Helios Overture

Concert overture by Carl Nielsen

Helios Overture

Concert overture by Carl Nielsen

The composer (1901)

Catalogue| FS 32; CNW 34
Opus| 17
Composed| 1903 (1903)
Publisher| Hansen (1905)
Duration| 8–9 mins.
Premiere
Date| 8 October 1903 (1903-10-08)
Location| Copenhagen, Denmark
Conductor| Johan Svendsen
Performers| Royal Danish Orchestra

The Helios Overture, Op. 17 (FS 32; CNW 34), is a concert overture for orchestra written in 1903 by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The piece received its premiere at the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen on 8 October 1903, with Johan Svendsen conducting the Royal Danish Orchestra.

## Overview

[edit]

Besides his well-known six symphonies, the Danish composer Carl Nielsen wrote many short orchestral works, one of the most famous being the Helios Overture.[1] In 1902, Nielsen signed a contract with the publisher Wilhelm Hansen, which allowed him to go to Athens, Greece, to join his wife Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen, who was one of the first sculptors allowed to make copies of the bas-reliefs and statues in the Acropolis Museum.

Anne Marie, who had been granted the Ancker Award, was studying Greek art, while Nielsen, being a man of many interests, was interested in archaeology.[2] The local conservatory placed a study room with a piano at Carl Nielsen's disposal. Here he could sit and compose when he was not on excursions in the surrounding mountains with or without Anne Marie.[2] Nielsen's stay in Athens gave him the inspiration of a work depicting the sun rising and setting over the Aegean Sea, an overture which he called Helios. He began work on it in March 1903, and finished it on April 23 the same year.[1][2]

The score is written for three flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings.

The work begins as the sun ascends over the Aegean Sea, while strings, divided horns and woodwind sound a melody. This rises out of the darkness to a full orchestra, where fanfaring trumpets begin a striding theme, which returns later in the piece. From there woodwinds begin a graceful tune, from which brass sound. Strings begin to play, which draws the orchestra into a reprise of the striding theme and its fanfare. In the final measures, the music subsides as the sun sinks over the horizon of the sea. The average playing time is between ten and twelve minutes.

On the score, Nielsen wrote:

> "Silence and darkness,
> The sun rises with a joyous song of praise,
> It wanders its golden way
> and sinks quietly into the sea."[3]

After a trip to Turkey, Carl and Anne Marie Nielsen traveled through Italy and reached Copenhagen by the end of July.[2] The Helios Overture was successfully performed in Copenhagen on 8 October 1903, with Johan Svendsen conducting, though the reviews were mixed. Carl Nielsen performed Helios several times. The first was an evening concert dedicated to his compositions at the Odd Fellow Mansion on 11 November 1905 and the last performance was on 12 February 1930 in Gothenburg, Sweden. He also played the overture in Helsinki, Stockholm and Berlin.[4]

Being a great showpiece for orchestra, it has been one of Nielsen's most famous works ever since.[5]

## Performances today

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On the basis of information from the Carl Nielsen Society, the Helios Overture is currently one of Nielsen's most widely performed works.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "NIELSEN: Aladdin Suite / Pan and Syrinx / Helios Overture". Naxos. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011.
2. ^ a b c d Symphonist and opera composer. Carl Nielsen Society.
3. ^ Maryland Symphony Orchestra
4. ^ Thomas Michelsen. "Preface: Overture, Helios, Opus 17", Carl Nielsen Edition, Royal Danish Library. Retrieved 24 October 2010
5. ^ Jonathan Hodgetts. "Helios Overture (Op.17)". Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on 4 July 2004.
6. ^ "Performances – Archive", Carl Nielsen Society. Retrieved 21 October 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Helios Overture, Op. 17: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
* Helios Overture, CNW 34: Scores at the Catalogue of Carl Nielsen's Works by the Royal Danish Library

* v
* t
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Carl Nielsen

* List of compositions
* Discography of symphony cycles

Symphonies|

* Symphony No. 1 (1892)
* Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments (1902)
* Symphony No. 3, Sinfonia espansiva (1911)
* Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable (1916)
* Symphony No. 5 (1922)
* Symphony No. 6, Sinfonia semplice (1925)

Concertante|

* Violin Concerto (1911)
* Flute Concerto (1926)
* Clarinet Concerto (1928)

Opera|

* Saul and David (1902)
* Maskarade (1906)

Stage|

* Aladdin (1919)
* The Mother (1920)

Chorus & orchestra|

* Hymnus amoris (1896)
* The Sleep (1905)
* Springtime on Funen (1921)

Other orchestral|

* Little Suite for Strings (1888)
* Helios Overture (1903)
* Saga Dream (1908)
* At the Bier of a Young Artist (1910)
* Pan and Syrinx (1918)
* An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands (1927)

Chamber|

* String Quartet No. 1 (1889)
* Fantasy Pieces for Oboe and Piano (1890)
* String Quartet No. 2 (1890)
* String Quartet No. 3 (1898)
* String Quartet No. 4 (1906)
* Serenata in vano (1914)
* Wind Quintet (1922)

Miscellaneous|

* Chaconne (1917)
* Three Piano Pieces (1928)
* Three Motets (1929)
* Commotio (1931)
* Songs (list)

Family & friends|

* Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen (wife)
* Anne Marie Telmányi (daughter)
* Emil Telmányi (son-in-law)
* Victor Bendix
* Ferruccio Busoni

Teachers|

* Niels Gade
* J. P. E. Hartmann
* Orla Rosenhoff
* Valdemar Tofte
* Royal Danish Academy of Music

Pupils|

* Thorvald Aagaard
* Harald Agersnap
* Emilius Bangert
* Jørgen Bentzon
* Nancy Dalberg
* Knud Jeppesen
* Herman Koppel
* Poul Schierbeck
* Rudolph Simonsen
* Mogens Wöldike

Select interpreters|

* Herbert Blomstedt
* Douglas Bostock
* Launy Grøndahl
* Thomas Jensen
* Michael Schønwandt
* Erik Tuxen

Related articles|

* Carl, My Childhood Symphony
* Carl Nielsen International Music Competition
* Carl Nielsen Edition
* Carl Nielsen Monument
* Carl Nielsen Museum
* Danish National Symphony Orchestra
* David Fanning (biographer)
* My Childhood on Funen (autobiography)
* Robert Simpson (biographer)
* Royal Danish Orchestra

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Other|

* MusicBrainz work

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