Scandinavia

In 1900, the situation for indigenous organ music differed considerably among the Scandinavian countries. ¹ In Norway, Finland, and Iceland, there was as yet almost no significant production of non-liturgical organ music. ² Sweden had seen a certain increase in organ composition in the late nineteenth century, ³ and in Denmark, the Danish Golden Age of the arts in the early and mid 1800s ⁴ had resulted in a favorable creative environment for new organ music. Niels W. Gade (1817–90) and J. P. E. Hartmann (1805–1900), both also prominent organists, contributed some important works. ⁵ At the same time, the conservative stance of these two influential personalities in matters of organ building delayed the impact of modern European trends in Denmark and may have hampered the development of organ composition as well. The turn of the century nevertheless shows Denmark to have possessed two distinguished and prolific organ composers, Gottfred Matthison-Hansen (1832–1909) and Otto Malling (1848–1915), the latter a pupil of both Hartmann and Gade. But by 1900, both were regarded as somewhat old-fashioned, especially since their organ output was confined to narrowly defined subgenres: for Matthison-Hansen, chorale-based fantasies; ⁶ for Malling, suites of Biblical program music. ⁷