GADE: PIANO MUSIC - BENGT JOHNSSON

GADE PIANO MUSIC MHS 1480 liner notes

Niels-Wilhelm Gade, the son of a joiner, who later also became a violin and guitar-maker, was born in Copenhagen on February 22nd, 1817. He gave his first public concert as a violinist in Copenhagen at the early age of sixteen. His Overture Reminiscences from Ossian (his Opus 1) was awarded the first prize at a competition organized by the Copenhagen Musikforeningen (New Music Society) in 1840 and was published shortly there after by Breitkop and Hartel, this launching the young composer into notoriety in His First Symphony (Opus 5), quoting the Danish folk-song Paa Sjulandś fagre sletter n( on the bewitching plains of Zealand) from which it draws its title, followed in 1842, confirming Gade's unusual talents in the direction of nationalist and romantic symphonism. It aroused the enthusiasm of Mendelssohn, who gave it its irst per formance in 1843 at a Gewandhaus concert. Thus began the artistic and human relationship between Gade and Mendelssohn, which reached its climax during the following years, when Gade was called to Leipzig, where he taught at the Conservatory and where he conducted concerts at the Gewandhaus. After Mendelssohn's early death (1847) he even became first conductor at the Gewandhaus, but the following year he returned to Copenhagen, where he settled, taking over the direction of the Musikforeningen and cofounding the Conservatory. During more than forty years he was at the head of the Danish musical life. His great model remained Mendelssohn, and he tried to turn Copen hagen into a second Leipzig: this moderate and traditional attitude also permeates his voluminous creative output,which he pursued right to the end of his life. He died at Copenhagen on December 21, 1890. His works include 8 Symphonics (out of respect for Beethoven, he dispensed with the writing of a Ninth !) , 7 Overtures, 3 Ballets, music for the stage, Cantatas (in cluding the ever-popular Elverskud)), chamber music and a quite considerable amount of piano music, of which this record offers a comprehensive selection.