GADE, COMPOSER OF “PSYCHE”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 11 August 1934, Page 6

GADE, COMPOSER OF “PSYCHE”

Niels V. Gade, the Danish composer, whose cantata, “Psyche”, will be rendered by the Nelson Harmonic Society at the School of Music on Tuesday evening next, was bom at Copenhagen in 1817 and died in 1890. H e first, distinguished himself as a violinist, but after his composition of the “Ossian” overture, the King of Denmark gave him a travelling scholarship. Mendelssohn warmly befriended him at Leipzig and there he produced his cantata “Comala.” After studying in Italy lie returned to Leipzig and after the death of Mendelssohn succeeded him as conductor at th e Gowandhaus. Finally he returned to Copenhagen where he long held the post at court of Kapellmeister. lie visited England in 1876 to \conduct his work “The Crusaders” at th c Birmingham Festival. Later he produced “The Ell King’s Daughter”, and in 1882 at. Birmingham his last important work, “Psyche”. As a composer Gade was a romanticist whose music owes much to Scandinavian folk song, and almost invariably breathes the spirit of northern scenery. Grove’s Dictionary states: “All his works show the same refined sense for symmetry, for harmonious colouring and delicate sentiment. His themes, ff rarely vigorous or passionate, ar e always spontaneous and never without some charm of line or colour. As with a landscape painter, the fascination of his pieces lies in the peculiar poetical impression conveyed by the entire picture rather than‘by any prominent details.”