Mandag 25.11.1907 Carl Nielsen, København, til Robert Henriques. København

25.-11.-07.

Kjære Robert!

Paa Lørdag Aften har jeg jo en Concert. Der spilles en ny Strygekvartet i F.dur [CNW 58], 7 (syv) nye Sange til Texter af Johannes Jørgensen, Ove Rode [Helge Rode], Johannes V. Jensen og Jeppe Aakjær [CNW Coll. 5]. De to af Jensen er i jysk Mundart og hedder ”Gi Husly” [CNW 140] og ”Godnat” [CNW 141] og blandt Aakjærs Digte har jeg det brede fortællende Digt om ”Jens Vejmand” [CNW 137] der sidder og slaar Sten og tilsidst dør af Frost og Kuld en Vinterdag.

Endelig et Par ”Madrigaler” til Texter af Aarestrup: ”Sidskensang” [CNW 348] og ”Kom, Guds Engel, milde Død” [CNW 350]. - Som Du ser har jeg ikke været helt doven; skjøndt jeg indrømmer at jeg burde have skrevet meget mere i det sidste Aarstid. Jeg har dog ogsaa en Del under Arbejde.

Du maa undskylde min daarlige Skrift. Jeg ligger i Sengen og maatte opgive en Rejse til Stokholm hvor jeg i Koncertforeningen skulde have dirigeret imorgen Aften. Nu maa Aulin dirigere Ouverturen (med en Koncertslutning) til ”Maskarade” [CNW 2] samt Forspil til 2den Akt og ”Hanedansen. Jeg er meget kjed over at jeg maatte blive. Lægen truede mig med Gigtfeber og jeg har mange Smerter endnu; dog gaar det an.

Jeg vilde altsaa naturligvis gjerne bede Dig gjøre Publikum opmærksom paa min Konsert paa Lørdag. - I det lange Løb har jeg ikke Raad til at sætte Penge til ved at faa mine Ting af denne Art (Kvartetter o.l) frem. Jeg skal jo leve af min Pen og jeg havde haabet at Theatret havde taget ”Maskarade” frem. Det er mig helt ufatteligt hvad der ligger bagved. Jeg har ingen fornærmet ved Theatret og jeg kan aldeles ikke komme under Vejr med hvem det er som holder ”Maskarade” borte fra Scenen. Blot man endda maatte faa ren Besked: et tørt ”nej”.

Du skal have Tak fordi Du omtalte ”Dansk Tonekunstnerforenings” Fest for Johan Svendsen saa fremmende, baade før og efter [Se 3:401]. Den stakkels Forening er bleven baade mishandlet og misbrugt i en Grad som ingen kan tænke sig, saa jeg er paa dens Vegne taknemmelig for hver en Støtte den faar. - Mon Du kan læse denne Skrift? Jeg maa ikke røre mit ene Ben og kan kun med stort Besvær male disse Linier.

De bedste Hilsner fra Din

hengivne

Carl Nielsen.

Ved Carl Nielsens ”Kompositions-Aften” den 30.11.1907 i Odd-Fellow Palæets mindre sal var det Ludvig Holm, Johannes Schiørring, Kristian Sandby og Ernst Høeberg, der spillede Strygekvartetten, F-dur, op. 44, som først mange år senere fandt sin endelige form. De syv sange, der udgjorde Strofiske Sange, op. 21, hefte 1-2 blev sunget af Johanne Krarup-Hansen akkompagneret af Henrik Knudsen, der også spillede Symfonisk Suite for Klaver, op. 8 [CNW 82]. Koncerten sluttede med de to korstykker, ”Kom, Gudsengel, stille Død!” og ”Sidskensang” sunget af Cæcilia- foreningens Madrigalkor under ledelse af Frederik Rung. Bortset fra Symfonisk Suite, ”Sænk kun dit Hoved” og ”Sidskensang” var der tale om førsteopførelser. Robert Henriques anmeldte 1.12 i Vort Land koncerten overordentligt positivt, men kun halvdelen: ”Resten af Koncerten var vi desværre forhindret i at høre,” slutter anmeldelsen.

Monday 25 November 1907 Carl Nielsen, Copenhagen, to Robert Henriques. Copenhagen

25 November 07.

Dear Robert!

On Saturday evening I have a concert, of course. They are playing a new String Quartet in F major [CNW 58], 7 (seven) new songs to texts by Johannes Jørgensen, Ove Rode [Helge Rode], Johannes V. Jensen and Jeppe Aakjær [CNW Coll. 5]. The two by Jensen are in a Jutland dialect and are called 'Give shelter' [CNW 140] and 'Good Night' [CNW 141], and from Aakjær's poems, I have the broad narrative poem about 'John the Roadman' [CNW 137] who sits there breaking stones and in the end dies of frost and cold one winter's day.

Finally, a couple of 'madrigals' to texts by Aarestrup: Siskin Song [CNW 348] and Come, God's angel, silent death [CNW 350]. – As you can see, I have not been entirely indolent; though I must admit that I ought to have written a lot more over the past year. However, I also have a lot in progress.

You must forgive my poor handwriting. I am writing in bed and had to give up a trip to Stockholm where I was to have conducted tomorrow evening at The Concert Society. Now Aulin will have to conduct the overture (with a concert ending) to Masquerade [CNW 2] along with the prelude to the second act and The Dance of the Cockerel. I'm really upset about having to stay here. The doctor is threatening me with rheumatic fever and I am still in a lot of pain; but I'll manage.

I would, of course, ask you to draw the public's attention to my concert on Saturday. – In the long run, I can't afford to be putting money into promoting my pieces of this kind (quartets etc). I have to live from my pen, and I had hoped that the Theatre might have put on Masquerade. It is impossible for me to understand the reasons behind this. I have not offended anyone at the theatre and I haven't a clue who might want to keep Masquerade off the stage. If only one could be given a straight answer: a curt 'no'.

Thanks to you for writing about The Danish Musicians' Society party for Johan Svendsen and promoting it so well both before and after [See 3:401]. The poor society has been maltreated and misused to a degree no one can imagine, so on its behalf I'm grateful for every form of support it receives. – I wonder if you can read this handwriting? I am not allowed to move one of my legs and can only grind out these lines with great difficulty.

With best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Carl Nielsen.

At Carl Nielsen's 'Composition Evening' on 30 November 1907 at the Odd Fellow Palace's small concert hall, Ludvig Holm, Johannes Schiørring, Kristian Sandby and Ernst Høeberg played his String Quartet in F major, op. 44, which was only given its final form many years later. The seven songs that comprised Strophic Songs, op. 21, books 1-2, were sung by Johanne Krarup-Hansen accompanied by Henrik Knudsen, who also played the Symphonic Suite for piano, op. 8 [CNW 82]. The concert concluded with two choral pieces, 'Come, God's angel, silent death' and Siskin Song sung by St Cecilia Society's Madrigal Choir under the direction of Frederik Rung. With the exception of Symphonic Suite, 'Lay down, sweet flower, your head'[CNW 138] and Siskin Song, these were all first performances. Robert Henriques reviewed it extremely positively in Vort Land - but only half of it: 'The rest of the concert we were unfortunately prevented from hearing,' concludes the review.