Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7, FS 16, is the first symphony of Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Written between 1891 and 1892, it was dedicated to his wife, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen. [1] The work's première, on 14 March 1894, was performed by Johan Svendsen conducting the Chapel Royal Orchestra ( Royal Danish Orchestra), with Nielsen himself among the second violins. [1] It is one of two symphonies by Nielsen without a subtitle (the other being his Symphony No. 5).
Structure
The symphony is in the standard four movements:
-
Allegro
orgoglioso
-
-
Andante
- Allegro comodo – Andante sostenuto – Tempo I
- Finale. Allegro con fuoco
A typical performance takes approximately 35 minutes.
The symphony's melodies have a distinctive Danish flavour and are imbued with Nielsen's personal style. Nielsen scholar Robert Simpson describes the composer's symphonic debut as "probably the most highly organized first symphony ever written by a young man of twenty-seven." [2]
The work opens in G minor, and closes with a rousing peroration in C major. This tendency to move away from the original key to C major is the basis of the whole symphony's tonal structure, and displays for the first time Nielsen's hallmark compositional device, " progressive tonality." (Nielsen at one stage even thought of calling the work "Symphony in C". [3]) Simpson states "it is possibly the first symphony to end in a key other than that in which it started". [4]
Instrumentation
- 3 flutes, flute 1 doubles piccolo in movement 4
- 2 oboes
- 2 clarinets in B-flat
- 2 bassoons
- 4 horns (1 and 2 in E-flat, G, and C basso; 3 and 4 in B-flat basso and F)
- 2 trumpets in E-flat and C
- 3 trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass)
- Timpani
- Strings
References
- ^ a b Anderson, Keith. "Nielsen, C.: Symphonies, Vol. 1 – Nos. 1 and 6, "Sinfonia semplice" (Danish National Radio Symphony, Schonwandt)". About this recording. Naxos. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
- ^ Simpson 1979, p. 36.
- ^ "Symphonist and opera composer". Carl Nielsen Society. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ Simpson 1979, p. 24.
Sources
- Simpson, Robert (1979). Carl Nielsen, Symphonist, 1865–1931 (2nd ed.). London: Kahn & Averill. pp. 23–37. ISBN 978-0-900707-46-9.
Further reading
- Simpson, Robert (1952). Carl Nielsen, Symphonist (1st ed.). London: J. M. Dent. pp. 8–24. ASIN B0000CIDKO. Reprinted by Hyperion Press ISBN 978-0-88355-715-0.
External links
- Hauge, Peter, ed. (2001). Symphony No. 1 (PDF). Carl Nielsen Works – II. Instrumental Music. Vol. 1. The Carl Nielsen Edition, Royal Danish Library. ISBN 978-87-598-1025-5. ISMN 979-0-66134-016-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2014.
- Symphony No. 1 (Nielsen): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
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