Art & Music in Nineteenth-Century Denmark

Part of TŌN’s Sight & Sound series

In the hit series Sight & Sound, conductor and music historian Leon Botstein explores the parallels between orchestral music and the visual arts. A discussion is accompanied by on-screen artworks and musical excerpts performed by The Orchestra Now, followed by a full performance and audience Q&A.

During the early- and mid-nineteenth century, Denmark emerged from its imperial traditions and became a modern constitutional democracy. In art, the shift ushered in a focus on the ideal Danish landscape and its northern light. In music, celebrated Danish composer Niels Gade was just beginning his career. His 1842 Symphony No. 1, On Sjøland’s Fair Plains, which incorporates themes from several Danish folk songs, caught the attention of Felix Mendelssohn, sparking a close friendship and kinship between the two giants.