Christian Julius Hansen (born 6 May 1814 in

Christianshavn Christianshavn (literally, "ingChristian's Harbour") is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of th ...

– d. 15 March 1875 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

composer, organist, voice teacher and choirmaster. He studied with

Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann (14 May 1805 – 10 March 1900) was, together with his son-in-law Niels W. Gade, the leading Danish composer of the 19th century. According to Alfred Einstein, he was ″the real founder of the Romantic movement in D ...

; his works include songs, choral and orchestral pieces as well as light operas. In several of his song compositions Hansen revealed an uncommon sense of choral movement and considerable melodic vein, sometimes used fresh and cheerfully, sometimes on a quiet, slightly melancholic way.

Life

Christian Hansen was born to stonemason Nicholas Hansen (1775–1834) and his second wife Frederikke Christine, née Hess (1775–1850). He was admitted to the

Giuseppe Siboni Giuseppe Siboni (27 January 1780 – 28 March 1839) was an Italian operatic tenor, opera director, choir conductor, and voice teacher. He began his career in his native country in 1797 and actively performed in major Italian opera houses up thro ...

Conservatory when he was 11 years old, but soon had to focus his attention on composition because his beautiful voice began to change. He was encouraged by both J.P.E. Hartmann and

Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse Christoph(er) Ernst Friedrich Weyse (5 March 1774 – 8 October 1842) was a Denmark, Danish composer during the Danish Golden Age. Biography Weyse was born at Altona, Hamburg, Altona in Holstein, which was in a personal union with Denmark. ...

, to whom he dedicated his first printed work ''Six Romances'' written in 1835. In 1840 he took part in the

Musikforeningen Musikforeningen (The Music Society) in Copenhagen was Denmark's most important concert venue in the 19th century. It operated from 1838 to 1931 but it was especially under the leadership of Niels Gade (1850–90) that it became a meeting place for ...

's overture competition in

, where Gade won first prize with his ''Echoes of Ossian.'' Hansen's ''Overture in E major'' received "honorable mention". It was performed by the Music Society on 6 April 1842 and posthumously published by the Society. On 30 December 1836 in Gjentofte he married Marie Emilie Augusta Bugge (d. 1882) and therefore had to work for his living as music teacher, until 1845 when he was appointed organist at the Garrison Church in Copenhagen, position which he exchanged in 1851. Official duties and his gregarious nature hindered him to proceed to larger compositional forms, particularly the opera which he was very fond of. Early on, he had been associated with various choral societies as conductor (Livjægersang Association, Odeon, later Commercial and Clerical Choral Society and others), when Hartmann in 1848 got him appointed med-dirigent at the Student Choral Society for which he had great significance, being a regular conductor from 1853 until his death. In 1852 he was appointed royal

chamber musician Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

and given the affectionate nickname of ''Kammermusikken'' by his student singers. He fell good in the student's world with his jovial and genial nature, contributing as much as he could to the friendly atmosphere in the campus. King

Frederick VII of Denmark Frederick VII (Frederik Carl Christian; 6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last king of Denmark to rule as an ...

appreciated the work of Christian Hansen, who traveled much at court.

Compositions

A substantial part of Hansen's compositions were written in connection with the academic life. He composed and arranged music for

Jens Christian Hostrup Jens Christian Hostrup (20 May 1818 in Copenhagen – 21 November 1892 in Frederiksberg) was a Danish poet, dramatist and priest. Comforting and encouraging the people, he created poems that filled the hearts of his compatriots. His precise persona ...

's comedies; for the students carnival formulas he composed the funny parodie-operetta ''Leonora di Massa Carrara'' in 1855, ''King Rosmer'' in 1857, ''La massacrata'' and ''A sunday in the Alps or The watermill in the Apennines'' in 1874, in which his musical sense of humor showed great creativity. Also several of his songs were written for the Student Choral Society, like ''He swinged on the Sea'' in 1835, ''Beautiful sound'' and ''Now green woods again,'' both in 1847, ''Little Karen'' and ''Do you remember the harvest'' in 1853. His compositions are not at all witnesses of his considerable talent which has not yet been fully considered of merit by posterity. His larger compositions are the arms song of ''The corsair and his bride'' written in 1862, his ''Mourning Cantate of Frederik VII'' written over

Christian Richardt Christian Richardt (25 May 1831 in Copenhagen - 18 December 1892) was a Denmark, Danish writer. He wrote the libretto for the opera ''Drot og marsk'' by Peter Heise. Sources ''The following sources were given:'' *Digte m.m. Kalliope

's ''Long was the struggle and strive'' text, ''In distress and danger,'' ''At the Masonic Logens Consecration,'' and ''One day in spring'' for solo, chorus and orchestra, performed at the Music Society after his death. Hansen also wrote romances, piano music and music for

Carit Etlar Carit Etlar, the better-known pen name of Carl Brosbøll (August 7, 1816 – May 9, 1900), was a Danish author, known mostly for his 1853 book ''Gjøngehøvdingen'' about the eponymous Svend Poulsen Gønge. Biography Born Johan Carl Christian Br ...

's ''Rørfuglen,'' performed on 29 March 1860 at the Folksteatret. In his manuscript, found in the

Royal Danish Library The Royal Library ( da, Det Kongelige Bibliotek) in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries ...

, some of his piano pieces were dedicated to Frederik VII, such as ''

Bagatelle Bagatelle (from the Château de Bagatelle) is a billiards-derived indoor table game, the object of which is to get a number of balls (set at nine in the 19th century) past wooden pins (which act as obstacles) into holes that are guarded by wooden ...

en forme d'une

valse The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wal ...

,'' and ''Charakteristic Little Pieces Composed for Her grace Madam Baroness Danner.''

Notable works

*''Seks romancer'' (1835) *''Ouverture i c-mol'' (ca. 1836) *''Ouverture i E-dur'' (1839) *musik til C. Hostrups studenterkomedier *''Leonora di Massa Carrara'' (operetteparodi 1855) *''Kong Rosmer'' (operetteparodi 1857) *''En Søndag paa Alperne'' (operetteparodi) *''Vandmøllen i Apenninerne'' (operetteparodi 1874) *''Han gynged paa Havet'' (1835) *''Dejlige Øresund'' (1847) *''Nu grønnes Skoven atter'' (1847) *''Husker du i Høst'' (1853) *''Rørfuglen'' (syngespil 1860) *''Sørgekantate'' over Frederik 7. (1863) *''Bagatelle en forme d'une valse'' (piano) *''Charakteristiske Smaaestykker componerede for Hendes Naade Fru Baronesse Danner'' *''I Nød og Fare'' (1864) *''En Vaardag''

References

Bibliography

*C. Thrane: ''Preface to Hansen's Concert Overture'' (1875). *A. Sorensen: ''Students Choral Society. 1839-1889'' (1889). *Otto Zinck: ''Of my students and Theater Life'' (1906) *Victor Hansen: ''A Danish Naval Officer. Rear Admiral V. Hansen's Memories'' (1927) *N. M. Jensen: ''The Danish Intrigue'' (1964). *Kai Aage Bruun: ''History of Danish II'' (1969) 145 18 Music Manuscript, in the Royal Library.

External links

*
To Engle små os følge, hvor vi gå (Menneskets Engle)
' score nr. 281 available at The Danish National Digital Sheet Music Archive * melody by C. J. Hansen over Bernhard Severin Ingemann's (1789–1862) ''Small Poems and Journey Memories'' (1832) on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Christian Male composers 1814 births 1875 deaths Musicians from Copenhagen 19th-century Danish composers 19th-century male musicians