Carl Nielsen Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he ...

's ''Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 .F.129' was written for Danish

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 pitch ...

ist

Aage Oxenvad Aage Oxenvad (16 January 188413 April 1944) was a Danish clarinetist who played in the Royal Danish Orchestra from 1909. Carl Nielsen wrote his Clarinet Concerto for Oxenvad who played at its premiere in 1928. Early life Aage Oxenvad was born in ...

in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.

History

In 1921, Nielsen heard the

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 a ...

Wind Quintet rehearsing some music by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

. He was struck by the tonal beauty and musicianship of this group, and he soon became intimately acquainted with its members. That same year, he wrote his

Wind Quintet A wind quintet, also known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon). Unlike the string quartet (of 4 string instruments) with its homogeneous blend of sound color, the in ...

expressly for this ensemble. The last movement of this work is a

theme and variations In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation techniques Mozart's Twelve ...

depicting in music the personalities of the five players and their respective instruments, much in the manner that Elgar portrayed his friends in the

Enigma Variations Edward Elgar composed his ''Variations on an Original Theme'', Op. 36, popularly known as the ''Enigma Variations'', between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Elgar ...

. Nielsen planned to carry the idea further; he wanted to write a concerto for each of his five friends. Only two of these compositions ever came into being. For Gilbert Jespersen, who succeeded Paul Hagemann as flautist of the Copenhagen Quintet, he wrote his

Flute Concerto A flute concerto is a concerto for solo flute and instrumental ensemble, customarily the orchestra. Such works have been written from the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day. Some major compose ...

in 1926; two years later, he composed his Clarinet Concerto for the group's clarinettist, Aage Oxenvad. The latter work, completed August 15, 1928, was first heard in a private concert at the summer home of Carl Johan Michaelsen, in Humlebaek, on September 14, with Oxenvad as soloist and Emil Telmányi conducting. The same performers gave the premiere in Copenhagen on October 11 of that same year, when it met with a decidedly mixed reception. Since that time, it has gained much wider acceptance. The Clarinet Concerto was conceived during the most difficult period in Nielsen's life. He was sixty-three, and had achieved considerable renown throughout Scandinavia; yet he was disappointed that his music had not reached a wider audience, he was deeply concerned with the unsettled state of the world, and he knew that his days were numbered. Perhaps this accounts for the bitter struggle which occurs throughout this concerto—a war between the tonalities of F major and E major. Every time hostilities seem to be at an end, a

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

incites the combatants to renewed conflict. Another explanation for this is that the clarinetist for whom he was writing the concerto had a bi-polar disorder. Therefore, the concerto was poking fun at his constant mood swings. This is how things went according to sources close to Nielsen:

Carl Nielsen’s friend Carl Johan Michaelsen had to urge him several times before he started composing a second concerto for a member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. This time it revolved around clarinettist Aage Oxenvad. Nielsen started composing in the spring of 1928. On 15 August he completed the score at Damgaard. Emil Telmányi had already started on an arrangement for piano for the benefit of Oxenvad, who grumbled that Nielsen must be able to play the clarinet since he had systematically used the notes that are most difficult to play. The Concerto was performed for the first time on 14 September at a private concert in Carl Johan Michaelsen’s summer villa Højtofte, in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen. The soloist was Oxenvad, to whom the Concerto is dedicated. Twenty-two members of the Chapel Royal were conducted by Emil Telmányi. The first public performance took place in Copenhagen on 11 October with the same players, and received a generally positive reception. Politiken wrote: “... he has liberated the soul of the clarinet, not only the wild animal aspect but also its special brand of ruthless poetry.... This work could hardly have found a more homogeneous interpretation. Oxenvad’s sonority is in tune with the trolls and the giants, and he has soul, a rough and stocky primordial force mixed with naive Danish mildness. Certainly Carl Nielsen must have had his particular clarinet sound in mind while composing this Concerto.”

Structure

Eschewing the large classical concerto form, Nielsen has cast the Clarinet Concerto in one continuous movement. It begins with a firm

Allegretto In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

un poco, relieved by a somewhat more songful second theme. There is much stormy strife between the soloist and the orchestra and between the two principal competing keys. This is followed by a Poco

adagio Adagio (Italian for 'slowly', ) may refer to: Music * Adagio, a tempo marking, indicating that music is to be played slowly, or a composition intended to be played in this manner * Adagio (band), a French progressive metal band Albums * ''Adag ...

, interrupted several times by quicker, more disturbed sections. The final part is an energetic

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

vivace In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

, but a return to the Adagio brings the work to what Robert Simpson calls an ending of "calm severity," with the key of F major ultimately triumphant. In his admirably thorough study of Carl Nielsen and his music, Robert Simpson points out what inventive use the composer made of

tonality Tonality is the arrangement of pitches and/or chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived relations, stabilities, attractions and directionality. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or triadic chord with the greatest stability is ca ...

, and this at a time when other composers threw it over for

atonality Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on a ...

. Despite the storm and stress in the concerto, the composer has kept his forces down almost to

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

proportions. In addition to the solo clarinet, the only other instruments called for in the score are two bassoons, two horns, snare drum and strings. Because of the prominence of the snare drum line in the piece, a snare drum is still called for in the piano reduction.

Celebration concert

The Clarinet Concerto was one of the three items chosen for the gala concert in Copenhagen celebrating the 150th anniversary of Carl Nielsen's birth. Accompanied by Danmark Radio's Symphony Orchestra conducted by

Juanjo Mena Juanjo Mena (also known as Juan José Mena; born 21 September 1965, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain) is a Spanish conductor. Biography Mena began his music studies at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Conservatory. He later attended the Madrid Ro ...

, the soloist was the Finnish clarinetist

Olli Leppäniemi Olli is a Dutch children's book character and a stuffed toy. The character Olli was created in 2004 by Dutch designer and film director Hein Mevissen and writer Diederiekje Bok as a character for a bottled mineral water. Olli was one of the man ...

(born 1980).

Sources

*Liner notes by Paul Affelder from the Louis Cahuzac recording, John Frandsen conducting the Copenhagen Royal Opera Orchestra, Columbia Records. *Bingham, Ann Marie: Carl Nielsen's koncert for Klarinet og Orkester, opus 57 (1928): A performance guide, D.M.A. diss., University of Kentucky 1990, 220 p. *Master Class with

Burt Hara Burt Hara was principal clarinetist with the Minnesota Orchestra from 1987 until 2013. He is now the Associate Principal in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Life and career Hara is a native of California. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1 ...

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...

, Fall 2006. Very interesting further reading is provided b
posts by Eric Nelson on 9 and 11 February 1997 on the Klarinet reflector
Further interesting reading challenging the popular view that the Concerto is primarily about Aage Oxenvad and his personality can be found at: Monroe, Douglas C: Conflict and Meaning in Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 57 (1928). D.M.A. diss., The Ohio State University 2008, 90 pp.

Discography

Recordings on 78RPM

Recordings on LP

Stanley Drucker Stanley Drucker (February 4, 1929 – December 19, 2022) was an American clarinetist. For nearly five decades, he was principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. According to Guinness World Records, he achieved the longest career as a c ...

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

. ''Nielsen...'', RCA SB-6701, RCA LSC-2920 (p) 1966 * John McCaw. ''Nielsen'', Unicorn UNS-239 © 1971, (p) 1971 * Albert Sandström. ''Clarinet Concerto'', Primo 011 © 1979, (p) 1979 * Kjell-Inge Stevensson. ''Nielsen'', EMI SLS-5027 (c) 1975, (p) 1975 * Kalev Velthut. ''Clarinet Concerto'', Melodija C10 28491 002 © 1989

Recordings available on CD

*Kevin Banks. ''Concerto'', Naxos 8.554189 © 1998, (p) 1997 * François Benda. ''Feuerwerke'', FONO FSM FCD 97 212 © 1995, (p) 1995 (1993 recording) *François Benda. GENUIN GEN88128 © 2008, (p) 2008 (reissue of 1993 recording) *

Walter Boeykens Walter, Knight Boeykens (January 6, 1938 – April 23, 2013) was a Belgian conductor and a world-renowned clarinetist. Boeykens' impressive discography, including several critically acclaimed performances, are testimony to his status as one of t ...

Philippe Cuper Philippe Cuper is a French clarinetist, born in Lille on 25 April, 1957. He is considered to be one of the best representatives of the current French clarinet school. Biography Studies Cuper received his early training in Marcq en Baroeul ...

Martin Fröst Martin Fröst (born 14 December 1970) is a Swedish clarinetist and conductor. He is principal conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. He is also a developer of multimedia projects with music, choreography and light design, in which he appea ...

. ''Nielsen...'', RCA Classics (Classical Navigator 88) 74321 29255 2 (c) 1995, (p) 1966 * Janet Hilton. ''Concertos'', Chandos CHAN 8618, (c) 1988 (p) 1988 * Kojo Kullervo. ''Nielsen/Eglund/Crusell'', Finlandia 4509-95873-2 (c) 1993, (p) 1993 *John Kruse. ''Nielsen'', Kontrapunkt 32254 (c) 1997, (p) 1997 *John McCaw. ''Nielsen, The concertos'', Regis RRC1208, s.d. (re-issue of Unicorn 1971) * Spyros Mourikis. ''Nielsen'', P2musik DR ISCR DK-QHA—98-001 (c) 1997 (p) 1997 *

Arne Møller Arne Møller (born 6 April 1960) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Møller played for Helgerød IL, Brann and Aris Thessaloniki Athlitikos Syllogos Aris Thessalonikis, means Athletic Club ...

. ''Nielsen'', Classico CLASSCD 514 (in album CLASSCD 514-15) (c) 1965, (p) 1965 * Robert Plane. ''Clarinet Concerto'', BBC MM205 (c) 1999, (p) 1999 * Håkan Rosengren. ''Clarinet Concerto'', Sony SK 53 276 (c) 1991, (p) 1991 * Olle Schill. ''Concerto'', BIS CD-616 (in album CD-614-16) (c) 1985 (p) 1985 *Kjell-Inge Stevensson. ''Nielsen'', EMI Classics 0946 3 81503 2 9 (c) 1975, (p) 1975 * Andreas Sundén. ''Carl Nielsen Solo Concertos'', Daphne 1056 (c) 2018, (p) 2018 * Richard Stoltzman. ''Lutoslawski/Nielsen/Prokofiev'', RCA Victor Red Seal 09026-63836-2 (c) 2001, (p) 2001 * Niels Thomsen. ''Nielsen'', Chandos CHAN 8894, (c) 1990, (p) 1990 *

John Bruce Yeh John Bruce Yeh (born 1957) is an American clarinetist. He has been the assistant principal clarinetist and E-flat clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1977. Yeh is the founder and director of the chamber ensemble, Chicago Pro Mu ...

Sabine Meyer Sabine Meyer (born 30 March 1959) is a German classical clarinetist. Biography Born in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Meyer began playing the clarinet at an early age. Her first teacher was her father, also a clarinetist. She studied with Otto ...

. Carl Nielsen: Clarinet & Flute Concertos; Wind Quintet, Warner Classics, 2007 *

Sebastian Manz Sebastian Manz (born 1986) is a German clarinetist. Life and work Sebastian Manz was born in Hanover and son of pianist Wolfgang Manz and Julia Goldstein and grandson of the Russian violinist Boris Goldstein, began studying clarinet at Musikhoc ...

Recordings on SACD

First recording

References

External links

* *
Extensive analysis by Eric Nelson
{{Authority control Nielsen Compositions by Carl Nielsen 1928 compositions