Traditional music and dance
Far from being confined to folklore for tourists, Danish musical and choreographic traditions have retained an authentic appearance and meaning. The Danish musical tradition dates back to the 17th century, when it was common for cities to have one or more municipal musicians - the only artists allowed to play for pay in a given area - who performed at balls, festivals and processions. Since these musicians considered certain instruments impure - drums, bagpipes or hurdy-gurdies - the period was conducive to the development of the violin.
The great choreographic tradition of the country is the "chain dance". Various documents and testimonies report the existence and practice of these ceremonial dances accompanied by bagpipes, drums and songs, throughout the Middle Ages and until the 19th century.
However, from about the 16th century onwards, the medieval chain dances faded away somewhat in favor of couple dances. The earliest recorded in Denmark is the pols, a variant of the Polish dance usually performed in two parts, a slow march and a faster second part. In the 19th century, as in many European countries, the waltz became popular in Denmark, along with the hopsa, a lively and short couple dance, the sveitrit or the schottish (similar to the polka, but slower).
Another shining example of the good preservation of local traditions: the feringian dances(foryskur dansur). Direct descendants of the farandoles of France in the Middle Ages, these dances were quickly out of fashion and then prohibited on European soil. But not in the Faroe Islands, probably one of the only places in the world where these steps faithful to the past are perpetuated since the Middle Ages. In this dance, the human chain forms and moves to the rhythm of traditional songs with endless verses, sung a cappella. To be seen during the summer festivals, during the Feringian evenings organized by the tourist offices.
Also noteworthy, for curious ears, the group Enekk, a major figure of the Feringian music scene, which has endeavored to reinvent Feringian folklore in a more contemporary folk-rock.
Also worth mentioning here is the songbook Højskolesangbogen, one of the best-selling books in Denmark, which contains a collection of important songs from Danish heritage. The first edition dates from 1888, Carl Nielsen and N.F.S Grundtvig are the most represented authors.
Classical music
Since the 16th century, Danish music owes a great deal to its monarchy, a great patron of the national arts. Christian IV (1577-1648), for example, invested considerable sums in the training of local musicians and the import of great foreign masters to Denmark. Thus, Mogens Pedersøn (1583-1623), trained in Venice with Giovanni Gabrieli, became one of the most important Danish composers of his time, notably through his work Pratum spirituale. At the time, Danish music was particularly influenced by that of its German neighbor, a fact that is palpable in the work of the first great Danish composer, Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), a prolific composer and skilled organist who was a proud representative of the Baroque period. His organ works occupy a central place in the standard repertoire for the instrument, and his style has had a major influence on the work of famous composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach. Poorly known today, Buxtehude has long been considered one of the most important composers of the 17th century.
The German-Danish connection continued in the 19th century with Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832), a Danish pianist and composer; but, born in Germany, he went into exile in Denmark in 1810, fleeing Hamburg, then annexed by France. Known for his numerous pieces for piano but also for flute, he is mainly remembered for his theater music, includingElvehøj, considered the first true work of Danish national romanticism and the first Danish national play. At the junction of the late Classical and early Romantic periods, Kuhlau established himself as a central figure of the Danish Golden Age.
The Danish Golden Age is, as its name suggests, an exceptionally prolific and creative period covering the first half of the 19th century. It was during this period that the Music Society (1836), an institution dedicated to the promotion of Danish music, was established, as well as a few years later, the Royal Danish Conservatory by the composer Johann Hartmann (1805-1900). Hartmann is often regarded as the initiator of this "Golden Age". Through his works Baldersdød(Baldur's Death), inspired by Nordic mythology, or Fiskerne(The Fishermen), dealing with the life of contemporary fishermen and based on Scandinavian folk melodies, he laid the foundations of a great romantic nationalist impulse. This movement was co-initiated by Niels W. Gade (1817-1890), then head of the Conservatory. It was he who trained talented young musicians such as Thomas Laub (1852-1927), who also developed a "nationalist" style, a combination of a rejection of the German post-Romantic influence and inspiration drawn from the Nordic tradition.
But the most illustrious pupil of Niels Gade, trained at the Conservatory, is obviously the great Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). A true icon of Danish classical music, this great violinist, composer of operas and symphonies, is one of the few Danish musicians whose talent has crossed borders. He was born and raised in the small village of Funen. Showing a predisposition for music from an early age, he played with folk musicians as a child and later became a bugler in the army. He joined the Copenhagen Conservatory of Music in 1884, first as a student before replacing Gade at the head of the institution around 1900. Author of six symphonies and several operas, including Maskarade (1906) - in three acts and based on a play by the great comic playwright Ludvig Holberg, and considered the Danish national opera -, Nielsen is, since his lifetime, very frequently performed. We particularly recommend the various recordings of Nielsen's Symphonies conducted by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. Simply remarkable.
The last and lesser known name of musical nationalism, Rued Langgaard (1893-1952), in spite of the sometimes innovative character of his music, met with general incomprehension in his time. Fully recognized years after his death, this prolific composer left behind a repertoire of more than 400 works reminiscent of both Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss.
In the next generation, it is important to mention Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996), if only for his influence on contemporary musicians. They broke away from the modern Nordic aesthetic that limited the fields of composition and returned to Central Europe. Among the great of this new wave, Per Nørgård, creator of "organic serialism", remains the most famous, his works being regularly performed by prestigious ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic.
The avant-garde ebullience of the first half of the twentieth century led to a brutal movement of rupture and withdrawal after the 1960s, advocating a "new simplicity. The country's current musical abundance (sometimes described as the "second golden age") was facilitated by a law passed in 1976 aimed at helping composers and subsidizing symphony orchestras, or theaters producing chamber operas, etc. It is in this context that the magnificent National Opera of Copenhagen was built, inaugurated in 2005 with a work by a Danish composer, Poul Ruders. Ruders' symphonies and chamber music are very popular in Denmark and are probably the most performed contemporary Danish works internationally. In 1994, the creation in Copenhagen of a very successful "alternative opera" also contributed to the development of Danish music, particularly represented by the demanding works of composers such as Bert Sørensen (b. 1958), Karsten Fundal (b. 1966) and Hans Abrahamsen (b. 1952). Since the death of Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000), a prolific pianist and pillar of modern classical music, the most prominent Danish composer of the current period is undoubtedly the pianist Frederik Magle, whose very free and mixed approach embodies the scholarly practice of the young Danish generation.
And let's not forget to mention the Aldubáran Chamber Orchestra, the only professional ensemble of its kind in the Faroes, which performs classical music from the traditional repertoire, or commissions compositions from Faroese artists. The big name in classical music on the islands.
Among the high places of the music in Denmark, let us quote first of all the fabulous Opera of Copenhagen. A jewel signed by Henning Larsen, it dominates the water on its small island with a certain serenity and elegance. With a beautiful hall that can accommodate more than 1,500 music lovers, the place is home to the Royal Danish Orchestra, led by Italian conductor Paolo Carignani. Although the orchestra has an excellent reputation, it is not equal to the most prestigious ensemble in the country, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, also conducted by an Italian, Fabio Luisi (formerly of the Metropolitan Opera). It is to this ensemble that anyone looking for the best interpretations of Danish composers such as Niels Gade, Rued Langgaard or Per Nørgård, should turn. The orchestra performs at the Jean Nouvel-designed Koncerthuset, the Copenhagen Symphony Hall, part of the vast architectural complex of the DR-Byen, the headquarters of the Danish National Broadcasting Corporation. The main auditorium, in a velvety orange color, has 1,800 seats and removable panels modulate the acoustics of a truly extraordinary multi-level space. A must for classical music lovers.
Jazz
As jazz fans know only too well, the genre is a true Danish delight and many excellent musicians come from here. Jazz appeared in Denmark in the 1920s with the first hits I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa and In Bluebird Land composed by the Danish musician Valdemar Eiberg. The genre seduced the Danes in no time and very quickly, orchestras were formed, such as that of the classical musician Erik Tuxen (1902-1957) and a first golden age of Danish jazz began to take shape in the hands of the famous pianists Leo Mathisen (1906-1969) and Kjed Bonfils (1918-1984). Driven underground during the German occupation, Danish jazz was reborn from its ashes at the end of the war, pushed to its heights by Max Brüel (1927-1995), representative of be-bop, or the bassist Erik Moseholm (born in 1930). But it is the effervescence of the beginning of the 1960's, linked to the creation of the Jazzhus Montmartre, that makes the Danish capital enter the international jazz gotha. The atmosphere and the aura of the place (as well as the atmosphere of the capital) attracted many American musicians like Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon or Ben Webster. A Danish band consisting of Kenny Drew, bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted-Pedersen (also known as "NHØP", who was Oscar Peterson's regular bassist) and drummer Alex Riel built up a solid reputation. Free jazz is represented by John Tchicai (1936-2012), a great avant-gardist, while the composer and trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg (born in 1941) has become a household name. The world often remembers the latter as Miles Davis' collaborator on Aura in 1989.
After the arrival of rock and pop music, Danish jazz has been relegated to the background, but it survives thanks to government subsidies and a core of enthusiasts. The veterans are still there and new names appear: the tenor sax player Bent Jædig (born in 1935) and his young disciples Hans Ulrik (born in 1966) and Jacob Dinesen (born in 1968). NHØP is taught by several remarkable bassists, including Mads Vinding (b. 1948) and Thomas Ovesen (b. 1965). Guitarist Pierre Dørge (b. 1946) is making a name for himself with his New Jungle Orchestra, as is violinist Kristian Jørgensen (b. 1967), while the good old New Orleans style survives with trombonist Ole "Fessor" Lindgren (b. 1938). Today, the Danish scene is still as full as ever, led by a particularly dynamic young guard. Among them, let's mention the guitarist Hasse Poulsen (Dane living in Paris), the very elegant pianist Magnus Hjorth or, more pop, the eccentric Jeppe Zeeberg and the very dreamy group I Just Came From the Moon. And let's not forget to mention Eivør Pálsdóttir, a great name in Faroese music, who has excelled in jazz as well as in traditional music, pop and rock. While she favors English and Danish, it is anything but rare that she sings in her native Faroese language.
If this jazz soul runs everywhere in the streets of Copenhagen, nothing beats a visit to the famous Jazzhus Montmartre to taste its prestigious past. Still in place, it is the most legendary club in town. Since its beginnings in 1959, it has hosted such luminaries as Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz and Kenny Drew. After being closed in 1995, the club reopened at a new address and once again, famous musicians are flocking there. But the big European event for jazz lovers is of course the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Every year in July, the event brings the streets, cafés and clubs of Copenhagen to life with more than a thousand concerts over ten days - most of them free. Many Danish jazzmen and great guests from all over the world. And music lovers are not left out on the Faroe Islands with the Tórshavn Jazz Festival held every August, a small event, big by its quality.
Current music
Unlike its Swedish neighbor, Denmark did not export any international stars during the second half of the 20th century, either in the field of rock or pop. The first Danish international hit came in 1998 with the famous Barbie Girl by the group Aqua. A success that never lasted since after more than 28 million records sold worldwide, the group disappeared in 2001, swept away by the end of the boy bands and the " bubblegum dance ".
Today, Danish pop, often very elegant and well produced, is particularly appreciated in the world. A scene ruled by women, where one can find the dark folk jewels of Agnes Obel, the electro-pop of Oh Land, of which Elton John is a fan, or the hit machine that is MØ. Denmark is particularly electronically inclined; the figurehead of this scene is the very new wave Trentemøller, especially the most avant-garde. In Copenhagen, a whole constellation of very interesting artists and bands (Croatian Amor, Vanessa Amara, Lust for Youth, Puce Mary, Loke Rahbek) gravitate around the Posh Isolation label, a very chic house of experimental electro. Less dark but just as arty, let's also mention the excellent Sofie Birch. Another figure from Copenhagen is Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, an artist with a skin in the game who multiplies rock and post-punk projects, the most famous of which is the band Iceage. Breaking with the general dark atmosphere of the local creation, let's mention Efterklang and its progressive jazz-rock, Erika de Casier and its very 90's R&B or Main Phase, Adam Emil Schierbeck's UK garage project, three names to listen to and remember. A little less vibrant but not dumb either, the contemporary creation of the Faroe Islands is very well represented by Gestir, melancholic, soaring and dreamy indie rock not too far from Radiohead or Sigur Rós, sung in Faroese, or Týr, a progressive folk-metal band, full of traditional elements.
Young, artsy and dynamic, Copenhagen is a capital made for music lovers and especially for lovers of all kinds of music. There are places that cover a wide range of tastes, among them, in the trendy district of Nørrebro, the Spillestedet Stengade is appreciated by lovers of rock and alternative music and, more electronic, the Rust, is the den of " clubaholics ". One of the best clubs in the city. Another very popular address: the Vega, very design is installed in a former headquarters of unions.
Of course, the summer season is naturally riddled with festivals in the capital, starting with the Distortion Festival in June, very pleasant, which takes place in the streets of the capital or the Strøm, known for its hyper sharp programming.
In the other big cities of the country, you can find in Odense, the Cafe Kræz, a trendy bar regularly hosting many Danish and international artists and the Teater Momentum, a theater originally dedicated to contemporary theater but also elaborating a nice musical program. On the Aarhus side, one of the favorite places of the locals is the Musikhuset, a very beautiful place recognizable by its huge 2,000m2 glass facade and hosting a very large program as well as Train, one of the biggest nightclubs in Denmark, famous for its numerous rock, jazz or pop concerts, or DJ performances.
Roskilde is also home to the country's biggest festival, the aptly named Roskilde Festival, considered the "Woodstock of Northern Europe" and a regular fixture of XXL acts, including Iggy Pop, Rita Mitsouko, David Bowie and Daft Punk.. Less known, but very pleasant the Smukfest is installed in the heart of a poplar forest in Skanderborg since 1980, the perfect setting to compose programs mixing all styles (rock, pop, folk, hip-hop, electro...).
