Carl August Nielsen was a Danish violinist, conductor and composer. Born on 9th June 1865 and died on 3rd October 1931. His works are very well known in Denmark. Today, I heard his first symphony for the first time and it was impressive. He is admired for his symphonies. He also wrote concerti for violin, flute and clarinet. He appears on the Danish hundred-kroner note.
Nielsen first discovered music while experimenting with the sound and pitch he heard while striking logs in a pile of firewood behind his home. The songs his mother sang and the music at the wedding parties also influenced him. His father played the violin at such wedding parties.
His first symphony is in G Minor. It shows his individuality and progressive tonality. The first movement theme for the second violins, oboe and flute permeates throughout all the movements. He begins the work in one key and ends in another.
The performance I heard was by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and energetically interpreted by Michael Schonwandt. Beautiful symphony with a haunting first movement theme.

I love Nielsen. His symphonies are truly wonderful and his choral works are amazing.
One of my favorite pieces by him is Hymnus Amoris, which I think everyone should check out.

I am not as familiar with Nielsen as I should be. I love his 3rd Symphony as well as some of the tone poems. I am less infatuated with his violin concerto, but maybe that'll change one day.

I have not heard anything choral by him, so I'll take Andruini's suggestion to heart.

Anyway, he was a fairly unique voice and certainly a bridge between late romanticism and the new music of the early 20th century.

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"Music is not philosophy." --Akira Ifukube

4th and 5th Symphonies
Wind Quintet
Flute Concerto
Clarinet Concerto

All amazing.

Karajan 4th
Horenstein 5th
Pahud Flute
Schill Clarinet
Galway/Danish Radio SO soloists Quintet

I did hear Hymnus Amoris years ago & agree that it's a very appealing work, quite memorable. It was very sunny and bright, from what I remember.

In the past year I purchased a Zubin Mehta disc with Nielsen's Symphony No. 4 'The Inextinguishable' on it, as well as Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy. What they have in common is a progressive approach to tonality, which a poster above has mentioned. I like Nielsen's 4th a lot, not only for it's vigour and forcefulness, but also the striking slow movement, which really packs a punch. After hearing this, I look forward to getting some more of the late symphonies, because if they are even half as good as this, I'll enjoy them very much...

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"Contrary to general belief an artist is never ahead of his time but most people are far behind theirs" - Edgard Varese

Oh you're in for a treat. The fifth symphony is outstanding, and the sixth is lovely.
Nielsen's is one of the most consistently awesome symphony cycles of all, IMO.

I've felt in the past that Nielson's 4th was far more consistent in it's music than his other symphonies. The 4th is definitely great, I've always liked the Karajan performance. Otherwise I've never really thought that Nielson is in the same league as Sibelius.

Nielsen is a truly great composer, and his six symphonies are all masterpieces.
The fifth is one of the most original symphonies ever written, and totally unorthodox in structure.
It's in two movements and the composer intended it as the representation of a colossal struggle between good and evil,chaos and order. The first movement is not in any particular
established form, and avoids sonata form altogether. The snare drum plays an important obbliato part, and at the climax, there is it total chaos,and the snare drummer is directed to improvise his part and flail madly,as if he had gone berserk,with no regard for what the rest of the orchestra is doing! But order prevails, and the movement ends calmly, with a clarinet solo.
The second movement is an attempt to rise out of the ashes of the chaotic first.
There is a vigorous ,optimistic opening, and then a fast fugal section begins, which soon seems to go berserk, and then, and the, the fugue theme becomes a slow,reflective fugue,leading to
a return to the opening.
The music becomes faster and faster and goes into overdrive, developing a kind of white heat, and the work ends in defiant triumph.
The symphony is not in any single key; there is no one stable tonal center .
If you are new to Nielsen's fifth, it's like nothing else you have ever heard.

Easily one of my favorite cycles. I'm very attached to the 5th, I had never heard anything like it back then and I still find it fascinating. The 3rd and the 6th are also top favorites of mine.

By the way, his little known piano music is awesome too. The last movement of the Suite is just as powerful as the finale of the 4th.

His symphonies are great, his 3 concertos are perhaps even better, certainly the clarinet concerto which i rank as the second best in the genre after Mozart. I also like his choral work Springtime in Funen.