Carl Nielsen, Quintet Op. 43

Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) ranks perhaps as Denmark’s most important composer, certainly one who plays an important role in the country’s artistic identity.

He is also a study in contrasts. He may be classified as a nationalistic composer, and this owes something to his frequent use of folk melodies. But Nielsen rejected the label and wrote, “Nothing destroys music more than nationalism does . . . and it is impossible to deliver national music on request.” His opera Maskarade is a mainstay of Danish repertoire, but infrequently performed elsewhere.

One finds many traditional stylistic elements in Nielsen’s music, not just folk melodies, but traditional forms and a focus on clarity. He is probably best known for his six symphonies and his choral works. But he also ventured into many experimental forms and modern ideas.

The Wind Quintet featured here remains one of his most popular compositions. It was written in 1922 for specific performers who were friends of Nielsen, and he is said to have infused their personalities into each part. The choreographed performance by Clarion seems very much in keeping with this idea. Whether the personalities match those envisioned by the composer is of no importance. The movements and groupings (usually pairings) of instruments may provide some additional insights into the form and structure of this work.

The work is highly lyrical. You will hear the folk quality of the melodies, particularly in the middle movement (Minuet). The more dissonant and free-form Praeludium (13:52), in which the oboist switches to English Horn, features an argument between the English Horn and clarinet. It resolves into Nielsen’s own very traditional chorale tune “My Jesus, make my heart to love thee.”  The final movement (16:04) consists of a set of eleven variations on this chorale.