Niels Gade facts for kids
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Niels Wilhelm Gade (born February 22, 1817 – died December 21, 1890) was a famous Danish musician. He was a composer, a conductor, a violin player, an organist, and a teacher. Niels Gade and Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann were the most important musicians in Denmark during their time.
Contents
A Musician's Life
Niels Gade was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father was a joiner and made musical instruments. Niels started his music career as a violinist in the Royal Danish Orchestra.
Early Success
In 1841, the orchestra performed his first big piece. It was a concert overture called Efterklange af Ossian. An overture is like an introduction piece for an opera or play.
When his first symphony was not played in Copenhagen, he sent it to Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn was a very famous composer. He liked Gade's music a lot.
Mendelssohn conducted Gade's symphony in Leipzig, Germany, in March 1843. The audience loved it!
Time in Leipzig
The Danish government gave Gade a special scholarship. This allowed him to move to Leipzig. There, he taught at the Leipzig Conservatory, a music school.
He also worked as an assistant conductor for the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Gade became good friends with Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn had a big impact on Gade's music style.
In 1845, Gade conducted the first performance of Mendelssohn's famous Violin Concerto in E minor. He also became friends with other great composers like Robert Schumann and Robert Franz.
Return to Denmark
Mendelssohn passed away in 1847. Gade then took over his main conductor job. But he had to go back to Copenhagen in 1848. This was because a war started between Prussia and Denmark.
In Copenhagen, Gade met the composer Cornelius Gurlitt. They stayed friends for many years. Gade became the director of the Copenhagen Musical Society. He kept this job until he died.
He started a new orchestra and choir. He became the most important musician in Denmark. Under his leadership, the Music Society became very successful.
Teaching and Influence
Gade also worked as an organist. He played the organ at the Holmen Church in Copenhagen from 1850 until his death. He was also a director at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. He shared this role with Hartmann and Holger Simon Paulli.
Gade was a very important teacher for many Scandinavian composers. He taught and encouraged musicians like Edvard Grieg, Carl Nielsen, and Elfrida Andrée.
Musical Works
Niels Gade wrote many different kinds of music. He composed eight symphonies, which are large pieces for an orchestra. He also wrote a violin concerto, which is a piece for violin and orchestra.
He created chamber music, which is for a small group of instruments. He also wrote pieces for organ and piano. Gade wrote several large vocal works called cantatas. He called these "concert pieces."
Two of his famous cantatas are Comala (1846) and Elverskud (1853). These pieces often used stories from Danish folklore. They became very popular after 1848.
One of his most famous pieces is "The Bridal Waltz" (Brudevalsen). Gade himself did not think it was very important. But it became a key part of Danish weddings. This happened after August Bournonville used it in his ballet A Folk Tale.
Personal Life
In 1852, Niels Gade married Emma Sophie Amalie Hartmann. She was the daughter of his friend, Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann. After Emma died, Gade married again in 1857. He passed away in Copenhagen.
More About His Music
See List of compositions by Niels Gade
See also
In Spanish: Niels Gade para niños
