Danmarks Radio 2

When Langgaard recieved notice that the State Broadcasting Service "could not find room" for his 11^th Symphony, which at the time was entitled Evighedskrig (War Eternal), he immediately returned the letter in the condition reproduced here:

His comments partly reflect his opinion of the decision of the radio authorities ("Bureaucracy!" "Poppycock!"), partly what Langgaard presumed those responsible thought about his work ("Nonsense! Madhouse! Rubbish!"), and finally the situation of the composer himself ("Ixion! Sisyfos! Tantalos!").

In a covering letter to the radio authorities, Langgaard wrote: "I take the liberty of returning the honoured missive from the State Broadcasting Service to me concerning my symphony, War Eternal. I presume that the letter is the result of a 'bureaucratic' blunder."

The letter from the State Broadcasting Service was signed by Peder Gram, another composer, who was head of music in the period 1937-51. (Reproduced with the kind permission of Danish Radio, in whose archives the letter is preserved).

See a third example.