Carl Nielsen has a very special place in my musical heart. I cannot imagine the time before I got to know this wonderful composer. He is a contemporary of Dvorak and Mahler. But where these composers were clearly at the end of an era (the great orchestral period) Nielsen was more a man of his time. He lived during the great clash of the 1st World War and his music bears the evidence of this. His music shows great developement in style and musical language. And yet, he is true to his calling. He composes music that matters, whether symphonies, soloconcertos, opera or chamber music. Never it is easy listening, always great drama and great musical experience.

 

I have asking myself, out of his six great symphonies, where shall I start. The superb and ground breaking 4th or 5th symphonie? No, lets start at his beginning. Because I would like to invite you to come on a journey that might prove even more exiting than the Mahler symphonies!

 

The 1st symphonie of Carl Nielsen is a "traditional symphonie" (like his 2nd), but beware, this young man is not yet 30! And he writes a very convincing symphonie, truly full of wonderful melodies, with an intense moving slow movemen and a great finale. Here is the composer who deserves to be more than a footnote in musical history