The Danish composer Carl Nielsen, together with Jean Sibelius from Finland, is a towering figure of twentieth-century Scandinavian music. Both are masters of the modern symphony, but it is arguably Nielsen who was the more progressive. He emerges as an energetic, well-rounded individual, one who was much more dynamic than suggested by his popular image of the country boy rising from poverty to become Denmarks most influential composer. His musical style advanced beyond the comprehension of his contemporar