Svendsen, Johan

Orkesterfantasi over Marseillaisen (tapt)

Orchestral Fantasy on La Marseillaise (lost)

JSV VARIA

While Svendsen stayed in Paris in the period of 1868–1870 he began working on a symphonic phantasy on ‘La Marseillaise’. This work was probably never finished. It is mentioned in H. v. Ende: ‘Biographisches. Johan Svendsen (Mit Portrait)’, in Musikalisches Wochenblatt 31. March 1871). In connection with descriptions of Svendsen’s stay in Paris in the period of 1868-1870 the author states the following: 'So blieben die durch den Pariser Aufenthalt angeregten Ideen einer symphonischen Dichtung «Sigurd», einer ebenfalls symphonischen Verherrlichung der Marseillaise u. s. w., vorerst im Zustand der ersten Skizze liegen, (…)'. [So the ideas of a symphonic poem «Sigurd», a symphonic glorification of the Marseillaise, etc., stimulated by the stay in Paris, remained initially in the state of sketches (...)'.] This article was printed in many languages in several countries in the months to follow.