Composer (1817-1890)
Hear Gade’s music as recorded by Dacapo
Alongside J.P.E. Hartmann, Gade was the figure who came to make his mark on the musical life of the late Golden Age not only in Denmark, but also in Germany. Gade achieved his breakthrough with the concert overture Efterklange af Ossian(1840) and his Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1842).
Gade achieved international recognition with these two works, and he established a friendship with Mendelssohn, who enthusiastically conducted the first performance of Symphony No. 1 in Leipzig. Gade then became responsible for the Gewandhaus Concerts in Leipzig both as Mendelssohn’s colleague and as conductor.
The Three Year War (1848) forced Gade to return to Copenhagen. Here, he introduced Mendelssohn’s elegant classicism, which opened the way to a broader international musical style than that represented by the native national romanticism. Gade composed eight symphonies, several works for chorus and orchestra, chamber music, songs and piano pieces.
Facts
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1844-1848
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(Co-)Conductor of Gewandhaus Concerts in Leipzig
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1850
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Director of the Copenhagen Music Society Concerts
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1851
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Organist at the Garrison Church, Garnisons Kirke
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1858
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Organist at the Cathedral Church of Our Lady
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1867
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Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Music
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Selected Works
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1840
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Efterklange af Ossian, concert overture
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1842
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Symphony No. 1 in C minor
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1854
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Elverskud (The Elfin Shot), cantata
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More About Gade
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