For half a century, the Danish composer Niels W. Gade (1817-1890) was one of the most famous and respected people in Europe. The musicians loved him. The crowd adored him. His music was the sound of a zeitgeist. And the man Niels W. Gade was a powerful personality. Not just in Denmark but throughout the world of classical music.

Opening concert NIELS W GADE

KUMUS

The connection between Niels W. Gade, who became one of the most significant, if not powerful, composers in Denmark in the 19th century, and the fine Mendelssohn family in Germany is important. It was Felix Mendelssohn who premiered Gade's first symphony in Leipzig; and then Gade also became part of the very fertile environment of the city there. Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel could not, as the time (and both father and brother) demanded, be a professional composer and musician – for her, music was simply "an extra piece of jewelery she could wear". But she both played and composed and was highly regarded; also by her brother, who for her 25th birthday composed Psalm 115 as a gift. Gade's probably best-loved work, Morgensang fra Elverskud, and the gift from her brother are respectively before and after her own cantata Lobgesang, which she composed a year after giving birth to her son, Sebastian. It is a work that has references to JS Bach, whose importance was enormous, and which the two Mendelssohn siblings

Niels W Gade

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 29, 2025

Mendelssohn, Gade & Kor72 · Odense Symphony Orchestra

Past events

Sep 13, 2024

Opening concert NIELS W GADE · Danish Chamber Players

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