Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) occupies a prominent place among European modern composers of the early twentieth century. He represents the generation of Richard Strauss, Ferruccio Busoni, Jean Sibelius and Gustav Mahler. His music is performed all over the world. With Carl Nielsen. A Cultural Biography, for the first time a thoroughly researched, all-encompassing biography of Nielsen is available for international readers. Carl Nielsen took part in the lively cultural circles in Copenhagen in the late nineteenth century at a time when Scandinavian authors were fashionable in all of Europe. He travelled extensively throughout his life - and kept a firm connection to his cultural heritage. As a cultural biography the book introduces to music and cultural life in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and to cultural activities among ordinary people into the farthest corner of the countryside.