Carl Nielsen
Symfoni nr. 3, opus 27
Sinfonia espansiva
Symphony No. 3, Opus 27
Opus 27
CNW 27
CNUCarl Nielsen Udgaven (The Carl Nielsen Edition. Royal Danish Library: Copenhagen 1998–2009)
II/3
CNSCarl Nielsens Samling (The Carl Nielsen Collection, Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen)
64
FSDan Fog & Torben Schousboe: Carl Nielsen kompositioner. En Bibliografi. København 1965.
60
Composition: 1910–11.
It was not until the beginning of 1910 that Nielsen started to consider writing a third symphony. The first movement was finished on 13 April; then the symphony was put aside for a while so that he could concentrate on the music for the play Hagbarth og Signe (CNW 12), which was to be finished for a performance in June. In July, Nielsen continued working on the symphony, but was forced to stop because of a depression. It was finished in the autumn and winter of 1910–11 under very difficult circumstances because of Nielsen's duties at The Royal Theatre.
Music
1.
Allegro espansivo
2.
Andante pastorale
3.
Allegretto un poco
4. Finale
Allegro
Sources
Sketch (first movement)
Sketch (second movement)
Sketches (third and fourth movements)
Score, draft
Score, autograph, printer's manuscript
String parts, manuscript copy
Carl Nielsen's copy
Parts (S., cor.ingl.), manuscript copy
Score, print
-
The Gothenburg Orchestra Society's copy
S-Göteborg, Göteborgs Konsert AB 244.CNU Source A1 .
Parts, print
Parts (Bar., vl.2), print
-
Carl Nielsen's copy
DK-KkDet Kongelige Bibliotek, København CNSCarl Nielsens Samling (The Carl Nielsen Collection, Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen) 64g.
Facsimile
CNU Source G.
Performances
| 28 Feb. 1912 | Odd Fellow Palæet, Copenhagen (The Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel); conductor: Carl Nielsen; singers: Emilie Ulrich, soprano; Albert Høeberg, baritono). First performance. Reviews: Berlingske Tidende, 29 Feb. 1912. Berlingske Tidende Aften, 29 Feb. 1912. Kristeligt Dagblad, 29 Feb. 1912. København, 29 Feb. 1912. Nationaltidende, 29 Feb. 1912. Politiken, 29 Feb. 1912 (Charles Kjerulf). Social-Demokraten, 29 Feb. 1912. Vort Land, 29 Feb. 1912. Illustreret Tidende, 3 Mar. 1912. |
| 28 Apr. 1912 | Amsterdam (Concertgebouw; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Hr. van Oort, baritono; Frk. Brandsma, soprano). First performance under the name "Sinfonia espansiva". |
| 4 May 1912 | The Royal Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater), Copenhagen (The Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel); conductor: Carl Nielsen). |
| 21 May 1912 | The Royal Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater), Copenhagen (The Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel)). |
| 23 Jan. 1913 | Festsaal der Liederhalle, Stuttgart (Hofkapelle Stuttgart; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Helene Pola, soprano; Siegfried Bartenstein, baritono). |
| 14 May 1913 | The Royal Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater), Copenhagen (The Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel); conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Lili Lamprecht, soprano; Albert Høeberg, baritono). |
| 23 Oct. 1913 | The National Theatre, Helsinki (conductor: Carl Nielsen). |
| 31 Oct. 1913 | Kungliga Teatern, Stockholm (Kungliga Hovkapellet; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Anna Bartels, soprano; Conny Molin, baritono). Extra Symphony-Concert. |
| 8 Dec. 1913 | Blüthner-Saal, Berlin (Blüthner-Orchester; conductor: Siegmund von Hausegger; performers: Johanne Karstens, soprano; Rudolph Gade, baritono). |
| 2 Feb. 1914 | Dortmund (conductor: Georg Hüttner). |
| 6 Feb. 1914 | Konserthuset på Heden, Gothenburg (Göteborg Symfoniorkester; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Eric Ericson, baritono; Margaret Fock, soprano). |
| 9 Feb. 1914 | Musikhalle, Hamburg (Orchester des Vereins Hamburgischer Musikfreunde; conductor: Siegmund von Hausegger; performers: Käte Neugebauer-Ravoth, soprano; Oscar Seelig, baritono). Philharmonische Gesellschaft. |
| 13 Feb. 1914 | Bückeburg (conductor: Richard Sahla). Vilhelm Herold performed at the same concert but it is not clear whether he sang a part in the symphony. |
| 26 June 1915 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen ((Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performers: Johanne Karstens, soprano; Holger Bruusgaard, baritono). |
| 10 July 1915 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen ((Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performers: Johanne Karstens, soprano; Holger Bruusgaard, baritono). |
| 19 Jan. 1916 | Konserthuset på Heden, Göteborg (Göteborg Symfoniorkester; conductor: Wilhelm Stenhammar). |
| 6 Feb. 1919 | Odd Fellow Palæet, Copenhagen (conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Marie Krayenbühl, singer; Alfred Sjöholm, singer). |
| 30 Aug. 1919 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen (conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performers: Carla Wester, singer; Olaf Holm, singer). |
| 14 Mar. 1921 | Odd Fellow Palæet, Copenhagen (conductor: Kristian Sandby). |
| 27 Aug. 1921 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen (Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); performers: Ida Møller, singer; Holger Bruusgaard, singer; conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen). |
| 22 Oct. 1921 | Singakademie, Berlin (Berliner Philharmoniker; conductor: Charles Lautrup). |
| 5 Aug. 1922 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen (Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); performers: Lilly Ericson, singer; Emil Friis, singer; conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen). |
| 9 Dec. 1922 | Beethoven-Saal, Berlin (Philharmonisches Orchester; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Ellen Overgaard, singer; Henry Christoffersen, singer). |
| 12 Dec. 1923 | Odd Fellow Palæet, Copenhagen (Københavns Filharmoniske Orkester; conductor: Charles Lautrup; performers: Lis Mogensen-Witte, singer; Albert Høeberg, singer). |
| 16 Jan. 1924 | Konserthuset på Heden, Gothenburg (Göteborg Symfoniorkester; conductor: Ture Rangström). |
| 6 June 1925 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen (Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performers: Johanne Karstens, singer; Holger Bruunsgaard, singer). |
| 10 Nov. 1925 | Odd Fellow Palæet, Copenhagen (conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Johanne Karstens, singer; Immanuel Franksen, singer; Thorvald Nielsen, violin). |
| 14 Jan. 1927 | Odd Fellow Palæet, Copenhagen (conductor: Carl Nielsen). |
| 18 Apr. 1928 | Salle Pleyel, Paris (Pasdeloup-orkestret; conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performer: Margrethe Ernst, singer). |
| 9 June 1928 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen (Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performers: Sylvia Schierbeck, singer; Emil Friis, singer). |
| 23 Oct. 1928 | Nihon-Seinenkan Hall, Tokyo (conductor: Charles Lautrup). |
| 3 Apr. 1929 | Lorensbergsteatern, Gothenburg (Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; conductor: Carl Nielsen). |
| 26 Oct. 1929 | Forum, Copenhagen (Københavns Filharmoniske Orkester; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performer: Else Schøtt, singer; composer: Einar Nørby, singer). |
| 5 Nov. 1929 | Forum, Copenhagen (Københavns Filharmoniske Orkester; conductor: Carl Nielsen; performers: Else Schøtt, singer(?); Einar Nørby, singer(?)). |
| 3 June 1930 | Tivoli Concert Hall (Tivolis Koncertsal), Copenhagen (Tivoli Symphony Orchestra (Tivolis Symfoniorkester); conductor: Frederik Schnedler-Petersen; performers: Sylvia Schierbeck, singer; Henry Skjær, singer). |
| 11 Mar. 1931 | Konserthuset, Stockholm (Konsertföreningens Orkester; conductor: Adolf Wiklund; performers: Ellen Lundin, singer; Sixten Liedbergius, singer). |
Version for piano four hands
Date: c. 1913.
The piano version seems to have been planned for publication at C.F. Kahnt in Leipzig, since the publisher advertised it in a catalogue in 1913. However, it was apparently never published.
Music
1.
Allegro espansivo
2.
Andante
3.
Poco allegretto
4. Finale
Allegro
Sources
Score, draft
Score, draft (Henrik Knudsen), fragment
Contains three fragments of the first movement (bb. 1–74, 1–68, and 1–14) in three different arrangements by Henrik Knudsen, the last of which is identical to Nielsen's arrangement.
Score, printer's copy, fragment
Documents
Letters:
Diary entries:
Other other:
Helge Wamberg (interviewer) and Carl Nielsen (interviewee): 'Hvad siger Kunstnerne om Kritiken'. Pressens Magasin, 11, 1 June 1918. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 60)
Rud (interviewer) and Carl Nielsen (interviewee): 'Komponist-Jubilæum'. Politiken, 26 Jan. 1913. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 37)
Presto (interviewer) and Carl Nielsen (interviewee): 'Carl Nielsen fortæller'. Berlingske Tidende, Aften, 5 Feb. 1913. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 39)
Seviteur (interviewer) and Carl Nielsen (interviewee): 'Med Lavrbærkrans om Pande!'. Vort Land, 4 Nov. 1913. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 40)
G-bas [Axel Kjerulf] (interviewer) and Carl Nielsen (interviewee): 'Carl Nielsens nye Symfoni'. Politiken, 24 Jan. 1922. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 69)
Concert programme, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam . 28 Apr. 1912. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 36)
Sinfonia espansiva. Programme for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's first "symfoni-koncert" . 14 Jan. 1927. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 123)
Sinfonia espansiva. Programme for Konsertföreningen's concert in Stockholm . 11 Mar. 1931. (SamtidJohn Fellow (ed.): Carl Nielsen til sin samtid. Det Kongelige Bibliotek/Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1999. 189)
Bibliography
Henrik Knudsen: Sinfonia espansiva für Orchester von Carl Nielsen, erläutert von Henrik Knudsen, Deutsch von K. Wechselmann (= Kahnts Musikführer). C.F.Kahnt Nachfolger: Leipzig 1913.
Hugo Seligmann: 'Carl Nielsen'. Samtiden, 30/7,8, 1919, pp. 454–68.
Rudolph Simonsen: Der dänische Tondichter Carl Nielsen. Copenhagen 1924.
Rudolph Simonsen: 'Carl Nielsen som symphoniker'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 2/1, Oct. 1926, pp. 7–11.
Povl Hamburger: 'Formproblemet i vor tids musik: med analyse af Carl Nielsens Sinfonia Espansiva (1. sats)'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 6/5, 1931, pp. 89–100.
Frits Eibe: 'Carl Nielsen og den offentlige musikkritik'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 7/1, Jan. 1932, pp. 44–49.
Herman D. Koppel: 'Carl Nielsen og de yngste'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 7/1, Jan. 1932, pp. 55–58.
Vagn Holmboe: 'Musik – og æstetik'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 8/5, May 1933, pp. 123–26.
Vagn Holmboe: 'Svar til Sven M. Kristensen'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 8/7, Sep. 1933, pp. 163–64.
Sven M. Kristensen: 'Til Vagn Holmboe'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 8/8, Oct. 1933, p. 185.
Vagn Holmboe: 'Svar til Sven M. Kristensen'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 8/9, Nov. 1933, p. 211.
Emil Holm: Erindringer og Tidsbilleder: fra Midten af forrige Aarhundrede til vor Tid . Berlingske Forlag: Copenhagen 1938: vol.1.
Finn Høffding: 'Carl Nielsen idag'. Levende Musik, 3/4, May 1944, pp. 82–92.
Dag Winding Sørensen: 'Carl Nielsen', in: Festskrift til O.M. Sandvik: 70-års dagen (Ashehoug: Oslo 1945), pp. 201–22.
Knud Jeppesen: 'Carl Nielsen: A Danish Composer'. The Music Review, 7/3, Aug. 1946, pp. 170–77.
Ejnar Jacobsen and Vagn Kappel: Musikkens mestre: Danske komponister. Jul Gjellerups Forlag: Copenhagen 1947, pp. 317–50.
Frede Schandorf Petersen: 'Nu maa der gøres noget!'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 22/9, 1947, pp. 198–99.
Torben Meyer and Frede Schandorf Petersen: Carl Nielsen. Kunstneren og Mennesket. Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck: Copenhagen 1947–48: vol.2, pp. 7–20.
Robert Simpson: 'Carl Nielsen - Some recorded Works'. Disc, 3, Summer 1949, pp. 99–106.
Ludvig Dolleris: Carl Nielsen. En Musikografi. Fyns Boghandels Forlag: Odense 1949, pp. 171–82.
Robert Simpson: 'Carl Nielsen – Some Recorded Works'. Disc, 3, Summer 1949, pp. 99–106.
Harold Truscott: 'A Note on Carl Nielsen's Third Symphony'. Music Survey, 3, Summer 1950, pp. 40–41.
Flemming Weis: 'Carl Nielsen and his Art: A 'crescendo molto' in Danish Music'. The Chesterian, 25/165, Jan. 1951, pp. 53–57.
Leonard Duck: 'The Case for Carl Nielsen'. Musical Opinion, 74/884, May 1951, pp. 401, 403.
Hans Riis-Vestergaard: Carl Nielsens symfoniske stil, dens forudsætninger og særpræg. University of Copenhagen: 1952. Magisterafhandling.
Robert Simpson: Carl Nielsen, Symphonist 1865-1931. Carl Nielsen. Symphonist 1865–1931. London 1952, pp. 45–65.
Robert Simpson: 'Carl Nielsens symfonier: en englænders indtryk'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 27/3, 1952, pp. 90–93.
Povl Hamburger: Koncertfører: fra Bach til Stravinsky og Prokofiev. Skandinavisk Bogforlag: Copenhagen 1955, pp. 315–19.
Max Brod: Streitbares Leben: Autobiographie. Kindler-Verlag: München 1960, pp. 404–10.
Nils Schiørring: 'Carl Nielsen'. The Canon, 13, Mar.–Apr. 1960, pp. 183–86.
Peter Garvie: 'Carl Nielsen'. The Canadian Music Journal, 5/2, Winter 1961, pp. 20–28.
Povl Hamburger: 'Orkester- og kammermusikken', in: Jürgen Balzer (ed.): Carl Nielsen: i hundredåret for hans fødsel (Copenhagen 1965), pp. 32–35.
Jan Maegaard: 'Når boet skal gøres op efter Carl Nielsen'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 40/4, May 1965, pp. 101–104.
Torben Schousboe: 'Samtale med Emil Telmányi'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 40/4, May 1965, pp. 95–100.
John C.G. Waterhouse: 'Nielsen Reconsidered'. The Musical Times, 106/1468–70, June–Aug. 1965, pp. 425–27, 515–17, 593–95.
Karl Clausen: 'Max Brod og Carl Nielsen', in: Oplevelser og studier omkring Carl Nielsen (Danmarks Sanglærerforening and Th. Laursens Bogtrykkeri: Tønder 1966), pp. 9–36.
Vagn Kappel: Contemporary Danish Composers Against the Background of Danish Musical Life and History. 1967. 3rd rev. edn.
Dean Clarke Wilson: An Analytical and Statistic Study of the Harmony in Carl Nielsen's Six Symphonies. Michigan State University: 1967. Ph.D. dissertation.
Jens Nielsen: Carl Nielsens tre første symfonier: En redegørelse for tonalitet og tematik i Carl Nielsens tre første symfonier. University of Copenhagen: 1968. Diss.
Torben Schousboe: Udviklingstendenser inden for Carl Nielsens symfoniske orkesterværker indtil ca. 1910. University of Copenhagen: 1968. Magisterafhandling.
Kai Aage Bruun: Dansk musiks historie II: Komponister og værker fra J.P.E. Hartmann til Carl Nielsen. J. Vintens Forlagsboghandel: Copenhagen 1969, pp. 326–95.
Christopher John Ballantine: Tradition and Innovation in the Twentieth Century Symphony. University of Cambridge, St. Johns College: 1970, pp. 95–132. Ph.D. dissertation.
Bo Wallner: 'Carl Nielsen - - romantiserad'. Svensk tidsskrift for musikforskning, 53, 1973, pp. 79–90.
Torben Schousboe: 'Markant Carl Nielsen album'. Dansk Musiktidsskrift, 51/1, Sep. 1976, pp. 32–35.
Nils Schiørring: Musikkens historie i Danmark. Politikens Forlag: Copenhagen 1978: vol.3, pp. 121–63.
Robert Simpson: Carl Nielsen. Symphonist. New York 1979, pp. 56–75.
Torben Schousboe: 'Tre program-noter af Carl Nielsen om Sinfonia Espansiva'. Musik & Forskning, 6, 1980, pp. 5–14.
Earl Doherty: 'The Wartime Symphonies'. Fugue, 4/8, Apr. 1980, pp. 27–35.
Svend Ravnkilde: '... du skal blot gjøre store og blanke, selvstændige Arbejder...', 58/1, 1983–84, pp. 2–15.
R.D.: 'Nielsen: The Symphonies-Complete'. Fanfare, 7, 1984, pp. 249–53.
Michael Bonnesen, Estrid Anker Olsen, Teresa Waskowska and Ib Skovgaard: 'Carl August Nielsen', in: Knud Ketting (ed.): Gyldendals Musikhistore: Den europæiske musikkulturs historie, vol.4 (Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag: Copenhagen 1984), pp. 221–24.
Jørgen I. Jensen: Carl Nielsen - Danskeren. Gyldendal: Copenhagen 1991, pp. 194–203.
Tove Skovbo Hansen: Sonateformens skæbne i Carl Nielsens symfonier med særligt henblik på 1.-4. symfoni. Århus Universitet: 1994. Speciale.
Harald Krebs: 'Tonal Structure in Nielsen's Symphonies: Some Addenda to Robert Simpson's Analyses', in: Mina Miller (ed.): The Carl Nielsen Companion (London 1994), pp. 208–49.
John Fellow Larsen: 'Sinfonia Espansiva. Kraften og dens retning'. Espansiva, 1, 1994, pp. 4–12.
Mina Miller: 'Motivic Consistency in the Third Symphony', in: Mina Miller (ed.): The Nielsen Companion (London 1994), pp. 204–07.
Mina Miller: 'Recapitulation and Tonality', in: Mina Miller (ed.): The Nielsen Companion (London 1994), pp. 250–56.
Mina Miller: 'Tonality, Tempo Relations and Performance', in: Mina Miller (ed.): The Nielsen Companion (London 1994), pp. 289–92.
Daniel Grimley: 'Nielsen's Symphonic Waves. Energetics, the Sinfonia Espansiva, and Music Theory'. Carl Nielsen Studies, 4, 2009, pp. 43–54.
Daniel M. Grimley: Carl Nielsen and the Idea of Modernism. The Boydell Press: Woodbridge 2010.
Katharine Leiska: Skandinavische Musik in Deutschland um 1900. Symphonien von Christian Sinding, Victor Bendix und Carl Nielsen zwischen Gattungstradition und Nord-Imagines. Peter Lang: Frankfurt/M 2012.
Ulrik Skat Sørensen: 'Metrical Dissonance in the Works of Carl Nielsen. A Metrical Analysis of "Sinfonia Espansiva", First Movement'. Carl Nielsen Studies, 5, 2012,
pp. 328–46.
Full text
Regitze Ida Tetzlaff: 'The Nielsen Project. North American Reception of Carl Nielsen’s Symphonies'. Danish Yearbook of Musicology, 41, 2017,
pp. 101–17.
Full text
Last changed 2022-12-02 by MerMEId
