20th century
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Nielsen Carl
Aitken, Robert
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Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
Carl Nielsen: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra was written in 1926 and dedicated to flutist Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, the flautist of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. The Concerto was inspired by Copenhagen Wind Quintet's performance of Mozart in 1921, and by Gilbert-Jespersen's "delicate and refined" playing style. Inspired by Quintet’s performance, Nielsen promised to write five instrumental concertos – one for each member of the Quintet. However, he was able to compose only two: for flute and clarinet (1928).
A "preliminary" premiere took place in Paris on October 21, 1926, at the Salle Gaveau, with Gilbert-Jespersen as soloist with Maurice Ravel and Arthur Honegger in the audience. At that time, Nielsen had not yet finished the finale, so he wrote a temporary ending. The definitive premiere with the final version took place in Copenhagen on January 25, 1927.
The work is famous for the interaction between the elegant flute and a rude, "blundering" bass trombone in the finale. Nielsen described this as a confrontation between the refined soul (the flute) and the coarse reality (the trombone).
The real-life inspiration for that was Thorkild Graae, a member of the Royal Chapel Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel) in Copenhagen. Nielsen had a long professional relationship with Graae and supposedly captured his "irascible" or "grumpy" personality in the trombone part. This "rude" characterization was so integral to the work that Nielsen explicitly noted the atmosphere of the second movement begins with "a little nastiness" or "trouble" from the orchestra before the flute enters with "childlike innocence". The trombone is essentially the "villain" of this musical play, though a comical and ultimately harmless one.
1926 was a year of physical struggle: Nielsen was suffering from serious heart problems that reflected in the Concerto's sudden mood swings — moving from pastoral beauty to "violent" orchestral interjections.
Around that time, Nielsen had moved away from the "Titanism" of his earlier symphonies toward a Neoclassical economy. The concerto uses a reduced orchestra (avoiding trumpets and heavy brass, except for a single, humorous trombone), focusing on linear counterpoint and tonal clarity.
2014, the Final round of the Carl Nielsen International Flute Competition Sébastian Jacot
1. Allegro moderato, 2. Allegretto un poco - Adagio ma non troppo, 3. Tempo di Marcia
NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Paavo Järvi (conductor), 2019, live performance
1. Allegro moderato, 2. Allegretto un poco - Adagio ma non troppo, 3. Tempo di Marcia
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor), 1993, Ondine / Naxos
1. Allegro moderato
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor), 1993, Ondine / Naxos
2. Allegretto un poco - Adagio ma non troppo - Tempo di Marcia
Michael Schønwandt (conductor), Danish National Symphony Orchestra, 1990, Chandos / Naxos
1. Allegro moderato
Michael Schønwandt (conductor), Danish National Symphony Orchestra, 1990, Chandos / Naxos
2. Allegretto un poco - Adagio ma non troppo - Tempo di Marcia
Nielsen Carl
Carl Nielsen (1865–1931) was a preeminent Danish composer, conductor, and violinist, widely regarded as his country's greatest musical figure.
Born into a poor but musical family on the island of Funen, Nielsen's childhood on a rural farm was a major source of inspiration throughout his life. He learned violin and cornet at a young age, playing in his father's amateur band, and began composing simple tunes as a child. At 14, he joined a military orchestra as a bugler before gaining admission to the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen in 1884.
After graduating, Nielsen secured a position as a second violinist in the prestigious Royal Danish Orchestra (1889-1905), later serving as a conductor. He was a self-taught composer in many respects, developing a highly personal style known for its "progressive tonality" (music often ends in a different key from where it began), complex rhythms, and vitality.
Among his most notable compositions: six symphonies, three concertos, the comic opera "Maskarade", and the Wind Quintet.
Nielsen's music gained international acclaim after his death, especially from the 1960s onward, advocated by conductors like Leonard Bernstein. In Denmark, his numerous songs and hymns are an integral part of the national cultural heritage. He also published influential books, including his charming memoir My Childhood on Funen (1927).