Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses Hans Christian Andersen's early years as a singer, dancer, and librettist at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. It reveals how Andersen's earliest European tours engendered in him a fascination with the virtuosity of Italian opera. The book discovers how in the 1840s this interest in virtuosity was transferred from vocal music to instrumental music, particularly as it was captured in performances by Ole Bull, Thalberg, and Liszt. It presents Andersen's professional relationship with Liszt and Grand Duke Carl Alexander of Weimar. The book explores the single aspect of that void – Hans Christian Andersen interest in and relationship to the music culture he saw changing around him. It presents new interpretations of some of his lesser-known fairy tales and offers a more complete discussion of many of his larger works – i.e. his novels, travelogues, essays, and opera libretti.