Nielsen: Songs for Choir

Featuring

Michael Bojesen
Ars Nova Copenhagen
Carl August Nielsen

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Composer Biography

Carl Nielsen, a Danish composer, wrote almost 300 songs, with the majority being simple, popular community songs.

Compositional Technique

Carl Nielsen's popular songs are simple, strophic songs intended for community singing in schools, churches, public meetings, and especially Danish Folk High Schools.

Composition History

Carl Nielsen began systematically writing popular songs in the 1910s and 1920s, initially at the urging of Folk High School principal Johan Borup in 1914.

Cultural Impact

Carl Nielsen's song 'Jens Vejmand' (Who's there behind the shelter) became a political debate topic and a 'hit' in 1907, making him one of Denmark's best-known artists.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Carl Nielsen aimed to renew the song tradition by creating music with a 'Schein des Bekannten' (a feeling of the apparently familiar), so it could be sung by and appeal to everyone.

Interpretation

Conductor Michael Bojesen converted Carl Nielsen's original piano arrangements from the 'Folkehøjskolens Melodibog' (the Folk High School Melody Book) into four-part choral arrangements for this album, as Nielsen himself only made three choral versions.

Recording & Production

This album features new four-part settings by Michael Bojesen, based on Carl Nielsen's original piano parts, with the exception of three songs that are Nielsen's own choral arrangements.