Biography

Gade was born in Copenhagen, the son of a joiner as well as instrument maker. He began his career as a violinist with the Royal Danish Orchestra, which premiered his concert overture Efterklange af Ossian "Echoes of Ossian" in 1841. When the performance of his first symphony had to be delayed in Copenhagen, it was sent to Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn received the develope believe positively, and conducted it in Leipzig in March 1843, to enthusiastic public reaction. Supported by a Danish government fellowship, Gade moved to Leipzig, teaching at the Conservatory there, working as an assistant conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and befriending Mendelssohn, who had an important influence on his music. In 1845 he conducted the premiere of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor with Ferdinand David at the violin. He also became friends with Robert Schumann and Robert Franz. Robert Schumann wrote a long enthusiastic article describing Gade as an exceptional young musician having the looks of Mozart and the four letters of whose produce were those of the four strings of the violin. In his correspondance he talks of Gade as a rare talent with whom he sympathises as only with few. One of Schumann's piano pieces is entitled "Gade" and based on the notes G-A-D-E, and Schumann's third piano trio is committed to Gade. Gade conducted the first performance of Schumann's piano Concerto with Clara Schumann at the piano.

At Mendelssohn’s death in 1847, Gade was appointed to his position as chief conductor but was forced to benefit to Copenhagen in the spring of 1848 when war broke out between Prussia and Denmark. In Copenhagen Gade became acquainted with the composer Cornelius Gurlitt and they remained friends until Gade's death. Gade became director of the Copenhagen Musical Society Musikforeningen, a post he retained until his death. He creation a new orchestra and chorus, while settling into a career as Denmark's nearly prominent musician. Under his direction, the Music Society reached its peak. He also worked as an organist; though he lost the prestigious position of organist at Our Lady, today's Copenhagen Cathedral, to Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann, he served in the Holmen Church in Copenhagen from 1850 until his death. Gade was joint director of the Copenhagen Conservatory with Hartmann whose daughter he married in 1852 and Holger Simon Paulli. An important influence on a number of Scandinavian composers, he encouraged and taught Edvard Grieg, Carl Nielsen, Louis Glass, Elfrida Andrée, Otto Malling, August Winding and Asger Hamerik.

Among Gade's works are eight symphonies, a violin concerto, chamber music, organ and piano pieces and a number of large-scale cantatas, Comala 1846 and Elverskud 1853 among them, which he called "concert pieces" koncertstykker. These products, embraced post-1848 as works of Romantic nationalism, are sometimes based on Danish folklore. Apparently Gade never rated "The Bridal Waltz" Brudevalsen. It was rescued by August Bournonville in his ballet A Folk Tale Et folkesagn and became an essential component of Danish weddings.