The origins of Danish music can be traced back to the Bronze Age. Horns or lurs have been discovered in various parts of Scandinavia, mostly in the region now known as Denmark, since the end of the 18th century.Denmark's most famous classical composer isCarl Nielsen, especially remembered for his six symphonies, while theRoyal Danish Ballet specializes in the work of Danish choreographerAugust Bournonville. Danes have distinguished themselves asjazz musicians, and theCopenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired an international reputation. The modern pop and rock scene has produced a few names of note, includingMØ,Dizzy Mizz Lizzy,Lukas Graham,D-A-D,Tina Dico,Aqua,The Raveonettes,Michael Learns to Rock,Volbeat,Alphabeat,Safri Duo,Medina,Oh Land,Kashmir,King Diamond,Outlandish, andMew.Lars Ulrich is the first Danish musician to be inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The earliest traces of Danish music go back to the many twistingBronze-Age horns orlurs which some experts have identified as musical instruments. They have been discovered in various parts ofScandinavia, mostly Denmark, since the end of the 18th century.[1][2]
In hisGesta Danorum (c.1200), historianSaxo Grammaticus refers to the power that music had overKing Erik the Kind-Hearted. In the 13th and early 14th centuries, Germanminnesingers such as Tannhäuser and Frauenlob sang in the Danish courts. TheCodex Runicus (c.1300) contains a verse written in runes with a non-rhythmic musical notation. The first line isDrømdæ mik æn drøm i nat (I Dreamed Me a Dream Last Night). There is also evidence that English monks came to Denmark to sing at a celebration commemoratingSt Canute, who died in 1086. In 1145,Lund Cathedral receivedScandinavia's first choir statues, and by 1330 it was one of the larger churches to have an organ installed.[1]
The greatest influence on the evolution of music in Denmark has certainly been the monarchy. At the time of his coronation in 1448,Christian I engaged a permanent corps of trumpeters, and by 1519 the court had a corps of court singers and an instrumental ensemble as well. The collections of works used by the chapel royal underChristian III in the middle of the 16th century were based on Dutch, Italian, French and German masters.Christian IV spent considerable sums of money on training local musicians and bringing foreign masters to Denmark.Mogens Pedersøn, one of his Danish musicians who had studied inVenice underGiovanni Gabrieli, became one of Denmark's most important composers of church music. His principal workPratum spirituale was a collection of 21 Danish hymns in five-part settings, a mass in five parts, three Latinmotets and a number of Danish and Latin choral responses. It was published inCopenhagen in 1620 and is still performed today.[3]
Under the influence ofLouis XIV of France, music for the theatre was established in Denmark during the reigns ofFrederik III andChristian V when lavish court ballets were performed. This soon led to opera and the performance ofDer vereinigte Götterstreit composed by Povl Christian Schindler on Christian's birthday in 1689. Although it was a great success, there was little interest in opera after the theatre caught fire a few days later causing 180 deaths.[4]
In 1569, shortly after theReformation, Denmark's first hymn book,Thomesens Salmebog, was published with music for the individual hymns.[1]
Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637–1707) was a Danish composer and organist, a highly regarded composer of theBaroque period. His organ works comprise a central part of the standardorgan repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and church services. But he is most remembered for his vocal compositions.[5]
Frederik IV opened a new opera house in Copenhagen in 1703, the first performance being an opera by the Italian Bartolomeo Bernardi.Reinhard Keiser, the prolific opera composer fromHamburg, presented his works in Copenhagen from 1721 to 1723. In 1748Den Danske Skueplads (the Danish Theatre) moved into a new building and in 1779Det Kongelige Kapel (theRoyal Danish Orchestra) became a permanent attachment.[6]
Pietro Mingotti, fromVenice, who had formed an opera company was invited to Copenhagen byQueen Louise in 1747. His members includedChristoph Willibald Gluck andGiuseppe Sarti. In 1756, Sarti provided the music for the firstsyngespil which, in the early 1790s, became established as a popular national genre withHøstgildet (the Harvest Celebration) andPeters Bryllup (Peter's Wedding). Both were composed byJohann Abraham Peter Schulz.Johann Hartmann is remembered for his two operas on texts byJohannes Ewald in which he helped creating a national musical style. The first of these,Balders Død, builds on the old Nordic mythology and uses dark colours when depicting the old Gods and Valkyries. The second,Fiskerne, describes contemporary fishermen's lives, and uses melodies inspired by the Scandinavian folk style.
Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse, fromAltona, who was a pupil of Schulz, is remembered above all for his Danish songs, hymns and carols, which remain popular to this day. But he also composed religious music, piano pieces, and symphonies.[7]
Friedrich Kuhlau wroteElverhøj (Elves' Hill) (1828), which contains the music forKong Kristian stod ved højen mast, a Danish national anthem. Elverhøj is considered to be the first Danish national play and has been performed in Denmark more than any other play. Kuhlau was also a pianist who broughtBeethoven's piano music to Denmark.[8]
Schulz and Kunzen both gained importance as a result of their influence as chief conductors at theRoyal Theatre. They brought the best of European music to Danish audiences. Weyse and Kuhlau contributed not only to orchestral andchamber music, but also to the popular repertory, Weyse with secular and religious songs and Kuhlau with chamber music suitable for amateur musicians.[9]
Another successful composer and conductor in the mid-20th century wasEmil Reesen (1887–1964), who is remembered above all for his highly successful operetta Farinelli (1942), which is still popular today.[10][11]
Opera has continued to figure prominently on the Danish music scene, thanks in part to theCopenhagen Opera House, which was opened in the year 2005. Although the majority of performances cover the works of the well-known European composers, Danish operas are also included from time to time. In 2010, with the involvement of the ambitious young artistic directorKasper Bech Holten, there were performances ofPoul Ruders' new workKafka's Trial, while in recent years works by bothJohn Frandsen andBent Sørensen have been part of the repertoire as well.[12]
The 19th century saw the emergence of a number of Danish composers inspired byRomantic nationalism.Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann (1805–1900), apart from opera and ballet music, contributed to song and the piano repertory. From 1843 until his death, he was the organist at theChurch of Our Lady. His works are not only romantic but often inspired by the oldNordic legends.[13] According toAlfred Einstein, it was he who really founded Danish romanticism, if not Scandinavian romanticism altogether.[14] His works had a great influence on the next generation of composers such asEdvard Grieg andCarl Nielsen.
Hans Christian Lumbye (1810–1874) was employed as the first music director at the Copenhagen amusement parkTivoli when it opened in 1843. Here he had a platform for presenting a large foreign and Danish repertory, including his many waltzes andgalops. In 1839, he had heard a Viennese orchestra play music byJohann Strauss, after which he composed in the same style, eventually earning the nickname "The Strauss of the North".[15] One of his most popular pieces, associated with Tivoli, isChampagnegaloppen (theChampagne Galop), which starts with the happy sound of a champagne cork popping. It has been used in several Danish films includingReptilicus (1961), andChampagnegaloppen (1938).
Niels W. Gade (1817–1890) participated in the development ofMusikforeningen (the Music Society) which had been founded in 1836 with the purpose of extending and improving the understanding of classical music. He became its conductor in 1850, and under his management a number of masterpieces of choral music were given their first performance in Denmark, among them Bach'sSt. Matthew Passion in 1875.[16]
At the conservatory in Copenhagen he helped teach future generations, includingEdvard Grieg andCarl Nielsen. In the spirit of Romantic nationalism, he composed eight symphonies, a violin concerto, chamber music, organ and piano pieces and a number of large-scale cantatas, among themElverskud (The Elf King's Daughter), the most famous Danish work of its kind.[17]
Many other composers were part of this "Golden Age" of Danish music, among whichPeter Heise,Emil Hartmann,August Winding,C.F.E. Horneman orAsger Hamerik.
Another major contributor to the Golden Age wasAugust Bournonville (1805–1879), the renownedballet master and choreographer. From 1830 to 1877, he was the choreographer at theRoyal Danish Ballet, for which he created more than 50 ballets admired for their exuberance, lightness, and beauty. He created a style which, although influenced by the Paris ballet, is entirely his own. Bournonville's best-known works areLa Sylphide (1836),Napoli (1842),Le Conservatoire (1849),The Kermesse in Bruges (1851) andA Folk Tale (1854). He drew on a number of different composers including Johan Peter EmiliusHartmann,Holger Simon Paulli andNiels Gade. The ballets are widely performed today, not only in Denmark but worldwide, especially in the United States.[18]
As a result of problems with Germany, Denmark's attitude during the first half of the 20th century became nationalistic and introverted. The two leading figures,Carl Nielsen andThomas Laub revived interest in the purer music of earlier periods such as theRenaissance.[9]
In addition to those specialising in rock, folk and electronic music, Denmark has a number of contemporary composers who have been successful in writing classical music covering a variety of genres. Among the most successful are:
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Other notable contemporary composers includeBent Sørensen, andPelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (both winners of theNordic Council Music Prize), andFrederik Magle (compositions for theDanish royal family).
One of the most universally known pieces of Danish music is theJalousie 'Tango Tzigane' (1925) composed byJacob Gade. It has been used in countless films, such as the classic Danish sex comedyI Tvillingernes tegn (1975), where it is the centerpiece of a big nude dancing production number set in the 1930s,[28] andSally Potter'sThe Man Who Cried (2000), withJohnny Depp playing a gypsy in the 1920s.[29]
A special position is occupied byBent Fabricius-Bjerre (b. 1924), who has written music for Danish films and television series such asMatador in his highly individual style. The signature tuneAlley Cat quickly won international success in the same class as Gade's tango.[30]
Jazz has been one of Denmark's most important musical developments over the past century. Its origins can be traced toValdemar Eiberg's band in 1923 and their recordings the following year. But it was in 1925, whenSam Wooding brought his orchestra to Copenhagen that the Danish music scene was properly introduced to the genre. Early Danish jazz was influenced by three classically trained musicians:Erik Tuxen (1902–1957), who created one of the country's first jazz bands,Bernhard Christensen (1906–2004), a composer of both jazz and classical music, and Sven Møller Kristensen (1909–1991) who wrote lyrics for Christensen as well as a number of books about jazz.[31]
As jazz became more popular in the 1930s, one of the rising stars was the talented violinistSvend Asmussen (1916–2017) who made his first recordings in 1934 at the age of 18 and was still playing with his quartet more than 70 years later.[32]
During theGerman occupation in the 1940s, jazz was discouraged but many musicians continued to perform while others escaped to Sweden, including drummerUffe Baadh. Indeed, the period became known as "The Golden Age of Jazz" as the number of concerts in hotels and restaurants increased and the number of recordings rose from about 180 in 1935–1939 to over 650 from 1940 to 1945.[33]
FollowingWorld War II, Danish jazz musicians began to split into an older guard, which maintained the style of olderNew Orleans jazz, and newer musicians who favored thebebop style ofCharlie Parker andDizzy Gillespie that was then emerging in America. The former were represented by musicians such as pianistAdrian Bentzon, trombonistPapa Bue, and trumpeterTheis Jensen, while the latter included saxophonistMax Brüel, bassistErik Moseholm, and trumpeterJørgen Ryg.[1]
In the early 1960s, when there was something of a revival, theJazzhus Montmartre opened in Copenhagen, reflecting the atmosphere of clubs in Paris and New York City. It soon became a major venue for both Danish and American artists. Many Americans moved to Denmark includingStan Getz,Dexter Gordon,Ben Webster,Lee Konitz and many others. The American pianistKenny Drew formed a trio with drummerAlex Riel and bassistNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen which became a staple at Jazzhus Montmartre.[34] Danish musicians also began to explorefree jazz in the 1960s with saxophonistJohn Tchicai the most prominent proponent. In parallel, a more mainstream wing evolved, including saxophonistJesper Thilo.[1]
As rock music became more popular in the 1970s, jazz's popularity waned, but it continues to be supported in venues such as theCopenhagen Jazzhouse and the Jazz Club Loco, as well as at the annualCopenhagen Jazz Festival. Danish jazz musicians continue to find unity in diversity, exploring a wide range of feelings and genres and bringing new strength to contemporary jazz as it unfolds in all its shapes and sizes.[34] Prominent jazz musicians today includeCarsten Dahl,Jørgen Emborg,Thomas Clausen,Fredrik Lundin,Marilyn Mazur,Mads Vinding,Ib Glindemann,Jakob Bro,Chris Minh Doky and his brotherNiels Lan Doky.[35]
The organization JazzDanmark,[36] funded by the Danish government, works to promote jazz in Denmark and Danish jazz abroad.
In the early days of rock and beat, some Danish artists quickly adapted this new type of music with success. Bands likePeter og Ulvene,Sir Henry and his Butlers,The Beefeaters and later onSteppeulvene (the Steppenwolves),Alrune Rod andSavage Rose were among the popular bands in Denmark throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Still, Danish rock and pop music in those days resembled more of German schlager than American or British rock.
The Danish rock scene thrived in the 1970s when groups drew on trends in the United States and Britain. Many consider their style to be Danish although this seems mainly to be due to the language of the songs and the way they fit into the national agenda. The most successful have beenGasolin',Shu-Bi-Dua,Sebastian,Anne Linnet,Gnags,TV-2, and more recentlyMagtens Korridorer.Kim Larsen who had played with Gasolin' went on to become a very successful solo artist in his own right while Sebastian has composed a number of successful musicals for theatre and film. The versatile Anne Linnet is still popular in Denmark today.[37]
Until fairly recently, few Danish rock groups had been successful outside Denmark. An exception wasD-A-D (formerly Disneyland After Dark) who had a hit withSleeping My Day Away in the early 1990s.[38] Today, however, with the Music Export Denmark initiative, several rock bands are doing increasingly well internationally. These includeMew,Iceage,Volbeat,Kashmir,The Raveonettes, andBlue Van.[39][40]
Other rock artists worth mentioning areThe Kissaway Trail,Junior Senior,Nephew,Carpark North,Saybia,VETO,Swan Lee,Dúné,Volbeat andDizzy Mizz Lizzy which has just had a revival.[41]
Famous Danish rock and metal musicians includeLars Ulrich, the drummer and co-founder ofMetallica,Mike Tramp, the vocalist and co-songwriter ofWhite Lion, and Kim Bendix Petersen, akaKing Diamond, vocalist of Danish heavy metal bandMercyful Fate and the eponymousKing Diamond.
The annualRoskilde Festival is held in Danish city ofRoskilde. The festival is the second-largest in Europe with ticket sales normally running from 70,000 to 100,000. The festival has featured many prominent artists (mainly rock), such asNirvana,Guns N' Roses,Slipknot,Kings of Leon,U2,Bob Dylan,Black Sabbath andGreen Day, and there has also been an emphasis on world music, alternative genres and Danish music at the festival. In 2000, the festival suffered a terrible accident during aPearl Jam concert where nine people were crushed by the wild crowds, making security a primary issue of the following festivals. The festival has suffered no further incidents of the kind.[42]
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As with rock music, the Danish pop scene has recently benefitted from the Music Export Denmark initiative.
Popular in the early and mid 90s was the pop-soft rock bandMichael Learns to Rock, whose brand of ballads made it a popular act in many Asian markets,[49] selling nearly 9 million records in Asia.[50] A Danish band with a big impact outside of Denmark is theEuropop groupAqua, whose hit "Barbie Girl" helped the band sell a total of 15 million albums and 6 million singles.[51]
Denmark also participates in the annualEurovision Song Contest, and holds its ownDansk Melodi Grand Prix competition to select the song that will represent the country in the Eurovision contest. Denmark has won the Eurovision Song Contest three times: first withGrethe & Jørgen Ingmann's "Dansevise" in 1963; the second withBrødrene Olsen's (Olsen Brothers) "Fly on the Wings of Love" (from theDanishSmuk Som Et Stjerneskud, literally "Beautiful as a shooting star") in 2000. And most recently, in 2013,Emmelie de Forest with "Only Teardrops" scored 281 points atMalmö, winning the contest with a margin of 47 points over runner-upAzerbaijan. Denmark therefore hosted theEurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen.[52]
The Danish entrants at theEurovision Song Contest 2010,Christina Chanée andTomas N'evergreen with "In a Moment Like This", were already doing well in Eastern Europe ahead of the contest as their song became the most popular download in several countries.[53]
Some hit songs of Danish origin have become international hits after being covered by foreign artists.Vengaboys coveredThe Walkers' "Shalala Lala",Jamelia coveredChristine Milton's "Superstar",Shayne Ward coveredBryan Rice's "No Promises" andCeline Dion coveredTim Christensen's "Right Next to the Right One". Different covers ofRune's "Calabria" have also been international hits.
Else Marie Pade was a Danish pioneer inelectronic music as early as the 1950s. She knew and worked withPierre Schaeffer andKarlheinz Stockhausen and has continued to make appearances on the Danish electronica scene well into the new millennium. With his Coma parties,Kenneth Bager broughtacid house to Denmark in 1988 and was active in building a Danish club scene, moving venues from the discothèques to deserted factories and basements.[54][55] The most successful Danish electronic musician internationally isTrentemøller[56] while from a very early ageMike Sheridan has achieved success and been labelled a name of the future.[57] In the more mainstream part of the genre,Safri Duo also experienced international success with their mixture of tribal sound and electronica; also in the electronic scene adding elements of string and brass instruments is the indie folk/electronic four-pieceEfterklang.
A leading Danish venue for electronic music isCulture Box in Copenhagen which is subsidised by the Ministry of Culture as a regional music venue, enabling it to keep a high artistic profile.[58] The Strøm andCopenhagen Distortion festivals are also dedicated to the capital's electronic and club music scene.[59][60]
Jesper Kyd is a famous Danish video game composer, who has been incorporating sounds ofdark ambient, electronic and symphonic music into his music and has won many awards.
Martin Jensen with the UK hit "Solo Dance".
Traditionally, Danish folk music has relied on afiddle andaccordion duo but, unlike its Scandinavian neighbours, Danish fiddlers almost always play in groups with few solo performance. Danish bands also tend to feature the guitar more prominently than the otherNordic countries.[61]
Fiddle and accordion duos play generally rhythmicdance music, local versions of theNordic folk dance music. The oldest variety is calledpols, and it is now mostly found onFanø with variants such asSønderhoning fromSønderho.[61]
The first systematic collection of popular folk songs, some of which go back centuries, was undertaken by the folklore collectorEvald Tang Kristensen (1843–1929). These important sources were then transferred to the Danish Folklore Archives, established in 1904. The popular dance music tradition was continued into the 20th century by musicians such as the violinistEvald Thomsen (1913–93).[62]
Danish traditional music experienced a renaissance when the Anglo-American folk song wave hit Denmark around 1970. Among the prominent soloists, often composing new songs, wereSebastian, Poul Dissing andNiels Hausgaard. The successful Lars Lilholt Band led by the violinistLars Lilholt combines the folk music tradition with rock. A new and refreshing combination of techno music and medieval ballads has been provided by the groupSorten Muld since their first recording in 1996.[62]
The formation of theDanish Folk Council to actively promote folk music both at home and abroad has helped raise the profile.[63] Curiously, Danish folk music received its biggest boost from the home chart success of Sorten Muld, who used acoustic and electric instruments andelectronica on old songs to create something very contemporary on its best-selling albums. Some of the best-known artists in recent years includeHarald Haugaard andDreamers' Circus.[61]
As part of the reform ofDanish municipalities in 2008 it was established by law that each of the 98 municipalities runs a music school. The first Danish music schools were formed in the 1930s with inspiration from Germany. From 1991 Musikloven – Law on Music – has had a chapter on music schools. According to the law the purposes of the music schools are to develop and support the musical talents and knowledge and to enhance music in the local communities. The primary goal is to engage with children and youth (0–24 years), but activities for adults are also possible. The financing of the music schools are divided among state, municipality and students (or parents of students).
Music is an important part of the lives of most Danes. One of the carefully observed traditions is to include music at celebrations at large, including family oriented ones such as wedding parties, birthdays and anniversaries. Indeed, it is not only common to engage one or more musicians for dancing but it is usual for the guests to write songs, normally to well-known traditional tunes, in honour of those to be celebrated.[64]
There is also a popular tradition of choir singing. There are hundreds of amateur choirs throughout Denmark, usually specialising in traditional Danish songs or folk music.[65]
Denmark has two national anthems, which are widely performed.Der er et yndigt land (There Is a Lovely Country) is sung loudly and enthusiastically at sporting events and is the most popular. Lyrics are by the Danish poetAdam Oehlenschläger and music byHans Ernst Krøyer.Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast (King Christian Stood by Tow'ring Mast), is sung on official occasions when the royal family is represented. Lyrics are byJohannes Ewald while music was probably written byDitlev Ludwig Rogert and can be heard in the final tableau ofElverhøj.[9][66]
In recent years, there have been two important developments for the Danish music scene. The first was the opening of theCopenhagen Opera House in 2005 where ever since full houses have applauded the performances of the great European operas and some of Denmark's more recent contributions.[12] The other was the completion ofDanmarks Radio'sConcert Hall in 2009 where the national broadcaster not only presents its orchestral music but also choirs, jazz, rock and pop.[67]
Other important venues for music include:
Music festivals are plentiful throughout the country and are very popular, with more than 130,000 attendees atRoskilde Festival, the largest music festival in Northern Europe and around 300,000 partygoers toCopenhagen Distortion street festival. Many smaller recurring music festivals of all genres are held throughout and on all times of the year. This includes theCopenhagen Jazz Festival, the travelingGrøn Koncert,Tønder Festival,Aalborg Opera Festival,Thy Chamber Music Festival andSkagen Festival, among many others.[72][73]