# DLP #5: Niels Gade - Elverskud (Bulldog)



## Robert Gamble (Dec 18, 2016)

Hi all, sorry for the delay in getting out this week's Deep Listening Project work, nominated by Bulldog in between his busy work over in the Games and Polls forum! I was in the middle of the Noreaster and we just got power and Internet back last night. Helpful hint, especially if you have young children, a generator makes life so much easier...

Without further ado, the work is:

Niels Gade's Elverskud, nominated by Bulldog.

Below is a link I found on YouTube and I plan to listen to this today as I'm in an all week meeting starting at 1:30 today and won't have time to devote to it otherwise! If anyone has a preferred recording, please let us know! As always, share opinions and insights below!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Since my name is in the thread title, this must be where I step in. First, the best recording I'm aware of is on Chandos and conducted by Dmitri Kitayenko leading the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Danish National Radio Choir. The sound quality is exceptional, and I love that the choir is not way in front of the orchestral contributions.

Niels Gade is sometimes considered similar to Mendelssohn except with a lower level of inspiration. Personally, I don't hear the similarities and like Gade's music much more than Mendelssohn's. For my money, Elverskud is Gade's masterpiece; the work was also one of the most popular choral compositions throughout Europe in the latter half of the 19th Century.

Based on mythological sources, Elverskud is a totally delightful work that never fails to lift my spirits; tremendous exuberance is mixed with gorgeous andante-like refrains. It has 7 movements in 3 parts. Gade is quite the melody man in this work as they just seem to glide off his hand into the musical fabric. The music stirs my soul, but I can't say I have found anyone else who feels the same.


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## Robert Gamble (Dec 18, 2016)

Due to the site being down and me being sick as a (bull)dog this week, I'm going to extend the DLP for this work for one more week. I did listen to it, and enjoyed the beginning and end quite a bit. The soprano sections in the middle (as is often the case for me and vocal music) just didn't do it for me.. Will listen to it again later this week!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Robert Gamble said:


> Due to the site being down and me being sick as a (bull)dog this week, I'm going to extend the DLP for this work for one more week. I did listen to it, and enjoyed the beginning and end quite a bit. The soprano sections in the middle (as is often the case for me and vocal music) just didn't do it for me.. Will listen to it again later this week!


I was quite the opposite, preferring the vocal section. I have the Chandos set Bulldog mentioned.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Robert Gamble said:


> Due to the site being down and me being sick as a (bull)dog this week, I'm going to extend the DLP for this work for one more week. I did listen to it, and enjoyed the beginning and end quite a bit. The soprano sections in the middle (as is often the case for me and vocal music) just didn't do it for me.. Will listen to it again later this week!


If I remember correctly, the end is just a shortened version of the beginning.


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