Svy A/0o t 77N CARL NIELSEN'S SYMPHONIC E.MENTS AS EVIDENCED I THE OMOTIO THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the orth Texas State University in partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF MUSIC By Charles H. Mathews, B. 4. Denton, Texas August, 1968 TABLE OP *ONTENTS Pag e iv * . 9 . 9 9 9 0 * 9 LTRT i'DIAGIA!S . 0 . * . LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . 9 *9.*.. 9. 9 - 9-* v CHAPTER . CARL NIELSEN AND THE IMPORTANT INFLUENCES ON HIS LIFE AND V9U.SIC.... 9 . 1 IT. TL GMOTIO ASYMPHONIC WORK . 13 TTI THE BAIG STUDY OF SYP3ONIC FLEMNTS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO CARL NIELSEN's MUSIC . 9 9 9 19 IV. DETERMINING FACTORS IN PERFORMING THGE 0OMI01T . +. 9 9 . 9 38 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 9 . -111 LIST OF DIAGRAMS Figure Page 1. Structure of the Commotio . 22 2. Placement of the organ divisions at St. Paul's Cathedral in . 99 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . # 3. Noehren's Organ . .102 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS figu re Page 1. Llelsen, Commotio, measures 1-5 . ft 25 Nielsen, Commotic, measures 39-52 . ft f f 26 27 q ielsen, ofotio, measures 161-164 0 f ft f 4. iaelsen, Commotic, measures 206-209 . * ft 28 . 4 29 .ft o. Nielsen, Commotio, measures 235-246 7. Jvielsen, Commotion, measures 319-324 * * ft .t 29 . ft . ft 30 7, Nielsen, measures 258-269 Id els en, Qommotio, measures 271-275 . .t ft .t 31 Qommoticl 9. Nielsen, commotio, measures 295-299 - - - -0 32 . ft f 34 10. Aielsen Commotion, measures 25-38,, . 11. Nielsen, Commoti o, measures 102-117 35 1 20 ft f 37 12. nielsen, Commotion, measures -4 . t . 13. Nielsen, Sixth,m.hon 46 . f t . ft f 38 14. Jielsen, Sixth ymrhony, p.40 . f t ft f f 38 39 1I. Nielsen, SixthS vmho*, p.45 . a. .a.a 4 40 16. Nielsen, third, SYmphony, p. 3 . f ft ft 40 17 . Nielsen, Sixth. Smrhony, p.46 . t . ft f 41 18. Nielsen, Third SMphon, p. 8 . t ft f . 42 19. Nielsen, QomMotio, measures 39-45 . t . ft f Sixth Symohony, p. 5 . 43 20. Aielsen, . f ft ft 43 21. Nielsen, Second SymphoyL, p. 95 ft a f ft ft 44 22. Nielsen, Fourth Symlhony, p. 63. t f ft f V Fig--ur e Page 23. Nielsen, Sixth Swymohony, p. 17 . 46 24. Nielsen, Qommotto, measures 258-263. 47 25. Nielsen, Secondymhon op*. 94 . .48 26. Nielsen, Commotio, measures 271-274 27. I-ielsen, Second 2ymhon , p. 81 0 v . 50 28. Nielsen, Sixth Symphony, p. 34 0. 51 29. Nielsen, Second Syrhony, p. 29 & 52 . 52 30. Nielsen, Commotio, measures 319-324 0 53 31. Nielsen, Second Symvhony, P. 96 . S .. 53 Fourth Symohony, p. 19 - .54 33. Nielsen, Fir Symphony, p. 157 . a a 55 3-'4.Nielsen, First qZMphony, p. 53 56 3'5.- IUel1s en , Commotio, measures 27-28 - a a 57 3 6.Nielsen, Fourth symphony, p. 27 * . 58 3e. Nielsen, Fourth Symphony, p. 13 a, . 59 38.Nielsen, Sixth S> *hon, P. 13 ... .60. 39. Nielsen, Sixth mSyMna0y, p. 73 . .61 40. Nielsen, Co motio, measures 505-512 . 62 41. Nielsen, Six t h_,ymhonyp. 45 . 62 412. Nielsen, Fourth S mphon , p. 9 f .63 343. Nielsen, Fourth Symphoy, p. S . 63 144. Nielsen, Commotio, measures 308-314 . 64 45. Nielsen, Third $ymphon, p. 88 . S. 65 vi Page 46.0 Nielsen, Third S2ymphony, *p89 . 66 47. Nielsen, Conmotio, measures 206-214 S. 68 40. Nielsen, FourthFSmphon 9 . 68 r9. Nielsen, Fourth Smphon, p. 101 * 69 50. Nielsen, Commotion, measures 353-355 . 69 51 . lelsen, Fourth Sym hony, p. 16 .. 70 52. Nielsen, Commiotio, measures 292-295 . 71 53. 'Nielsen, First Symphony, p. 98 72 54. Nielsen, Sixth Symphjony, .o 1 . .*.* * . 72 Third 55. Nielsen, yphonp. 134 * 0 0 73 56. Nielsen, Second m~phonp. 139 .. 74 57. Nielsen, Commotio, measures 485-488 * - 0 75 00. Jielsen, .ommotio,measures 475-476 . 75 59. Nielsen, Third S, *mi--hqnU, p. 83 * . 76 21h~a p.0 $0. Nielsen, First ornmons, p. 102 . 77 <1 . Niels en, Commotion, mea sure s 271 -273 . 0 0 77 02 Nielsen, Fourth S Mrhony, p. 10 . 78 a). sielcen, Second Syrhon p. 57 . 79 64. Nielsen, Commotio, measures 450-460 S. 80 65. 'ielsen, Fourth Symphonv ,p. 82 . 0 80 66. Nielsen, Third ZphonZ, p. 96 . * . 81 6(. Nielsen, omrotio, measures 393-395 . 82 D0. Nielsen, Sixth Symrhony, p. 100 83 . Nielsen, Sixth &ymohon 17 0 0 * . 0 85 vii CHAPTER I CARL NIELSEN AND THE IMPORTANT INFLUENCES ON HIS LIFE AND MUSIC In his reminiscence, MZ Childhood, Carl Nielsen has given a vivid recollection of the frugal but happy adolescent years spent on the island of Funen, which became the background to his artistic development. This Danish island is located at Srtelung in the parish of Ngrre-Lyndelse. When Carl Nielsen was born on June 9, 1865, to his simple and poor parents, Niels and Maren Nielsen, he began life on this beautiful island, also the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. From M Childhood, Nielsen describes the uncouth life, the long lonely days spent minding geese, where "everything in Funen is different from the rest of the world . the bees hum in a way of their own, with a special Funen accent; and when the harse whinnies and the red cows low, why, anybody can hear that it is different from anywhere else." A good approach in discovering Nielsents genius is through studying the rustic simplicity of his childhood that was translated into his music, most notably in the opening passage of his Sixth Symphony (2, p. 527). 1 Carl Nielsen's first steps in music were taken qen ae was a small boy. His father gave him violin lessons, and soon, father and son began to play for the local dances, weddings, and other feasts. This routine playing of three- and four-part dance rhythms failed to challenge Carl Nielsen. He began improvising counter melodies and rhyt ms to the simple harmonies which governed this dance music. By attending a few of the local music societies, Nielsen made some contact with the music of the masters. At fifteen years of age, he applied for a post as bugLer in the regimental band at Odense. At that time he continued to study the violin, mastered the rudiments of piano-playing, and soon began to compose; a violin sonata, a string quartet, a trio, and some quartets for ind instruments, none of which have been published C3 p. 4) Olfert Jespheren, a Danish composer, encouraged Nielsen to journey to Copenhagen for an audition wit~h Lie>s V. Gade, the director of the Royal Conservatoire. aide'ss verdict, "You have a good sense of form" (3, P. 5), apparently decided the fate of Carl Nielsen's vocation. After this comment of Gade's, Carl Nielsen commenced his studies at the Conservatoire in January, 1884, with 3 the violin as his main subject. Playing the violin as a profession was his general intention. He was not taught by a great master, yet he was grounded in ordinary classical harmony and symphonic form. He was able to apply those basic principles to his music without specialized study. His violin playing never reached soloist status, but he was able to make a living by playing in the Royal Orchestra at the Opera, where he was appointed in 1889. In 1905, he left to devote his whole time to composing. The next year he was awarded a Danish scholarship grant, which enabled him to make a study tour of Germany, France, and Italy. As the twentieth century emerged, Nielsen was making a name for himself as a creative artist. Haring also conducted his own operas and symphonic works, he was offered in 1908 the post of opera conductor at the Royal Theatre. In 1914, he resigned and wTas appointed to the teaching staff of the Royal Danish Conservatoire, becoming its director in 1930, a year before is death. When one attempts to name and describe the men wo in.Lluenced Nielsen, the list can become quite long; yet, there were some composers whose influences were stronger. The starting point of Carl Nielsen's art was Danish late-nineteenth century Romanticism, dominated by the works of J. P. E. lartman and Niels W. Gade, who were influenced by the endelssohn School at Leipzig (3, p. 6). Mendelssohnts works were noted for their grace, delicacy and flowing melodies. While under his influence, Nielsen wrote two string quartets and a Su~ite for Strings, Opus 1 (1887-88), and another string quartet in G riajor (1889). At that time the Influence of the Norwegian, Johann Svendsen, was also a source of inspiration to Nielsen. His influence was seen in Nielsents diatonic and chromatic movement in certain intervals (particularly thirds) as they formed the harmonic oundation of a lyrical melody (3, p. 7). Nielsen also came in contact with C.' F. E. Horneman, who was the Danish composer of that period most closely akin to Johannes Brahms. Brahms's romantic classicism used the basic idea and form of Beethoven's syphonies, but modified his dynamic style Into a flexible and romantic lyricism (1, p. 208). The Brahmmsian element in Nielsents music was the result of his feeling that Brahms was the most firmly disciplined master of his time. Nielsen derived from Brahmis an important sense of construct tion; thus, embracing classical forms before his contemporaries who were still romantically incl. ined, he became one of the first neo-classicists. Nielsen also found inspirat ion in the xmousic of Richard Wagner.