Carl Nielsen

The Danish composer CARL NIELSEN was born on June,9 1865 on the island of Funen, near Odense. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age. He initially played in a military band before attending the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen from 1884 until December 1886. He premiered his Op. 1, Suite for Strings, in 1888, at the age of 23. The following year, Nielsen began a 16-year stint as a second violinist in the Royal Danish Orchestra under the conductor Johan Svendsen, during which he played in Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff and Otello at their Danish premieres. In 1916, he took a post teaching at the Royal Danish Academy and continued to work there until his death on 3 October 1931 in Copenhagen.

Nielsen worked in a variety of genres, but outside the confines of his homeland he was known primarily for his symphonies. The Concerto for Flute is one of his late neoclassical works. Written in two movements, it is dedicated to the Danish flautist Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. In 1921 Nielsen heard the Copenhagen Wind Quintet play Mozart's music and was struck by the group's beautiful sonority and musicality. That same year he wrote his Wind Quintet especially for this ensemble. The last movement of the work, a theme with variations, depicts through music the personalities of the five musicians , as well as their instruments. This approach is largely reminiscent of Elgar's approach in his Enigma Variations. Nielsen vows to write a concerto for each member of the quintet and begins with Holger Gilbert-Espersen. (1890-1975). However, due to his poor health, the composer was only able to complete the Clarinet Concerto, which he wrote in 1928, just before his death.