Wind Quintet (Nielsen)
Encyclopedia
Carl Nielsen
's Wind Quintet or, more correctly, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon, Opus 43, was composed early in 1922 in Gothenburg
, Sweden
, where it was first performed privately at the home of Herman and Lisa Mannheimer on 30 April 1922.
, hornist: Hans Sørensen, bassoonist: Knud Lassen) playing a piece by Mozart
. It was these musicians he specifically had in mind when he wrote the piece.
British composer Robert Simpson
writes, "Nielsen’s fondness of wind instruments is closely related to his love of nature, his fascination for living, breathing things. He was also intensely interested in human character, and in the Wind Quintet composed deliberately for five friends, each part is cunningly made to suit the individuality of each player."
Variations. The theme for these variations is the melody for one of C.N.’s spiritual songs, which has here been made the basis of a set of variations, now merry and quirky, now elegiac and
serious, ending with the theme in all its simplicity and very quietly expressed."
The first movement is in sonata form, the second is a minuet with a rustic quality and the third opens with a short Praeludium followed by a set of variations. In the Praeludium, the oboe is replaced by the cor anglais, providing a different tone colour to an already colourful work. The variations are based on Nielsen’s own chorale tune Min Jesus, lad min Hjerte faa en saaden Smag paa dig (My Jesus, make my heart to love thee).
in Copenhagen
. It was performed by the five musicians mentioned in the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. The reviews were good. Berlinske Tidende mentioned the work's "manly seriousness, rhythmic grace, fertile humour... The theme turned out to be Carl Nielsen’s beautiful melody for the hymn My Jesus, let my heart receive (Min Jesus, lad mit Hjerte faa from Halvthundrede Salmer) – only one line of music, but the longing and devotion of a mind are released in these few bars." It concluded that "the members of the Wind Quintet gave the new work an excellent performance and were rewarded with the warmest applause."
The wind quintet was frequently played during the composer’s lifetime, including a performance at the International Music Week in Berlin
on 29 March 1923.
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
's Wind Quintet or, more correctly, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn and Bassoon, Opus 43, was composed early in 1922 in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where it was first performed privately at the home of Herman and Lisa Mannheimer on 30 April 1922.
Background
According to his biographer Torben Meyer, Carl Nielsen composed the wind quintet after hearing the Copenhagen Wind Quintet (flautist: Paul Hagemann, oboist: Svend C. Felumb, clarinettist: Aage OxenvadAage Oxenvad
Aage Oxenvad was a Danish clarinetist who played in the Royal Danish Orchestra from 1909. Carl Nielsen wrote his Clarinet Concerto for Oxenvad who played at its premiere in 1928.-Early life:...
, hornist: Hans Sørensen, bassoonist: Knud Lassen) playing a piece by Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. It was these musicians he specifically had in mind when he wrote the piece.
British composer Robert Simpson
Robert Simpson (composer)
Robert Simpson was an English composer and long-serving BBC producer and broadcaster.He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music , and for his writings on the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. He studied composition under Herbert Howells...
writes, "Nielsen’s fondness of wind instruments is closely related to his love of nature, his fascination for living, breathing things. He was also intensely interested in human character, and in the Wind Quintet composed deliberately for five friends, each part is cunningly made to suit the individuality of each player."
Music
In a programme note, Nielsen himself provided a description of the work: "The quintet for winds is one of the composer’s latest works, in which he has attempted to render the characters of the various instruments. At one moment they are all talking at once, at another they are quite alone. The work consists of three movements: a) Allegro, b) Minuet and c) Prelude – Theme withVariations. The theme for these variations is the melody for one of C.N.’s spiritual songs, which has here been made the basis of a set of variations, now merry and quirky, now elegiac and
serious, ending with the theme in all its simplicity and very quietly expressed."
The first movement is in sonata form, the second is a minuet with a rustic quality and the third opens with a short Praeludium followed by a set of variations. In the Praeludium, the oboe is replaced by the cor anglais, providing a different tone colour to an already colourful work. The variations are based on Nielsen’s own chorale tune Min Jesus, lad min Hjerte faa en saaden Smag paa dig (My Jesus, make my heart to love thee).
Reception
The first public performance was on 9 October 1922 in the smaller hall at the Odd Fellows MansionOdd Fellows Mansion, Copenhagen
The Odd Fellows Mansion is a Rococo town mansion in Copenhagen, Denmark, named after the local branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows which acquired the building in 1900...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. It was performed by the five musicians mentioned in the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. The reviews were good. Berlinske Tidende mentioned the work's "manly seriousness, rhythmic grace, fertile humour... The theme turned out to be Carl Nielsen’s beautiful melody for the hymn My Jesus, let my heart receive (Min Jesus, lad mit Hjerte faa from Halvthundrede Salmer) – only one line of music, but the longing and devotion of a mind are released in these few bars." It concluded that "the members of the Wind Quintet gave the new work an excellent performance and were rewarded with the warmest applause."
The wind quintet was frequently played during the composer’s lifetime, including a performance at the International Music Week in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 29 March 1923.