Nytaarsdag (New Year's Day), Op. 66 No. 4

Otto Valdemar Malling (1 June 1848 – 5 October 1915) was a Danish composer, from 1900 the cathedral organist in Copenhagen and from 1889 professor, then from 1899 Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He was born in Copenhagen, and became a pupil of Niels Gade and Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann. in his later career he mainly composed organ works and vocal music, but he also wrote a significant amount of orchestral music, as well a substantial cantata "Der hellige Land", and a symphony in D minor. He was a co-founder and vice-conductor of The Concert Society, Copenhagen (1874), supporting himself as organist at various Copenhagen churches. His scores of organ music brought Malling some reputation abroad, but after his death he was soon forgotten in his native country.

"Die Festtage des Kirchenjahres" was published in 1897, and covers many of the days in the Church Year. "Nytaarsdag" / "New Year's Day" is the fourth movement in the collection. It is dedicated to F. A. S. Winkel.

It is quite the grand piece, despite its brevity. I guess you could describe it is a sort of hymn, but it's quite ceremonial. It made me think of something like "welcoming King New Year," but I couldn't find information about such a thing, so, I guess it's just my imagination.

Malling's harmonies strike me as being "different" from those of German romanticism. Certainly there are elements of that in his music, but there is some more "Nordic" about, almost a "Danish modality" that gives the music a distinctive harmonic vocabulary.

I'm curious if any listeners have thoughts about just what makes his music sound so unique.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be uploading his complete "Die heiligen drei Könige" which is also described as "mood pictures." It is seven movements, and will conclude on the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th.

The score and a photo of Otto Malling are attached below.

I wish everyone a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and all the best in the new decade!