Carl Nielsen

Musik til Holger Drachmanns melodrama "Snefrid"

Music for Holger Drachmann's Melodrama 'Snefrid'

CNW 4
CNUCarl Nielsen Udgaven (The Carl Nielsen Edition. Royal Danish Library: Copenhagen 1998–2009) I/6; IV/1, Add. 29, 30
CNSCarl Nielsens Samling (The Carl Nielsen Collection, Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen) 331
FSDan Fog & Torben Schousboe: Carl Nielsen kompositioner. En Bibliografi. København 1965. 17

Author: Holger Drachmann

Composition: 1893, 1899.

In the beginning of 1893, Carl Nielsen was requested to compose music to Holger Drachmann's play Snefrid in connection with a planned performance at Det frie Theater. In less than a month the score was finished. The plans for a production at the theatre came to nothing, however, and the music was not performed until the following year. The music was later revised and arranged by Nielsen himself. Music from no. 4 was re-used in Hr. Oluf han rider– CNW 7 (1906) and Amor og Digteren CNW 23 (1929).

Version of 1893

Date: 1893.

Version of 1899

CNUCarl Nielsen Udgaven (The Carl Nielsen Edition. Royal Danish Library: Copenhagen 1998–2009) I/6

Date: 1899.

In 1899, Dagmarteatret planned a stage performance of Snefrid, and for this production Nielsen revised and expanded the music.

Version for reciter and piano quintet

CNUCarl Nielsen Udgaven (The Carl Nielsen Edition. Royal Danish Library: Copenhagen 1998–2009) IV/1, Add. 29, 30

Date: 1902.

In 1902, Nielsen arranged the entire music for piano quintet to be played by musicians from the Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel) on a concert tour.

Arrangements and excerpts

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