Violinkonsert

Born on the Danish island of Funen in 1865, Carl Nielsen is most recognised for his six symphonies and his many popular songs. He began his musical education at an early age by playing with folk musicians in his home village and he was already composing in his teens. After studying piano and violin in Copenhagen, in 1889 he obtained a position as a violinist with the Royal Danish Orchestra; however, in 1905 he put aside the violin to concentrate full-time on composition. In 1906, he wrote is second and final opera, Masquerade, which is generally considered to be Denmark’s national opera. He composed his Violin Concerto in 1911 for the Hungarian violinist Emil Telmányi, who would later become Nielsen’s son-in-law. It begins with a stormy praeludium, during which a beautiful and melancholic theme is presented. Note how delightfully the violinist hands this on to the strings. This is a volatile, highly strung work that clearly illustrates Nielsen’s undoubted mastery of the violin’s attributes and possibilities. The concerto premiered at the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen on 28 February 1912, on the same evening as a performance Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3, bringing together the two works that would cement his position as Denmark’s national composer.