Nordic composers such as Wilhelm Stenhammar , Kurt Atterberg and Louis Glass and contemporary French music by Claude Debussy , Maurice Ravel and Darius Milhaud ). Late German romantic composers such as Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss were not included. Around 1922, interest drastically declined, not just as
248-540: A study tour to Germany and France, where he made the acquaintance of Frédéric Chopin , Gioachino Rossini , Luigi Cherubini , Gaspare Spontini and Louis Spohr . In his early musical life, Spohr and the Danish composer Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse were Hartmann's most important mentors, as well as Heinrich Marschner . Further journeys to Germany followed in the next few years, during which he met Mendelssohn , Schumann , Liszt , Brahms and other renowned composers of
279-516: Is entitled "Gade" and based on the notes G-A-D-E, and Schumann's third piano trio is dedicated to Gade. Gade conducted the first performance of Schumann's piano Concerto with Clara Schumann at the piano. At Mendelssohn's death in 1847, Gade was appointed to his position as chief conductor in Leipzig but was forced to return to Copenhagen in the spring of 1848 when war broke out between Prussia and Denmark . In Copenhagen Gade became acquainted with
310-533: The Garnisons Kirke in Copenhagen, and in 1832, made a first major impression on audiences with the opera Ravnen . The opera received a long and positive review from Robert Schumann . The libretto was by Hartmann's lifelong friend Hans Christian Andersen with whom he later cooperated on numerous other works, cantatas, songs, incidental music or operas (among others his popular opera Liden Kirsten ,
341-473: The 20th century. As a private association, it was totally dependent on its members, but as opportunities for concerts increased elsewhere, membership fell steadily. At the height of Gade's term, there had been as many as 2,500 members and each concert was presented twice. By the 1913–14 season, membership had fallen to 900 and concerts were only performed once. As the Music Society was a private organisation, its concerts were also considered private events although
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#1732786852185372-566: The Danish Academy of Music which originally was founded in 1825 by Giuseppe Siboni (1780–1839), Hartmann helped co-establish and also direct the Royal Danish Academy of Music ( Københavns Musikkonservatorium ) with Niels Gade (1817–1890) and Holger Simon Paulli (1810–1891). In 1829, he married Emma Sophie Amalie Zinn (1807–1851), herself a composer. One of their sons, Emil Hartmann (1836–1898) also became
403-484: The composer Cornelius Gurlitt and they remained friends until Gade's death. Gade became director of the Copenhagen Musical Society ( Musikforeningen ), a post he retained until his death. He established a new orchestra and chorus, while settling into a career as Denmark's most prominent musician. Under his direction, the Music Society reached its peak. He also worked as an organist; though he lost
434-409: The early years, the association supported modern developments but even under Gade's leadership policy became more conservative. Under Neruda, the repertoire widened somewhat but still varied little from the classical repertoire of Vienna . In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Copenhagen music scene developed rapidly. The Music Society, once the only institution to present orchestral concerts in
465-410: The father of organist and composer Niels Rudolph Gade . Niels Gade remarried in 1857 to Mathilde Stæger, herself an outstanding pianist. For the wedding he wrote Fruehlingsbotschfaft expressing both his love for his now deceased first wife and the start of a new life and love for his second wife. This new marriage brought him two more children – a son, Axel Wilhelm Gade (1860-1921), who himself became
496-415: The grandson of composer Johann Hartmann (1726-1793), who had originally emigrated to Denmark from Silesia . J.P.E. Hartmann himself was largely self taught. Complying with his father's wishes (who wanted to protect him from the uncertainties of a musician's life), he studied the law and worked as a civil servant from 1829 to 1870, whilst pursuing an extensive musical career. By 1824, he became organist at
527-746: The leading Danish composer of the 19th century, a period known as the Danish Golden Age . According to Alfred Einstein , he was "the real founder of the Romantic movement in Denmark and even in all Scandinavia". J.P.E. Hartmann was the third generation of composers in the Danish musical Hartmann family. Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann was born and died in Copenhagen , Denmark. He was the son of composer August Wilhelm Hartmann (1775–1850) and Christiane Petrea Frederica Wittendorff (1778–1848), and
558-417: The leading concert institution in Copenhagen. Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann was its chairman from 1839 to 1892, whilst Gade was a most effective leader of the orchestra and choir until his death in 1890. Gade was succeeded by J.P.E. Hartmann ’ son, Emil Hartmann , who held the post for a year, but had to resign for health reasons. Franz Neruda then took over, conducting concerts until his death in 1915. During
589-415: The monumental A-Minor piano sonata or some Overtures ( Yrsa ) bear some similarities with Brahms. And there are pre-modernist accents in many of his latest pieces pointing notably to Carl Nielsen . His work had a strong influence on Scandinavian composers of later generations such as Edvard Grieg , Peter Erasmus Lange-Mueller or Carl Nielsen . His ever increasing originality gave him the nickname of being
620-625: The notice of the king, who gave the composer a Danish government fellowship which enabled him to go to Leipzig and Italy . Moving to Leipzig, Gade taught at the Conservatory there, working as an assistant conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra , and befriending Mendelssohn , who had an important influence on his music. In 1845 Gade conducted the premiere of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor with Ferdinand David at
651-469: The paying public. Performances were held at 8 pm on Thursday evenings at Odd Fellows Mansion (often simply called the Palæ ) in Copenhagen's Bredgade . Rehearsals were on Sunday afternoons, a convenient time for members of the choir. Following Neruda's death, Carl Nielsen took over the management of the Music Society's concerts in 1915. There had already been talk of abolishing the association which had been in
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#1732786852185682-484: The period known as the Danish Golden Age . Gade was born in Copenhagen , the son of a joiner and instrument maker. He was intended for his father's trade, but his passion for a musician's career, made evident by the ease and skill with which he learned to play upon a number of instruments, was not to be denied. Though he became proficient on the violin under Frederik Wexschall , and in the elements of theory under Christoph Weyse and Weyse's pupil Andreas Berggreen , he
713-544: The press were admitted. Financing consisted of membership dues, an annual State subsidy and the receipts of additional concerts open to the public. The Society had an unpaid amateur choir which took part in all its concerts. The orchestra, engaged specially for each concert, consisted of members of the Tivoli Orchestra . There were usually three or four concerts each season which stretched from November to April. From time to time, there were additional concerts open to
744-564: The prestigious position of organist at Our Lady, today's Copenhagen Cathedral , to Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann , he served in the Holmen Church in Copenhagen from 1850 until his death. Gade was joint director of the Copenhagen Conservatory with Hartmann (whose daughter he married in 1852) and Holger Simon Paulli , became court conductor in 1861, and was pensioned by the government in 1876. An important influence on
775-416: The themes based on folksongs , modulations , and the tendency towards rather dark sounds, emerged strongly after the 1830s. Hartmann united these Romantic influences with a strong control over both form and theme , acquired through his Classical training. Hartmann's life covered the whole 19th century and his very varied output makes it difficult to slot him in one category. His early works, such as
806-776: The time. He also founded the Copenhagen Music Society ( Musikforeningen ) in 1836, remaining its chairman until the end of his life. In 1843, he transferred from Garnisons Kirke to play the organ for Copenhagen's cathedral, the Vor Frue Kirke , and became the director of the Student Choral Association. He held both these posts until his death. His proverbially gentle character made him very popular, his compatriots organising year on year numerous impressive feasts to celebrate his birthday. In 1867, after having taught several subjects at
837-415: The violin. He also became friends with Robert Schumann and Robert Franz . Robert Schumann wrote a long enthusiastic article describing Gade as an exceptional young musician having the looks of Mozart and the four letters of whose name were those of the four strings of the violin. In his correspondence he talks of Gade as a rare talent with whom he sympathises as only with few. One of Schumann's piano pieces
868-582: The winter season, suddenly faced competition from many other organisations such as Koncertforeningen (1874-93), the Royal Orchestra (from 1883), the so-called Palæ concerts at Odd Fellows Mansion (1895-1931) and the Dansk Koncert-Forening (Danish Concert Association) (1901-40). It was therefore more thanks to its name than to its success that the Music Society maintained its status as the city's leading concert provider well into
899-407: The « old man prodigy » (« Vidunderolding »). Overall, his music displays great diversity, going from humour and poetry to drama and tragedy. Niels Gade Niels Wilhelm Gade (22 February 1817 – 21 December 1890) was a Danish composer , conductor , violinist , organist and teacher. Together with Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann , he was the leading Danish musician of his day, in
930-493: Was rescued by August Bournonville in his ballet A Folk Tale ( Et folkesagn ) and became an essential part of Danish weddings. On 27 April 1852 Gade married Emma Sophie Amalie Hartmann, daughter of Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann . He dedicated his Spring Fantasy to her to celebrate their engagement and his 5th Symphony with piano concertante as a wedding gift. In 1855, she died in childbirth while delivering twins; only one of them, Johan Felix Gade (1855-1928), survived. He became
961-593: Was to a great extent self-taught. He began his professional career as a violinist with the Royal Danish Orchestra , which premiered his concert overture Efterklange af Ossian ("Echoes of Ossian ") in 1841. When the performance of his first symphony had to be delayed in Copenhagen, it was sent to Felix Mendelssohn . Mendelssohn received the work positively, and conducted it in Leipzig in March 1843, to enthusiastic public reaction. His work attracted