Akvareller, Op. 19, No. 2 Scherzo

Well, whaddya know.

I have a new camera.

I’m too scared to use it right now, so I’ll keep on recording with my old one until it breaks – it’s only about 30% broken right now. It can record just fine.

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Not many of us have heard of Niels Wilhelm Gade. I know I haven’t. Yet, he’s obviously of some importance, or else why would RCM include one of his pieces in their syllabus?

Yet, Gade was the most important Danish (Denmarkian) composer at his time.

Born in Greenland Copenhagen in February 22nd, 1817, Gade was not primarily a pianist – he was more proficient in the violin, organ, and conducting, among others. After the premiere of his first symphony in 1843, Gade moved and went to teach at the newly founded Leipzig Conservatory – and became a friend of both Mendelssohn (the rector of the school) and Schumann.

Mendelssohn died in 1847, and Gade moved back to Denmark because of the war. He became the director of the Copenhagen Musical Society and a joint director of the Copenhagen Conservatory, dying in December 21st, 1890, as the most influential composer in Denmark.

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Gade wrote his 19th Opus, Akvareller, in 1850 at 33 years of age. Meaning ‘watercolour’, it’s a set of ten piano pieces split in two books. According to some person who thinks that their analyses of dead people are very factual, ‘[his] music is all about charm, finesse, and aristocratic light drama, and Gade leaves no room for blatant virtuosity or dripping sentiment’.

Haha, so what am I playing here? I’m pretty sure I am playing a piece from this collection :V

In 1881, Gade composed five more Akraveller in Opus 57.

This was a post about his second (original) set, the Scherzo.