Saul Og David - Performance History

Performance History

The premiere on 28 November 1902 was received enthusiastically, at least by parts of the audience, as more than one reviewer spoke of continued applause by a group of the composer's friends and supporters. William Behrend from Politiken noted that Nielsen "conducted the performance with great assurance and quite natural zeal" but wondered whether the work would attract as much enthusiasm in future productions. Several other reviewers pointed out that it was hardly an opera in the classic sense but was more like an oratorio with its symphonic treatment, its cool dramatic approach and its large choral pieces.

There were only a few more performances of Saul og David in Copenhagen during Nielsen's lifetime and despite his own efforts to have it performed in Dresden and Vienna, it was not until November 1928 that it was staged abroad in Gothenburg. Nielsen, who conducted the last of the Gothenburg performances, noted in his scrapbook that the reviewers had received it enthusiastically.

The first UK production was in February 1977 in London by the University College Opera Society.