The Orchestra Now Presents 'Art & Music In Nineteenth-Century Denmark' at the Met Museum

Music Director and historian Leon Botstein conducts The Orchestra Now (TŌN) in Art & Music in Nineteenth-Century Denmark, the final performance this season of the Orchestra's hit three-concert Sight & Sound series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday, April 16 at 2 PM. The program shines a light on Denmark's Golden Age by juxtaposing composer Niels Gade's Symphony No. 1 with fine art from that era featured in The Met's exhibition Beyond the Light: Identity and Place in Nineteenth-Century Danish Art.

All presentations in the Sight & Sound series feature a discussion investigating the links between fine art and music, complemented by on-screen artworks and musical excerpts performed by the Orchestra, followed by a full performance and audience Q&A.

TŌN's next performance in Manhattan will be Before and After Soviet Communism, offering music by Karol Szymanowski, György Kurtág, and Boris Tishchenko on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at Carnegie Hall.

Art & Music in Nineteenth-Century Denmark

Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 2 PM

Leon Botstein, conductor

Niels Gade: Symphony No. 1, On Sjøland's Fair Plains

Artwork from the exhibition Beyond the Light: Identity and Place in Nineteenth-Century Danish Art

The Danish Golden Age, from 1816 until the late 1840s, was the period when Denmark emerged from its imperial traditions as a modern constitutional democracy. In art, the Golden Age was marked by a focus on the ideal Danish landscape and its northern light. In music, celebrated Danish composer Niels Gade was just beginning his career. His 1842 Symphony No. 1, On Sjøland's Fair Plains, which incorporates themes from several Danish folk songs, caught the attention of Felix Mendelssohn, sparking a close friendship between the two musical giants.

Beyond the Light: Identity and Place in Nineteenth-Century Danish Art will be on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art through April 16, 2023.