Weyse is one of the pillars of Danish musical culture, He was born in the Duchy of Holstein, which was then German, came to Copenhagen at the age of 15 to become a pupil of the similarly German-born conductor J.A.P. Schulz. In Copenhagen he became the organist for the church of the German community, and himself began composing. Inspired by Danish performances of Haydn's and Mozart's symphonies, Weyse wrote the first Danish symphonies in the 1790s - seven in all. However, they never found a place of honour in the Danish concert repertoire, and a true Danish symphonic tradition only came later. Over the next few years Weyse was completely unproductive, dismayed by an unrequited love affair. After the break he picked up his career again and composed Singspiele, cantatas and songs. He received the highest official recognition, became the organist at Copenhagen Cathedral and was appointed court composer. Weyse remained conservatively true to his Mozartean Vienna Classicism, but cultivated it to perfection. With his vocal works - especially songs, hymns and Singspiele - he holds a place as the first significant composer in Denmark with a truly national attitude to his art. Weyse's virtuoso works for piano, like his symphonies, have on the other hand lingered somewhat in the shadows.
18/10/2010 MusicWeb
29/09/2010 MusicWeb International
07/05/2010 Århus Stiftstidende
18/04/2010 Dansk Musik Tidsskrift
03/03/2010 Kristeligt Dagblad
CD 8.226105-06 (2010)
The 3rd issue in Dacapo’s Perspectives series fully portrays this ingenious composer of the Danish Golden Age
CD 8.226141 (2010)
Love songs by three masters of Danish Romanticism performed by Mathias Hedegaard
CD 8.226012 (2007)
Smiles and longings of a summer night embodied by the young tenor Mathias Hedegaard
CD 8.224714 (2006)
The greatest in the smallest – an imperishable treasure in Danish music
CD 8.226047 (2005)
Inspired fairytale music for orchestra by among others August Enna, Louis Glass and Finn Høffding
CD 8.224149-50 (2001)
Complete recording of the charming and lively Singspiel that became one of the hits of the 1800s in Danish music
CD 8.224140 (2001)
Four brilliant, talented sonatas from around the year 1800
CD 8.224145-47 (1999)
3-cd boks med 40 stykker musik fra midten af 1800-tallet, en gylden æra i dansk kultur
CD 8.224049 (1997)
Ædleste klassicisme i Weyses kantater til jul og påske
CD 8.224014 (1995)
First recording of Weyse’s two greatest symphonies
CD 8.224013 (1995)
Vienna Classicism from the 1790s with a Nordic accent
CD 8.224020 (1994)
CD 8.224012 (1994)
The first full-scale Danish symphonies, inspired by Haydn and Mozart
DCCD 9307 (1994)