Niels Wilhelm Gade stands as one of nineteenth-century Denmark's most important musical figures. As a composer, conductor, and teacher his reputation extended beyond the borders of his country. While he frequently used Danish folksongs in his earlier compositions, Gade completely embraced the musical traditions of Central Europe. His style is right at home with Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, and, in particular, Felix Mendelssohn.

The Hamlet Overture, a concert piece in sonata form written in 1861, represents a genre that came to fruition in the Romantic Era. A symphonic tone poem, of sorts, it is a programmatic composition based on a literary subject (Franz Liszt, Gade's contemporary, was closely associated with this musical form as was Richard Strauss some thirty or more years later.) Emotionally dramatic and thematically cohesive, the overture can be perceived as a direct evocation of Shakespeare's play or as a purely musical experience. Written almost twenty years after the Symphony No. 1, this work shows more individuality of style and is much less beholden to Mendelssohn, one of Gade's most ardent supporters. A quiet timpani roll precedes a hushed, somewhat funereal march that foreshadows the tragic dilemma facing the melancholy Dane. A new theme appears in the low brass supported by tremolos in the strings. An animated, angry theme in a minor tonality erupts, which leads into a passionate, pulsating "love" theme (Hamlet and Ophelia?) in a major key. A skillfully wrought development section follows based on material heard earlier. After a series of episodes, the beginning timpani roll returns followed by the march, which brings the overture to a unified conclusion.

© Mona DeQuis, Rovi