Nielsen Woodwind Quintet Program Notes

Carl Nielsen's Wind Quintet, or as indicated by the original score, the Kvintet for Flöte, Obo, Klarinet, Horn og Fagot, Op. 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. The first public performance was on 9 October 1922 in the smaller hall at the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen. It is considered a staple of the repertoire for wind quintet.^[1]

Background[edit]

According to his biographer Torben Meyer, Carl Nielsen started composing the wind quintet in the autumn of 1921 after hearing four members of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet (flautist: Paul Hagemann, oboist: Svend C. Felumb, clarinettist: Aage Oxenvad, hornist: Hans Sørensen, bassoonist: Knud Lassen) rehearsing the Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart with the pianist Christian Christiansen, whom Nielsen was having a telephone conversation with while the winds rehearsed.^[2] It was these musicians he specifically had in mind when he wrote the piece.^[3]

British composer and biographer 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.'^[4]

Music[edit]

Shop and Buy Quintet Op. 43 sheet music. Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Horn and Bassoon sheet music book by Carl August Nielsen (1865-1931): Edition Wilhelm Hansen at Sheet Music Plus: The World Largest Selection of Sheet 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 with 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.'^[3] Overall, the piece combines aspects of neo-classicism and modernism.^[1]

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.

Wind Quintet, I. Allegro ben moderato

The first movement begins with a statement of the theme in the bassoon in E followed by a reply in the upper winds before being repeated by the horn in the key of A major, which is then followed by fragmentations of the theme. The second theme enters in D minor and is played first by the horn, followed by the oboe and bassoon, all the while being accompanied by triplet figures in the flute and clarinet. Wumpus world game. The development begins after a restatement of the first theme. The recapitulation begins in E major and the second theme is in B minor and is now harmonized in thirds with the horn and bassoon. The movement eventually ends in the key of E. Overall, the movement appears to be written in the key of E, the dominant of the following two movements which are predominantly in the key of A.^[1]

Wind Quintet, II. Menuet

The second movement is fairly neoclassical and scores the horn lightly, allowing the player to rest. The first theme is presented as a duet between the bassoon and clarinet, and similarly, the second theme is also presented a duet between the flute and oboe. This material is fairly simple, and all instruments are present when the first theme recaps. The trio, played by the bassoon, oboe, and flute, is canonic and contrapuntal in nature, contrasting with the simpler first and second themes.^[1]

In the Praeludium, the oboe is replaced by the cor anglais, providing a different tone colour to an already colourful work. This change is thought to have been inspired by oboist Felumb's cor anglais solo during a performance of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique that Nielsen conducted in Bremen.^[2] 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).^[4] The variations are the most complex part of the piece and consist of the theme, 11 variations, and a final restatement of the theme.^[1]

Wind Quintet, III. Theme

Reception[edit]

The first public performance was on 9 October 1922 in the smaller hall at the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen. It was performed by the five musicians mentioned in the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. The reviews were positive. Berlinske Tidende mentioned the work's 'manly seriousness, rhythmic grace, fertile humour.. The theme [of the third movement] 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.'^[3]

Nielsen scholar Robert Simpson said the following about the Quintet.

It is more than arguable that his Wind Quintet is the subtlest and finest ever written, that the Flute Concerto is much the best there is, and that the Clarinet Concerto is the greatest since Mozart. These are not extravagant claims. It is perhaps a curious thing that Nielsen, who was a violinist (though he played cornet in his youth) often wrote with greater perspicacity for wind than for strings. Nielsen shows great imagination and ingenuity in conjuring a surprising variety of sonorities and blends from the wind quintet; few would suppose from this work that one of the chief difficulties of this combination is the fact that the five instruments do not blend.

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.^[3] It was also performed at his funeral in 1931.^[4]

Performances today[edit]

On the basis of information from the Carl Nielsen Society, the Wind Quintet is one of Nielsen's most widely performed works, both in Scandinavia and the rest of the world.^[5]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdeRay, Ashley. 'Carl Nielsen Wind Quintet opus 43'. Ray Ashley. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
2. ^ ^ab'.. a whole pile of works'. Carl Nielsen Society. Carl Nielsen Society. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
3. ^ ^abcdAhlgren Jensen, Lisbeth; Bruunshuus Petersen, Elly; Flensborg Petersen, Kirsten, eds. (2003). Chamber Music 2(PDF). Carl Nielsen Works. II. Instrumental Music. 11. The Carl Nielsen Edition, Royal Danish Library. pp. xxxv–xl. ISBN978-87-598-1091-0. ISMN M-66134-103-1. Archived(PDF) from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
4. ^ ^abcd'Carl Nielsen: Quintet for Wind Instruments, Op.43 (1922)', Sierra Chamber Society Program Notes. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
5. ^'Performances', Carl Nielsen Society. Retrieved 30 October 2010.

External links[edit]

• Wind Quintet, Op. 43: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)

Fin-de-siècle symphonist and dawning modernist Carl Nielsen arrives this spring at the sesquicentennial of his birth. Generally known for his symphonies, Nielsen’s music for wind instruments extends to chamber music and solo concerti with a dash of exclusive audition material. His compositional evolution progresses through his wind music writing as his style transforms from German-influenced Danish Romanticism to an idiosyncratic voice of early modernism.

In a time when the violin and piano dominated the solo spotlight, Nielsen’s earliest works for woodwinds in the decade of 1880 come in the form of Fantasistykker, or Fantasy Pieces. Written around 1883, give or take a few years, Nielsen’s unpublished manuscript for the Fantasistykke for Clarinet and Piano in G minor is dark and lyrical, characteristic of the late-Romantic idiom. Six years later in 1889, Nielsen joined the Royal Danish Orchestra’s second violin section and composed the Fantasistykker for Oboe and Piano in G minor for colleague Olivo Krause, an educator who taught Victor Borge piano music at the Royal Danish Conservatory. The first of the two fantasy pieces, marked “Romance”, shows Nielsen’s signature melodic approach where a line often reaches the height of a phrase only to slide chromatically while remaining within the confines of accepted tonality. The second fantasy piece, a “Humoreske”, is lively and sarcastic, revealing a sense of humor which is apart both in his future output and epistolary musings.

Danish oboist Max Artved and pianist Per Salo:

For the next quarter of a century, Nielsen honed his innovative craftsmanship through large-scale orchestration and text-setting as he embarked on a conducting career at the Royal Danish Theatre. During this time, he composed two operas and three symphonies, as well as incidental music and a few string quartets, so it’s natural to imagine he only wrote music intended for the concert stage. On the contrary, his position at the theatre led him to write Canto serioso in 1913, as an audition for the low horn, opening in the Copenhagen Opera Orchestra. The piece shows off the horn’s expansive range and capability for husky staccato notes as the horn player must not only diminuendo on a sustained low C, but also demonstrate fierce tonguing and expressive control. The piece has since wedged itself into the recital repertoire.

Vidar Olsen (horn) and Leif Ove Andsnes (piano):

Nielsen resigned from the opera in 1914, and focused his attention on composition, conceiving Serenata-Invano that same year as a quintet for an unusual combination of instruments to be performed on tour alongside Beethoven’s Septet. The title itself, meaning “Serenade-In Vain”, shows the witty complexion of the piece. Written for clarinet, bassoon, horn, cello and double-bass, 'Serenata-Invano is a humorous trifle,' Nielsen wrote in a letter to the head of Swedish Radio, Julius Rabe. 'First the gentlemen play in a somewhat chivalric and showy manner to lure the fair one out onto the balcony, but she does not appear. Then they play in a slightly languorous strain (Poco adagio), but that hasn't any effect either. Since they have played in vain (in vano), they don't care a straw and shuffle off home to the strains of the little final march, which they play for their own amusement.' The programmatic nature of his oeuvre is perceptible and continued to manifest through his wind quintet and solo concerti.

Aage Oxenvad (clarinet), Knud Lassen (bassoon), Hans Sørensen (horn), Louis Jensen (cello), Louis Hegner (double bass); recorded in 1937:

Nielsen’s wind writing culminated in 1922 when he wrote a quintet to encapsulate the personalities of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. The first movement, in sonata form, and second movement, a menuet, adhere to traditional form. However, the final movement is written in the same vein as Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Beginning with a Praeludium, the cor anglais calls the winds to engage in dialogue. This moment emphasizes Nielsen’s philosophy of objektivering in which each musician is granted freedom of interpretation. The dialogue is then followed by an original hymnal theme, Min Jesus, lad mit Hjerte faa, that navigates through 11 variations. Each variation depicts a character portrait or interactions among the musicians. After the success of the quintet, Nielsen intended to write a solo concerto for each player; however, only two would come into fruition before the composer’s passing.

Scandinavian Chamber Players:

In 1926, Nielsen began writing a flute concerto, the first of the planned five wind concerti. Written for and premiered by Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, the flautist who succeeded Paul Hagemann in the Copenhagen Wind Quintet, the Flute Concerto retains Nielsen’s early melodic tendencies while further pushing the boundaries of traditional tonality and conventional form. He carefully removed the flute section from the orchestral accompaniment in order to give the solo instrument complete dominance over its individual timbre and divisioned the work into two movements, rather than the standard three. At times, the scoring is like chamber music and Nielsen composed the piece with such narrative force that one could easily choreograph the music for ballet. For instance, the flute takes a break from chattering with the orchestra to play with either the clarinet, viola, timpani or bass trombone, in each instance imitating or showing off for one another.

Jean Pierre Rampal with the Copenhagen Philharmonic conducted by John Frandsen:

Written in 1928 for Aage Oxenvad, Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto would be his last orchestral work. Further diluting conventional form, the concerto flows through a single movement, intertwined with extensive cadenzas by the solo instrument. The orchestra, now reduced to bassoons, horns, strings and snare drum, acts as an encouraging force to intensify the clarinet’s visceral disposition. In the years surrounding the concerto, the composer had been suffering from cardiac trouble, and his personal stress can be found in the piece. The snare drum seems to beat against the clarinet throughout the concerto, finally beating slower with less intensity until the piece fades to nothing.

Stanley Drucker with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (1967):

Nielsen spent the last few years of his life reacquainting himself with Renaissance and Baroque polyphony, and at the age of 66, his last composition for winds was not for a standard orchestral wind instrument, but rather for two recorders. Although each section tends to land on an octave, the duet is tonal – not modal – and uses perfect fourth harmonies, so it is clear Nielsen was not trying to mimic Renaissance technique. Undemanding and brief, the Allegretto is nothing more than a fleeting divertiment of a man at the end of his life.

Carl Nielsen is revered for advancing traditional wind writing into the age of modernism. The Wind Quintet, the Flute Concerto and the Clarinet Concerto have entered the standard repertoire and receive frequent performances in our time. In Nielsen’s sesquicentennial year, the lesser known works for wind instruments are sure to come out of the woodwork.

To read reviews of Nielsen in concert or to catch some Nielsen near you, visit our Nielsen page.

Sources

Carl Nielsen Society

Laura Prichard: Carl August Nielsen