Opera, Song and Concerts of Denmark

Frederick IV opened a new opera house in Copenhagen in the year 1703, which was first perform as in the form of opera by the Italian Bartolomeo Bernardi, Reinhard Keiser, the productive opera composer from Hamburg, who presented his works in Copenhagen from the period of 1721 to 1723. And also, Den Danske Skueplads (the Danish Theatre) changed into a new building in 1779, Det Kongelige Kapel (the Royal Danish group) became a permanent attachment.

source of picture: www.straitstimes.com

Pietro Mingotti who is from Venice that formed an opera company which invented Copenhagen by Queen Louise in 1747, his members include Christopher Willibald Gluck and Giuseppe Sarti, in 1756, Satri brought the music for the first syngesil in the early 1790s and established a famous national genre with Hostgildet (the Harvest celebration) and Peters Bryllup (Peter’s Wedding) and both composed with Johann Abraham Peter Schulz.

Christopher Ernst Friedrich Weyse from Altona, who was a pupil of Schulz is also remembered above that all the Danish songs, hymns and carols that remained famous to this day. But he also released a religious music, piano pieces and symphonies. Fredrick Kuhlau also wrote the Elverhoj (Elves Hill) in 1828 that contains the music for the Kong Kristian stod ved hojen mast, a Danish national anthem. Elverhoj is seen to be the first Danish national play and has continued to be performed more than any other, Kuhlau was also a pianist and he brought Beethoven’s piano music to Denmark.

Schulz and Kunzen both gained importance as a result of their impact as chief conductors at the Royal Theatre where they brought the best of the European music to the Danish people. Weyse and Kuhlau not only helped the group and the chamber music, but also helped to the famous repertory, Weyse with secular and religious lyrics and Kuhlau with chamber music suitable for the unprofessional musicians.

Another successful singer and conductor in the middle part of the 20^th century was Emil Reesen from 1887 to 1984 that is remembered above all for his highly successful operetta Farinelli in 1942, which is still famous currently. Opera has continued to bring out the prominent of the Danish music scene, thanks in parts to the Copenhagen Opera House that was started in 2000. Though the majority of the performances cover the works of the popular European singers, Danish operas included from time to time, in 2010 with the participation of the ambitious young artistic director Kasper Bech Holten, with the performance of Poul Ruders of the new work Kafka’s Trival while in the recent year work with John Frandsen and Bent Sorensen, who have been part of the list.