Nielsen intended to compose a concerto for each member of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet but only completed two—for flute and clarinet—before his death.
Composer's Artistic Vision
After composing the Wind Quintet, Nielsen's attitude to orchestration changed, stating, 'I think through the instruments - as though I had crept inside them.'
Composer's Artistic Vision
Nielsen described the clarinet's character as 'at once warm-hearted and completely hysterical, one minute gentle as balm, the next screaming like a tram on badly lubricated rails'.
Composition History
Nielsen's Wind Quintet was inspired by overhearing members of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet rehearsing Mozart's Sinfonia concertante.
Composer Biography
Nielsen wrote the Clarinet Concerto after breaking two ribs while skiing in Norway, despite advice to take it easy due to heart concerns.
Composer Biography
Carl Nielsen, the composer, started playing a miniature fiddle in his father's village band and composing dance tunes by age nine.
Compositional Technique
The Flute Concerto includes a bass trombone, which makes a spectacular entrance about a third of the way through the first movement, to the flute's 'evident chagrin'.
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