Symphony No. 1 in G minor,
Op. 7,
FS 16, is the first
symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...
of Danish composer
Carl Nielsen. Written between 1891 and 1892, it was dedicated to his wife,
Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen.
The work's première, on 14 March 1894, was performed by
Johan Svendsen
Johan Severin Svendsen (30 September 184014 June 1911) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway, he lived most his life in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Svendsen's output includes two symphonies, a violin ...
conducting the Chapel Royal Orchestra (
Royal Danish Orchestra
The Royal Danish Orchestra (''Det Kongelige Kapel'') is a Danish orchestra based in Copenhagen. The Danish name for the orchestra indicates its original function as an ensemble geared to supplying the music for court events. The Royal Danish Orch ...
), with Nielsen himself among the second violins.
It is one of two symphonies by Nielsen without a subtitle (the other being his
Symphony No. 5).
Structure
The symphony is in the standard four
movements:
A typical performance takes approximately 35 minutes.
The symphony's melodies have a distinctive Danish flavour and are imbued with Nielsen's personal style. Nielsen scholar
Robert Simpson describes the composer's symphonic debut as "probably the most highly organized first symphony ever written by a young man of twenty-seven."
The work opens in
G minor, and closes with a rousing
peroration
Dispositio is the system used for the organization of arguments in the context of Western classical rhetoric. The word is Latin, and can be translated as "organization" or "arrangement".
It is the second of five canons of classical rhetoric (the ...
in
C major
C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...
. This tendency to move away from the original key to C major is the basis of the whole symphony's
tonal structure, and displays for the first time Nielsen's hallmark compositional device, "
progressive tonality." (Nielsen at one stage even thought of calling the work "Symphony in C".
) Simpson states "it is possibly the first symphony to end in a key other than that in which it started".
Instrumentation
* 3
flutes, flute 1 doubles
piccolo
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
in movement 4
* 2
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
A ...
s
* 2
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
s in B-flat
* 2
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
s
* 4
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
(1 and 2 in E-flat, G, and C basso; 3 and 4 in B-flat basso and F)
* 2
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s in E-flat and C
* 3
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...
s (2 tenor, 1 bass)
*
Timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...
*
Strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
References
Sources
*
Further reading
* Reprinted by Hyperion Press .
External links
*
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{{Authority control
Symphonies by Carl Nielsen
1892 compositions
Compositions in G minor
Music dedicated to family or friends