Hans Matthison-Hansen
Organ Symphony No. 5 in F major
1. Allegro
2. Cantabile
3. Allegro spirituoso
4. Fantasia on H.M.-H.’s original tune for “Hvor salig er den lille flok”
Gottfred Matthison-Hansen
Concerto, Op. 15 in D minor
5. Allegro moderato
6. Andantino
7. Maestoso: Finale fugato
8. Hymn “In Natali Domini” Op. 41
Transcription of 2 movements from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite:
9. Morning Mood, Op. 46, No. 1
10. The Death of Aase, Op. 46, No. 2
Frederik Matthison-Hansen
11. Passacaglia in E minor
Matthison-Hansen: Organ Works ©
Hans Matthison-Hansen was born in Flensburg on February 6, 1807, the son of a shipmaster. At an early age he evinced artistic gifts, both within the musical and the pictorial field. His mother, who was in sole charge of the children’s upbringing during his father’s continual absences from home, did her best to further these talents. An old piano was the agent of inspiration, just as the singing and organ music durng Sunday service stimulated his attachment to music.
It looked as if H.M.-H.’s education was not going to take the musician’s path, seeing that at school it was mostly his extraordinary draftsman’s talent that was attended to. At the age of 15 he was admitted to Professor Eckersberg’s famous painters’ class at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen.
As a boarder student of Eckersberg’s H.M.-H. grew familiar with the cultural life of Copenhagen. Among other things he got the opportunity of joining quartet soirées in Eckersberg’s home, and in order to be able to fill in when a player was missing he learnt the violin as well as the viola and cello from members of the orchestra of the Royal Theatre.
It is said that at the age of 20, on a Sunday after church, H.M.-H. addressed C.E.F. Weyse with the question: ‘I should like to know whether to become a painter or a musician.” It was agreed that he was to call on Weyse the next moming at 10.
Here for half an hour he was left to enjoy the company of Weyse’s parrot, while Weyse himself was engrossed in a quartet that H.M.-H. had composed and which he had brought along. – Weyse then asked where he had learnt thorough bass. “Nowhere”, was the answer, and Weyse is reputed to have insisted that surely he must have learnt somewhere how to write a quartet like the one he had brought, for even he, Weyse, would not have been able to do so. When the reply remained no, Weyse’s conclusion went “Well, then you are indeed the true-born musician! Just you throw away your palette and come to me, but do so soon and often; you will always be welcome. Good luck!”
H.M.-H. now devoted himself to the organ under Weyse’s guidance. and at merely 25, thanks to Weyse’s influence, he became organist at Roskilde Cathedral. Here he was active until his death on January 7, 1890.
Johan Gottfred Matthison-Hansen was born on November 1. 1832 in Roskilde, where his father was cathedral organist. He matriculated and was entered for law, but after a successful debut at a concert in Malmø in 1856 he put aside the law books and devotcd himself entirely to music.
ln 1859 G.M.-H. became organist at the German Fridrichskirche – the presentday Christian’s Church in Christianshavn – and thanks to a scholarship from the Ancker Foundation he was able to spend the winter of 1862-63 in Leipzig, Bach’s old city. Through his professional work and by means of various study tours he was matured into the outstanding organ player that he became. As such he was also well-known abroad, especially in Gemany, where he performed at musicians assemblies and on other notablc occasions. ln Weimar he became friends with Franz Liszt
When the Copenhagen Academy of Music was founded in 1867, G.M.-H. became its teacher of the organ. In addition in 1884 he was made a piano teacher in the same institution. He was the principal of the Academy during the 1900-1905 period. He served as the organist of St. John’s Church from 1871 to ’73, after which he transfered to Trinity Church.
Here his organ recitals had an imponant impact on the musical life of Copenhagen: he presented works from the classical repertoire, including a number of Bach’s works, besides modern compositions as well. He was the first in Denmark to perform the music of César Franck, Guilmant and Widor.
Hans Frederik Matthison-Hansen, 1868-1933, was the grandson of old Hans M.-H. His father was Waage Weyse M.-H., who succeeded H.M.-H on the cathedral organ bench in Roskilde. Frederik M.-H. was organist, first at the newly built St. Thomas’ Church in Frederiksberg, but after eight years there he came to St. Jacob s Church in Copenhagen. He has been put in the shade by Gottfred, who taught him, and Hans, it is true, but he has written compositions that deserve to be heard also by posterity. His melancholy and at the same time cheerful Passacaglia is one of them. That he is a scion of the Matthison-Hansen dynasty is plainly to be heard, as he takes after his family in his tonal language, drawing on the same sources as his paternal uncle and grandfather. As an executant artist he was well-known – his annually recuring concerts in St. Jacob’s were well-attended, often even sold out several days in advance. The programme of the 30th year was a Matthison-Hansen family concert, featuring compositions exclusively by Hans, Gottfred, Waage and the perfomer himself.
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 1996
CATALOGUE NUMBER: DACOCD 445
EAN: 5709499445006
