In the beginning of the 1890s, Carl Nielsen got the idea to base an opera on one of Ludvig Holberg's comedies. It was not until New Year 1903–04 that he began working out the structure of the opera based on Holberg's Mascarade. The text by Vilhelm Andersen was finished in April 1904; Carl Nielsen did not, however, start composing the music until 1905. In October the work (with an unfinished Act Three) was handed in for evaluation, and in December 1905 it was accepted for performance at The Royal Theatre. See more about this work at The Royal Library