The ideas behind the music
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Symbolism was a Neo-Romantic movement that established itself in French poetry around 1890 as a reaction to naturalism and realism (Verlaine, Rimbaud, Mallarmé). The movement had an influence on Danish literature and art, and was first disseminated through the journal, Taarnet, edited by the poet, Johanens Jørgensen, and published in 1893-94. The symbolists sought the metaphysical behind everyday reality, whatever was exalted and full of presentiment. "The artist grasps intuitively the true nature of existence. He feels the deep accord between his soul and the soul of Nature, and glimpses behind the apparent indifference of things a secret world, of which his spirit is an eternal citizen... Reality becomes for him simply the symbol of a higher world", wrote Taarnet. Symbolism meant acceptance of whatever was individual, irrational, full of suggestive moods and feelings. The Idea was the higher form behind all things.
Eric Korngold's opera, Die Tote Stadt, is based on Rodenbach's novel, and Langgaard may have seen it, or heard about it, during his travels in Europe in 1921, when it was performed in several places. Painting and sculpture inspired by symbolism were never popular in Denmark - most of the artists have been forgotten, and others changed their style. However, several of them continued to produce works of art based on symbolist ideas well into the 20th century, including J.F. Willumsen (1863-1958), and the sculptor, Rudolf Tegner (1873-1950). |
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