Gade's First Symphony, dedicated to Mendelssohn, bears the subtitle "On the beautiful plains of Sjællund," which is the title of a song Gade composed in 1838.
Critical Reception
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, a renowned composer and conductor, wrote to Gade after the premiere of his First Symphony, stating that Gade had made friends with the entire music-loving public in Leipzig.
Performer Biography
Neeme Järvi, the conductor on this album, was born in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1937 and made his conducting debut at the age of 18.
Compositional Technique
Gade used the melody from his song "On the beautiful plains of Sjællund" in both the first and last movements of his First Symphony.
Composer Biography
Gade's Eighth Symphony was composed during the winter of 1869-70, and he conducted its premiere in December 1871 with the Music Society, which he had directed for 20 years.
Composer Biography
After composing his Eighth Symphony, Gade wrote no more symphonies, reportedly stating, "there is only one Ninth!"
Composition History
Niels W. Gade, a young Danish composer, sent his first symphony to Leipzig for a possible performance by the Gewandhaus orchestra after it was not performed in Copenhagen.
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