A Melody of Peace Blooming in War

Some music transcends time, carrying us to distant places. When I listen to the second movement of Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 “The Inextinguishable,” I feel as though I’m standing on a hill in a small Danish village in 1916. That year, as all of Europe groaned under the thunder of war, Carl Nielsen whispered of peace’s possibility through the gentle conversation of woodwind instruments.

The moment the oboe carefully unfolds the first melody, all the world’s noise ceases. The flute responds like an echo, and the clarinet embraces with warm arms. This is not mere music—it is the language of hope blooming in the very heart of war’s despair.

A Work Infused with Denmark’s Pastoral Soul

Nielsen completed this work in 1916, at the height of World War I. Though Denmark remained neutral, news of destruction and death across Europe deeply stirred Nielsen’s heart. Despite such desperate reality, he sought to express through music the unbreakable “primordial will of life.”

Born in 1865 to a poor farming family on the Danish island of Funen, music was Nielsen’s means of survival. Playing in his father’s dance orchestra, he absorbed the essence of Danish folk music, later learning formal compositional techniques at the Royal Conservatory.

Symphony No. 4 “The Inextinguishable” represents the perfect fusion of his mature compositional craft with Danish sensibility. The second movement, particularly, provides a pastoral respite centered on woodwinds between the fierce first movement and profound third movement.

The Magic of Sound Woven by Woodwinds

A Dialogue Among Sound’s Protagonists

This movement’s most distinctive charm lies in woodwinds taking the leading role. The strings participate mostly through pizzicato, providing only intermittent rhythmic support—like a street musician plucking guitar accompaniment at a country market.

The flute flows like a clear stream, the oboe sings like birdsong piercing morning mist. The clarinet wraps warmly like sunlight, while the bassoon conveys the earth’s steadfast presence. Their combined sound is not mere ensemble playing, but a conversation among living beings in nature.

G Major’s Moments of Tranquility

The warm, peaceful sound of G major, contrasting with the first movement’s fierce D minor, steps away from the symphony’s central theme of “life’s will” to express nature’s pastoral aspect. This musically embodies Nielsen’s faith in nature’s unchanging beauty and peaceful daily life, even amid war’s horror.

The tempo marking “Poco allegretto” shows this movement shares character with the elegant allegrettos of Brahms’s symphonies. Though based on a 3/4 waltz rhythm, Nielsen’s characteristic irregular accents and modulations give the music distinctive vitality.

My Personal Musical Moments

Each time I hear this music, I’m drawn into special memories. The evening sky viewed from my grandmother’s garden in childhood, golden waves of wheat swaying in wind, and the distant sound of a shepherd’s pipe. Nielsen’s second movement resurrects such ordinary yet precious moments through music.

In the melodies exchanged by woodwinds, I feel a peace as if time has stopped. This is not simple rest, but deep contemplation of life’s essential beauty. Hope that can bloom even in war’s extreme circumstances—perhaps this is the true meaning of the “inextinguishable” that Nielsen sought to convey.

When the flute carefully begins its melody, I always hold my breath. What’s contained in that first note is not a simple melody, but the purest hope humanity can embrace.

Three Points for Deeper Listening

First, Focus on Each Woodwind’s Individual Character

When listening to this movement, concentrate on the unique timbre each woodwind creates. The flute’s transparency, the oboe’s warmth, the clarinet’s softness, the bassoon’s depth. Following how they dialogue and respond to each other provides an experience like eavesdropping on communication among living beings in nature.

Second, Don’t Miss the Pizzicato Effect of Strings

The pizzicato sound—strings plucked rather than bowed—provides rhythmic vitality without disturbing the woodwinds’ delicate melodies. Like guitar or mandolin accompaniment in folk dance, it enhances the pastoral atmosphere.

Third, Capture Subtle Changes Through Repeated Listening

Though this movement basically follows ABA form, each return of the theme brings subtle harmonic changes and variations in woodwind scoring. The joy of discovering these delicate differences through multiple listenings is considerable.

The Power of Music Transcending Time

The second movement of Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 “The Inextinguishable” is a masterpiece expressing nature’s unchanging beauty and vitality through the delicate sound of woodwinds, even amid early 20th-century war’s horror. This brief but perfect intermezzo embodies Nielsen’s philosophical theme of “inextinguishable life force” in the most peaceful and lyrical manner.

The woodwind-centered scoring, G major’s peaceful harmony, and melodies inspired by Danish folk music combine to create a movement that provides the rest and comfort human spirit needs between fierce struggle and deep contemplation.

After the music ends, the world remains the same, but our hearts are slightly different. The seeds of peace Nielsen planted a century ago continue sprouting quietly within us today. This is the power of truly “inextinguishable” music.

Next Journey: To Glazunov’s Violin Concerto

Having experienced Nielsen’s tranquil world of woodwinds, how about embarking on a more brilliant and romantic musical journey? Glazunov’s Violin Concerto in A minor, showing the pinnacle of Russian Romanticism, explores all possibilities of the violin as an instrument.

Completed in 1904, this concerto is a masterwork composed when Glazunov was 51, at the height of his maturity. Perfectly combining Tchaikovsky’s emotional depth with Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliant orchestration, this work demonstrates the ultimate dialogue between violin and orchestra.

Particularly, the first movement’s lyrical yet dramatic thematic development is beloved by many violinists. The technical passages unfolded by the solo violin are not mere displays of virtuosity, but true artistic expression where Russian sentiment harmonizes with Western European refinement.

From Nielsen’s chamber-like intimacy to Glazunov’s concerto-like grandeur—this too is part of classical music’s infinite journey of discovery.