# Sinfonia Semplice



## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

Carl Nielsen is a central figure in late romantic Danish music. He was born into a poor family of fourteen children. During school holidays, he supplemented the family income by looking after geese. Music was an early interest. He used to bang out tunes on different lengths of firewood. He was also interested in literature, philosophy and languages.
Leonard Bernstein was enthusiastic about Nielsen's music and this symphony. He actually introduced Nielsen's music in America in the sixties for much later after Nielsen's death, his music was not known to the American audiences. The Sinfonia Semplice is the strangest of his six symphonies. At the time it was written, Nielsen was suffering from a heart ailment.
The work is a meditation on the transcience of life in the opening tempo giusto movement. In the Humoresque, there is sardonic humour and brooding. Occasionally, there is pure grotesquerie. Nielsen may be poking fun at the atonal music of Schoenberg and his followers. The woodwind instruments make rude noises and the trombones make loud glissandos representing yawning. The slow movement is dark and sombre. The finale is a bizarre theme and variations. The main theme goes through a chaotic series of grotesque variations. At one point, the theme becomes a waltz. The brass and percussion then batter it with brutal dissonant outbursts. The movement ends in glee. Nielsen may be dying but he is laughing at death with the bassoons.
This symphony was written in 1925. The structure and tonality of this symphony are both individual and unorthodox. The Danish critics called it an enigmatic work. This is a bitter and ironic work to complete his symphonic oeuvre. Nielsen was never able to make a decent living out of his compositions. When Nielsen began composing his last symphony, he wrote, "As far as I can see it, it will on the whole be different from my other symphonies; more amiable and smooth, or how shall I put it, but it is impossible to tell as I do not know at all what currents I may run into during the voyage."
Notable performances are by Michael Schonwandt, Leonard Bernstein and Herbert Blomstedt.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks for the synopsis. I'll listen to it this weekend.


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2010)

The one to one relationship between a composer's life and a composer's music is questionable. And even if it weren't, do we really have to think about Nielsen's life when we're listening to Nielsen's music? Indeed, isn't thinking about Nielsen's life a rather different _kind_ of thing than listening to Nielsen's music?

Anyway, Tahnak, where did you find this information? (I'm guessing that you yourself do not ordinarily talk like an encyclopedia or a program note.) Aside from the questionable one to one relationship (really, does that not make the symphony into some kind of cartoon soundtrack?), Bernstein never recorded the 6th symphony. Ormandy did. And Ormandy's is still the best, I think. All the other recordings of this are either clumsy or apologetic, though Blomstedt's and Schonwandt's do have some very fine moments. Ormandy's is consistently good. Never falters. Takes each twist and turn of the music with skill and ease, as if these sudden changes were perfectly natural, as, of course, they are. Ormandy had a real sense of how to conduct contemporary music, a part of his legacy that's still not widely recognized, I suspect.

Added: I see that there have been several recordings of this since I stopped trying to listen to every recording I could find. So I guess y'all are on your own on this one!!

I also see, which I had forgotten about, that the original source for all the cartoonish speculation about what the symphony means is Robert Simpson. Now Simpson did do yeoman's work writing about and promoting the music of Nielsen, but the sixth just confused the heck out of him. And what's the first thing we find when a piece confuses a critic? Exactly, speculation about the relationship between the composer's life and the piece. That little bassoon part there that I don't get? Let me see, what was happening to Nielsen? Why, he had had a heart attack! And that trombone part? Why that must have been Nielsen's head cold on the boat trip on the North Sea.

And so it goes.

What ever happened to just listening to the music and dealing with whatever you hear, _as music_?? (I blame Canada.)


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Tahnak is referring to elements often found in the interpretation of this symphony, also in Denmark. Am certainly no expert on this one, but the Danish Wikipedia refers to some remarks by Nielsen himself:

http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symfoni_nr._6_(Nielsen)

I´ll take the liberty to quote it in full, since I don´t have the energy to translate everything into English upon an unusually hard working day:

_Symfoniens tilblivelse
Carl Nielsen begyndte på symfonien i August 1924. Han betegnede den som mere "elskværdig og glidende" en hans øvrige symfonier, men han var også i tvivl om resultatet: "Jeg er ganske flittig med at komponere noget. Gud ved hvordan det bliver! Jeg ved det ikke selv, men hvad om det også bliver noget Skidt så kan det jo også være det samme, lille Nielsen kan jo da for pokker ikke blive ved på en og samme måde, Med Temperament og al det der. Denne gang skal det være godt kedeligt og pænt." Med ordet kedeligt mener Carl Nielsen ikke nødvendigvis at musikken skulle være kedelig at lytte til, men at den ikke skulle være så dramatisk som de to foregående symfonier. Anden sats blev komponeret hen over julen 1924, men mere om den senere. Tredje sats blev færdig i begyndelsen af 1925, og så lagde Nielsen arbejdet til side for at efterkomme en bestilling på musik til skuespillet Ebbe Skammelsen. Derefter tog han fat på Finalen, som han brugte lang tid på. Symfonien blev uropført den 11. december 1925, og partituret var først færdig seks dage forinden! Betegnelsen Sinfonia Semplice betyder simpel symfoni, og selvom symfonien langt fra er simpel, er orkestreringen mere let, hvilket kan være grunden til navnet.

[redigér] Satser
1. sats starter med at klokkespillet spiller tonen D fire gange efterfulgt af violinernes introduktion af temaet i G dur. Herefter følger en 13 minutter lang sats, som ender blidt i As dur.

2. sats (Humoreske) er kun orkestreret for Piccolo, 2 Klarinetter i A, 2 Fagotter, Tenorbasun ( som kun spiller glissandoer), Triangel, Lilletromme og Klokkespil. Den er svær at tage til sig, fordi den har et mærkeligt udtryk, men det er der en grund til. Nielsen forklarede i et interview: "Humoresken begynder med, at de tre små Slaginstrumenter Klokkespillet, Trommen og Trianglen bliver enige om at vække de andre, større Instrumenter, som ligger og sover. Disse tre små Væsener har ikke megen Hjerne, de er nogle meget barnlige, søde, uskyldige Små, og de begynder nu med deres Bimme-limme-bim og deres sagte Bom-bom-bom ... de bliver ivrigere og ivrigere og får til sidst larmet de andre op til at spille ... Klarinetterne, Piccolofløjten og Fagotterne. Men de små uskyldige Instrumenter synes aldeles ikke om den moderne Musik, der nu lyder de hamrer for sig selv: Hold op, hold op siger de ... og så er det snart forbi med den moderne Musik. Men da begynder en Klarinet at spille, det er en lille barnlig Melodi, og de små Insrumenter tier og lytter. Basunen, dette store Instrument, gaber og siger: Baah, Barnemad! De andre Instrumenter falder atter ind, der bliver Strid om Musikken, det lyder lidt falsk og forvirret og til sidst falder det hele hen til ingen Verdens Ting. Dette er Symfoniens Humoreske."

3. sats (Proposta Seria) er for Strygere, Horn, Fløjte, Klarinet i Bb og Fagotter og består af et fugeret tema der kastes frem og tilbage mellem instrumenterne.

4. sats er "et Variationsværk, et kosmisk Kaos, hvis Atomer over Temaet fra det dunkle til det lyse klarer op og samles til en Klode." Satsen består af en introduktion i træblæserne, efterfulgt af temaet spillet i Bb dur af fagotten, efterfulgt af ni variationer en fanfare og en spøjs afslutning. Niende variation minder meget om 2. sats, og Nielsen har beskrevet den som døden, der overvindes af den efterfølgende fanfare. Under arbejdet på værket fik han nemlig et hjerteanfald, som nær havde slået ham ihjel. På bagrund af anfaldet skrev han den niende variation hvor xylofonen rasler som skeletter akompagneret af tuba, trommer og triangel. Efter fanfaren bryder et virvar løs, der stopper brat ved at fagotterne spiller en stump af det oprindelige tema, som violinerne bygger op til en stor afslutning i Bb-dur, men symfonien ender med at fagotterne holder tonen B, efter at de andre er holdt op med at spille._

A brief summary would mention 1) The Symphony was initially thought to be in the main more amiable and pleasant than the earlier ones, since he wanted to explore new paths and renew himself, also beyond the purely temperamental aspects of the music 2) The Humoreque movement characterizes the naive and simple wind instruments being attacked by modern music, which they try to expel. This starts a fight which doesn´t come to a final result. 3) The 4th movement is a cosmic chaos, where the 9th variation describes Death, also according to Nielsen himself, where Death is temporarily beaten by fanfares. The xylofone pictures dancing skeletons, a vision he had following a heart attack during the composing of the music. This is followed by chaos again.

Any other possible meta-layers in the interpretation of the music notwithstanding, these remarks seem valuable ...


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Leonard Bernstein did not record Nielsen's 6th,or the 1st. As far as I know he never conducted either of these two symphonies live,either. It certainly would have been interesting to hear him do this enigmatic masterpiece,though. I don't believe Bernstein ever conducted the Nielsen symphonies in his later years,and it wouold have been great to have him rerecord them,too,and possibly do more Nielsen.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I wish I liked Nielsen. He made a flute concerto, I might play one day... unfortunately. The most uncantabile piece of music for flute I've ever heard I think.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

A little flute classic from the smaller repertoire by Nielsen "Tågen Letter / The Fog Ascends" ....






It has always been very popular here.

PS: hearing the recording, I realize that the flute tone could be somewhat better ...


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

joen_cph said:


> A little flute classic from the smaller repertoire by Nielsen "Tågen Letter / The Fog Ascends" ....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Actually, that is a good piece, I've heard it before, and my mom wants me to learn it, if only we could find the music.


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## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

some guy said:


> The one to one relationship between a composer's life and a composer's music is questionable. And even if it weren't, do we really have to think about Nielsen's life when we're listening to Nielsen's music? Indeed, isn't thinking about Nielsen's life a rather different _kind_ of thing than listening to Nielsen's music?
> 
> Anyway, Tahnak, where did you find this information? (I'm guessing that you yourself do not ordinarily talk like an encyclopedia or a program note.) Aside from the questionable one to one relationship (really, does that not make the symphony into some kind of cartoon soundtrack?), Bernstein never recorded the 6th symphony. Ormandy did. And Ormandy's is still the best, I think. All the other recordings of this are either clumsy or apologetic, though Blomstedt's and Schonwandt's do have some very fine moments.
> I also see, which I had forgotten about, that the original source for all the cartoonish speculation about what the symphony means is Robert Simpson. Now Simpson did do yeoman's work writing about and promoting the music of Nielsen, but the sixth just confused the heck out of him. And what's the first thing we find when a piece confuses a critic? Exactly, speculation about the relationship between the composer's life and the piece. That little bassoon part there that I don't get? Let me see, what was happening to Nielsen? Why, he had had a heart attack! And that trombone part? Why that must have been Nielsen's head cold on the boat trip on the North Sea.
> ...


I am sorry if I am sounding like an encyclopaedia. I write diaries and compile information whenever I find something interesting. This is an assimilation from various sources and not just Robert Simpson alone. I cannot apologise but if it comes in between enjoying Nielsen's music per se, please ignore my writing.
My apologies are for mentioning Bernstein along with Schonwandt and Blomstedt. Yes, the recording is with the flute concerto and it is Ormandy and not Bernstein. Thanks for correcting me.
I am listening to Schonwandt's fifth. It is great.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

It is a fact that to many people this symphony - or even Nielsen - will still be an "obscure" item off-the-beaten path - so it seems quite natural to provide some "encyclopedia" information. It is impossible to please everyone and there is no reason to criticize the process of giving information in itself. Readers can skip it or not, consider it superficial, unnecessary, or not. I tend to enjoy your posts, and that Bernstein didn´t record exactly this symphony among the Nielsen works he did is of course only a minor thing, since he was one of the first international conductors to really promote Nielsen´s music anyway.

In this case the described images are verifiable in the consciousness of the composer himself during its creation. As *some guy * said cartoon-like views of the content of works of art can of course limit the experience of them too much and the experience of the music shouldn´t just stop there. As regards for instance Shostakovich the personal layers ascribed to the music are at least usually fixed with some collective meaning as well, even in the general public, but perhaps in a too simplified way ... (Stalin´s terror in 15 consecutive symphonies). However I don´t think that Nielsen is suffering from too narrow interpretations nowadays, as shown also by more recent biographies; his international position is being gradually secured, and he contributed to that in a simple, yet effective way - by the universal titles he would often give it, quite impossible to ignore ...


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## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

*Nielsen's Fifth*

I finished listening to the Nielsen fifth today. 
It was written in 1922.
It is written for strings(violin, violas, cellos and contrabasses),3 flutes, 2 piccolos, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets(B Flat Major and A major),2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 french horns(F Major),3 trumpets(B Flat Major),3 trombones,tuba, pair of timpani,cymbals,snare drum,triangle,tambourine and celesta.
This symphony was influenced by the traumatic effects of post first world war in Denmark. It depicts a great battle etween the forces of order and chaos. A snare drummer takes the symbolic chaos trip and keeps interrupting the orchestra playing ad lib and out of time with the intention of destruction. It is to Nielsen's credit that he makes him almost blend in with the universe without sounding ugly. The rest of the orchestra keeps fighting back in six sections of the symphony while the drummer struggles on and he eventually fades with the glorious conclusion as order prevails over chaos.
I have heard Michael Schonwandt conduct the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra today. The sound is rich and effective. It is a good interpretation. I also like Blomstedt and San Francisco. My favourite remains Jascha Horenstein with the New Philharmonia Orchestra of London on Nonesuch/Unicorn Records with the beautiful Saga Drom that I hold as Nielsen's greatest composition.


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## Guest (Nov 16, 2010)

Here's where I'd go with Bernstein for sure. But Horenstein's was my first. Not only my first fifth, but my first Nielsen at all. It was a pretty spectacular experience to run across such a splendid composer that I'd not only never heard but had never even heard of.

And, since this thread is called "Sinfonia Semplice," I'd like to posit that the sixth is not the outlier that many people thought it was when it first came out (that many people still think of as the odd one out), but the final, and logical, culmination of everything Nielsen had been doing all his life.

I don't have the time to back that up, unfortunately. I do have other things to do besides posting to classical music forums. No really! So, feebly, I will just say for now that in my experience listening to Nielsen's music, all of it, over the years, I hear the sixth as the music Nielsen was inevitably and inexorably headed towards. It's one of the more satisfying "last" pieces I know--along the lines of Beethoven's opus 111 or Bruckner's ninth.


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