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📖 "Niels Wilhelm Gade, the most important of Danish composers, son of an instrument-maker. He grew up, half self-taught, without any real methodical instruction in the theory of music; but on the violin (under Wexschall) he attained to great proficiency, and also received regular instruction on the guitar and pianoforte. Later on, in Weyse and Berggreen, he met with teachers who understood how to develop his talent. As a member of the court band at Copenhagen he listened carefully to the scores of the classics, and by tentative methods became a master of instrumentation. At first he drew the attention of the world to himself by his overture, Nachklänge aus Ossian (Op. 1), which gained the first prize at the competition appointed by the Musical Union of Copenhagen in 1841 (Schneider and Spohr were the judges). A royal stipend now enabled him to climb the ladder of fame, encouraged by distinguished masters, and by a thoroughly musical atmosphere. In 1843 Gade went to Leipzig, where Mendelssohn, by a previous performance of the above-named overture, and of the first symphony (c minor) had secured for him a good reception. Mendelssohn and Schumann became his friends. He took to himself much of the individuality of both, without on that account sacrificing his own. After a short stay in Italy he returned to Leipzig in 1844, and was entrusted by Mendelssohn, during his absence, with the direction of the Gewandhaus concerts; he remained also through the winter of 1845-46 with Mendelssohn as sub-conductor, and after the death of the latter (Nov. 4, 1847) became capellmeister, but only for a short time. Already in the spring of 1848, at the outbreak of the Schleswig-Holstein war, he hastened back to his native city in order to undertake the direction of the concerts of the Copenhagen Musical Union, and to accept a post as organist. The concerts of the Musical Union prospered so greatly under his direction that, like those of the Paris Conservatoire, they have now to be given in two series i.e. every week two concerts with the same programme. In 1861, after the death of Glaser, he became for a time royal Danish court capellmeister. Gade was honoured with the title of professor; and on the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of the Copenhagen University, was made Dr. Phil. hon. causd, and from that time up to, the day of his death he was active as composer, teacher, and conductor. Gade was chief representative of the romantic school amongst Scandinavian composers ; but his Scandinavianism is nothing more than an interesting colouring, a special poetical spirit; the harmonic, melodic, and rhythmical peculiarities of the folk music of the North are not strongly featured in him. G.ades works are: eight symphonies—I., c minor. Op. 5; II., E. Op. 10; III.. A minor. Op. 15; IV., Bp, Op. 20; v., D minor. Op. 25 (with pianoforte); VI., G minor. Op. 32; VII., F, Op. 45; VIII., B minor. Op. 47; five overtures {Nachklänge aus Ossian, Op. 1 , Im Hochland, Op. 7 ; one in c, Op. 14 ; Hamlet, Op. 37; Michelangelo, Op, 39); Novelettes for orchestra. Op. 53 ; also a quintet, a sextet, and an octet for strings, two violin concertos, a pf. trio (in f), trio novelettes, three violin sonatas (a, d minor, and b); many pf. solo works (a sonata, 'Aquarellen,' 'Volkstanze,' 'Nordische Tonbilder,' etc.); nine cantatas (Comala, Op. 12 ; Frühlingsphantasie, Op. 23 ; Erlkmigs Tochter, Op. 30; Die heilige Nacht, Op. 40 ; Frühlingshotschaft, Op. 35; Die Kreuzfahrer, Op. 50 ; Calanus, Zion, Psyche); songs (German, Scandinavian, etc.) part-songs with orchestra ('Beim Sonnenuntergang'), vocal works for male chorus and for mixed chorus, sacred songs (130th Psalm, etc.). He conducted his cantatas Zion and Crusaders at the Birmingham Festival of 1876."Dictionary of Music (1896)
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