Hans Christian Andersen
together with
Carl Nielsen
There has been written and said a lot of things about the two natives of Funen - Hans Christian Andersen og Carl Nielsen. The fairytales and the music has been dissected and interpreted, and there lifes have been turned upside down and analysed. The intension of this project is to give room for the art itself; letting the fairytales be read and the music be played; open up for the poetry of the words and the life of the music, and place the work in the surroundings from which they originated.
Hans Christian Andersen was born in 1805 and died in 1875 - Carl Nielsen was born in 1865 and died in 1931. But eventhough Carl Nielsen was only 10 years old when Hans Christian Andersen died, the two artists still have a lot in common. They were both from Funen with a very strong connection to a childhood in or close to Odense. They both came from straitened circumstances: Hans Christian Andersen from a poor town environment and Carl Nielsen from a large family in the country with 11 brothers and sisters. Later on in there artistic work they were both inspired by there childhood. And, they were both artists who distinctly got material from the near surroundings, there emotional condition and especially from the nature.
Hans Christian Andersen and Carl Nielsen both found rest from the ordinary life, together with peace and inspiration on several of the danish manor houses, castles and estates. A lot of fairytales and music very created here, but at the same time, they also got the time to reflect on own doings and the age they were deeply rooted in. The result was a large production of autobiographies, diaries, essaies and last but not least letters to friends and family. These elements form the leitmotif in the production.
An important element is thus to describe the interaction between the arts: To find the shared feeling, irony, mood and luxuriance - added the right amount of seriousness.
The fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen
Søren Sætter-Lassen is Hans Christian Andersen. Placed in the surroundings where Hans Christian Andersen wrote and read aloud from his work, Søren Sætter-Lassen reads fairytales and poems. There are four fairytales: Lykken kan ligge i en pind, Kærestefolk, Vanddråben and Boghveden - and two poems: The Dying Child and Avis aux Lectrices.
In addition Søren Sætter-Lassen reads aloud from the memories, diary and letters of Hans Christian Andersen.
The music of Carl Nielsen
The pianist Lotte Toftemark is in charge of the musical interpretation of the following work: Fem Klaverstykker and Humoreske Bagateller, and together with oboist Bjørn Carl Nielsen Fantasistykker for Obo og Klaver. In addition Andreas Toftemark Myrup sings: Jeg ved en lærkerede and Solen er så rød, mor. The recording took place in June 2003 at Mantziusgården, and visuals was recorded in the beautiful great hall of Hvidkilde castle in August.
Beside our own recordings extracts from different works will also be used, for instance: Lille Suite, Fynsk Forår, Hymnus Amoris, Helios Ouverturen and Symfonierne.
Henning Jensen reads aloud from the memories, diary and letters of Carl Nielsen.
