Big Ben Phonogram

Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Orchestral Pieces

Tracklisting

1. Saul og David (Forspil til 2. akt)
2. En fantasirejse til Færøerne
3. Moderen (Forspil)
4. Lille suite for strygere, opus 1
5. Pan og Syrinx, opus 49
6. Saga-drøm, opus 39
7. Maskarade (Ouverture Forspil til 2. akt ; Hanedans)

Recording Date: February og May 1988
Recording Location:
Koncerthuset, Odense, Denmark
Produced by: Morten Winding
Balance Engineer: Göran Finnberg
Format: DDD Stereo

Recording Information

When Carl Nielsen started thinking about composing an opera in 1896, he vacillated at first between two very different subjects: J. P. Jacobsen’s “Marie Grubbe” and the Old Testament narrative about Saul and David. He finally settled for the latter. At the end of 1898 he approached Einar Christiansen to write the libretto, which was complete by January 1899. The composition process took some time, among other reasons because both husband and wife had received study scholarships and had left for Italy in December 1899. This did not completely prevent Carl from composing, however, for the triumphal hymn in Act II after David’s victory over the giant Goliath was written in the garden of a tavern in Pompeii!.

For more information about Nielsen, visit Wikipedia, click here