Min Fynske Barndom, translated into English as My Childhood, is Carl Nielsen's autobiographical account of his childhood on the Danish island of Funen. Published in 1927, it was the basis of the Erik Clausen's film of the same name in 1994, translated into English as My Childhood Symphony.
In his autobiography, the Danish composer Carl Nielsen describes his early life on the island of Funen until he moved to Copenhagen in 1884 in order to study at the Conservatory. It has been pointed out, however, that as he did not begin writing the account until prompted by his daughter in 1922, the story he tells may have been somewhat over-romanticised, reflecting Hans Christian Andersen's similarly difficult childhood, also on the island of Funen. [1]
The work does nevertheless provide a detailed account of the composer's early years and is a primary source of information about this period of his life. It describes the hardships of his family, how his father, a painter and farm labourer, went off playing the fiddle at local dances and celebrations to earn a little more. It tells of his earliest musical memories, especially the time when his mother handed him a violin when he was in bed with the measles. We also learn of his school life: "I was not very good at bookish subjects, but not one of the worst either". He was fortunate that Emil Petersen, a teacher at the school, "taught me later on to play the violin properly from notation", enabling him to play at dances with his father. He also tells us of jobs as a goose-herd when still quite small, a summer spent at a tile works, and an apprenticeship with a shopkeeper who went bankrupt. His musical career began when his father "had heard that there was an opening for a musician with the Sixteenth Battalion in Odense, We agreed that I should practise the trumpet intensively and register for the audition..." All went well and Nielsen was able to play in the band while taking violin lessons in Odense. [2]
In 1994, Eric Clausen directed the 125-minute film, Min Fynske Barndom, which is based heavily on Nielsen's autobiography. It describes how Nielsen evolved from being a gooseherd and a drummer for the village players to first a member of a regimental band and then a composer of international renown. It also tells the story of an unsuccessful romance. [3] The English-language version is entitled My Childhood Symphony. [4]
Odense is the third largest city in Denmark and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2023, the city proper had a population of 182,387 while Odense Municipality had a population of 207,762, making it the fourth largest municipality in Denmark. Eurostat and OECD have used a definition for the Metropolitan area of Odense, which includes all municipalities in the Province of Funen, with a total population of 504,066 as of 1 July 2022
Carl August Nielsen was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer.
Odense Municipality is a Danish municipality (kommune) in Southern Denmark on the island of Funen in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 304.34 km2 (118 sq mi), and has a population of 207,762. It is the most populous municipality in the region of Southern Denmark.
Museum Odense is a self-governing museum institution in Odense, Denmark.
Sortelung is a small village on the Danish island of Funen. It is located near Nørre Lyndelse and south of the city of Odense.
Franz Adolf Syberg was a Danish composer.
Funen, with an area of 3,099.7 square kilometres (1,196.8 sq mi), is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of 2020. Fyn's main city is Odense, which is connected to the sea by a seldom-used canal. The city's shipyard, Odense Steel Shipyard, has been relocated outside Odense proper.
Odense Station is the main railway station serving the city of Odense, Denmark. It is located in central Odense, on the northern edge of the historic town centre, and lies immediately adjacent to the Odense bus station and a stop on the Odense Tramway.
Waage Sandø is a Danish theatre, film and television actor. He is known to international audiences mainly for his appearances in the TV series Bedrag
Carl Nielsen's String Quartet No. 2 in F minor or Quartet for Two Violins, Viola and Cello in F minor, Opus 5, was composed in 1890, partly in Denmark but mostly in Germany where the composer was travelling on a stipend. The second of Nielsen's four string quartets in the official series, it was first performed privately for Joseph Joachim on 18 November 1890 at the Hochschule für Ausübende Tonkunst in Berlin.
Hymnus amoris, for soloists, choir and orchestra, Opus 12, is Carl Nielsen's earliest choral work. It was first performed at the Music Society (Musikforeningen) in Copenhagen on 27 April 1897 under the baton of the composer.
Fynsk Foraar, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Opus 42, is Carl Nielsen's last major choral work. Written to accompany a prizewinning text by Aage Berntsen, it was first performed in Odense's Kvæghal on 8 July 1922 where it was conducted by Georg Høeberg.
My Childhood may refer to:
Events from the year 1876 in Denmark.
Odense Palace in the city of Odense on the Danish island of Funen has its origins in a 15th-century monastery which passed to the Crown after the Reformation, and since then has served as an administrative building: in turn as a seigneurial residence, an amt administrator's residence, a governor's residence, and a municipal government building. The main white Baroque building with 13 bays was designed by J.C. Krieger and completed in 1723.
The Carl Nielsen Museum is a museum in Odense, Denmark. The museum is located as an extension on the northwestern side of the Odense Concert Hall.
Carl, My Childhood Symphony is a 1994 Danish drama film directed by Erik Clausen. The film was selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Anne Marie Frederikke Telmányi née Nielsen (1893–1983) was a Danish painter and writer. In addition to landscapes and mythological subjects, she is remembered in particular for her portraits of important figures of the times. Her writings include a biography of her mother, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen, who was also an artist. Her father was the composer Carl Nielsen and her husband was the Hungarian violinist Emil Telmányi.
Middelfart railway station is a railway station serving the town of Middelfart on the western part of the island of Funen, Denmark. It is located in the centre of the town, on the southern edge of the historic town centre.
Nyborg railway station is a railway station serving the town of Nyborg on the eastern part of the island of Funen, Denmark. It is located in the eastern part of the town, about 1 km (0.62 mi) east of the historic town centre.
