Vagn Holmboe
Born: December 20, 1909; Horsens
Died: September 1, 1996
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Few Scandinavian composers other than Sibelius and Nielsen have succeeded in claiming international attention. Holmboe was an exception and is becoming widely recognized as the most important Danish composer since Nielsen. His 13 symphonies (1935 - 1982), 20 string quartets (1949 - 1975) and other compositions, including three operas, Requiem for Nietzsche (1964), 13 chamber concertos and Epilogue (1962), are increasingly shown to be significant
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| Featured Vagn Holmboe CDs & DVDs: |
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Works
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Allegretto Pro Piano III (1)
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Allegro Pro Piano II (1)
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Bagatelle no 1 "Arabesque" (1)
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Ballata for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello, Op. 159 (1)
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Beatus parvo, Op. 117 (1)
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Benedic Domino, Op. 59 (2)
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Chamber Concerto no 1 for Piano, Op. 17 (1)
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Chamber Concerto no 10 for Winds, Brass and Strings, Op. 40 (1)
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Chamber Concerto no 11 for Trumpet and 2 Horns, Op. 44 (1)
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Chamber Concerto no 12 for Trombone, Op. 52 (2)
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Chamber Concerto no 3 for Clarinet, Op. 21 (1)
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Chamber Concerto no 7 for Oboe, Op. 37 (1)
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Chamber Concerto no 8 for Orchestra, Op. 38 "Sinfonia Concertante" (1)
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Chamber Concerto no 9 for Violin and Viola, Op. 39 (1)
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Chamber Concerto No. 2, Op. 20: Allegro con brio (1)
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Chamber Concerto No. 2, Op. 20: Finale: Allegro (1)
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Chamber Concerto No. 2, Op. 20: Intermezzo 1: Vivace (1)
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Chamber Concerto No. 2, Op. 20: Intermezzo 2: Adagio (1)
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Concerto for Brass, Op. 157 (1)
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Concerto for Cello, Op. 120 (1)
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Concerto for Flute no 1, Op. 126 (1)
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Concerto for Flute no 2, Op. 147 (1)
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Concerto for Recorder, Op. 122 (2)
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Concerto for Trombone (1)
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Concerto for Tuba, Op. 127 (1)
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Concerto giocondo e severo, Op. 132 (1)
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Duo concertato for Violin and Guitar, Op. 167 (1)
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Haiduc, Op. 193 (1)
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I know a plant so lovely and fine, Op. 36 (1)
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Intermezzo Concertante for Tuba and Orchestra, Op. 171 (1)
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Kairos, Op. 73 (2)
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Notturno, Op. 19 (1)
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Nuigen. Piano Trio, Op. 129: 1. Allegro - (1)
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Nuigen. Piano Trio, Op. 129: 2. Allegro - (1)
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Nuigen. Piano Trio, Op. 129: 3. Allegro (1)
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Nuigen. Piano Trio, Op. 129: Intermezzo 1. Tranquillo (1)
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Nuigen. Piano Trio, Op. 129: Intermezzo 2. Affettuoso (1)
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Parlare del piu e del meno, for guitar (1)
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Prelude: To the Seagulls and the Cormorants, Op. 174 No. 6 (1)
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Primavera, Op. 55 (1)
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Quartet for Flute and Strings, Op. 90 (2)
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Quartetto Sereno, for string quartet ("String Quartet No. 21") (completed by Per Norgĺrd), Op. 197 ( (2)
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Quintet for Brass no 2, Op. 136 (1)
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Quintet for brass No. 1, Op. 79 (1)
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Quintet for Brass, Op. 79 (3)
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Reminiscences (1)
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Requiem for Nietzsche, Op. 84: Part 1: Prelude in the desert. Basel (1)
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Requiem for Nietzsche, Op. 84: Part 2: The friends. Sils Maria. The third temptation (1)
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Requiem for Nietzsche, Op. 84: Part 3: The moment. Gondola song. Jena (1)
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Requiem for Nietzsche, Op. 84: Part 4: Ecce Homo. Weimar (1)
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Requiem for Nietzsche, Op. 84: Part 5: Asgaardsreisen (1)
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Rigoroso fra Via Nova (1)
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Romanian Suite for Piano, Op. 12a (1)
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Sextet for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon and Strings, Op. 114 (1)
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Sinfonia 1, Op. 73a: 1. Molto sostenuto - Allegro leggiero (1)
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Small Pieces (7) for Piano (1)
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Solhymne (1)
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Sonata for Cello solo, Op. 101 (1)
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Sonata for Flute solo, Op. 71 (2)
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Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 101: 1. Prćludio. Tempo giusto (1)
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Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 101: 2. Fugare. Allegro risoluto (1)
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Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 101: 3. Introduzione. Adagio - Finale. Allegro giocoso (1)
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Sonata for trombone & piano, Op. 172a (1)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano no 1 (1)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano no 2, Op. 16 (1)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano no 3, Op. 89 (1)
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Sonatina briosa for Piano, Op. 27a (1)
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Sonatina capricciosa for Flute and Piano, Op. 27b (1)
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Song at Sunset (1)
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Speravi in Domino, Op. 61 (1)
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String Quartet No. 1, Op. 46 (2)
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String Quartet No. 10, Op. 102 (2)
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String Quartet No. 11, Op. 111 (2)
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String Quartet No. 12, Op. 116 (2)
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String Quartet No. 13, Op. 124 (2)
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String Quartet No. 14, Op. 125 (2)
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String Quartet No. 15, Op. 135 (2)
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String Quartet No. 16, Op. 146 (2)
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String Quartet No. 17 ("Mattinata"), Op. 152 (2)
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String Quartet No. 18 ("Giornata"), Op. 153 (2)
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String Quartet No. 19 ("Serata"), Op. 156 (2)
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String Quartet No. 2, Op. 47 (2)
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String Quartet No. 20 ("Notturno"), Op. 160 (2)
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String Quartet No. 3, Op. 48 (2)
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String Quartet No. 4, Op. 63 (2)
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String Quartet No. 4, Op. 63: Adagio affettuosa (1)
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String Quartet No. 4, Op. 63: Allegretto sereno (1)
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String Quartet No. 4, Op. 63: Andante passionato (1)
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String Quartet No. 4, Op. 63: Largo e semplice (1)
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String Quartet No. 4, Op. 63: Presto espansivo (1)
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String Quartet No. 5, Op. 66 (2)
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String Quartet No. 6, Op. 78 (2)
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String Quartet No. 7, Op. 86 (2)
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String Quartet No. 8, Op. 87 (2)
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String Quartet No. 9, Op. 92 (2)
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Suite for Piano no 2 (1)
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Svćrm, for string quartet, Op. 190b (2)
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Symphonic Poem Metamorphosis no 1, Op. 68 "Epitaph" (1)
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Symphonic Poem Metamorphosis no 2, Op. 76 "Monolith" (1)
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Symphonic Poem Metamorphosis no 3, Op. 80 "Epilog" (1)
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Symphonic Poem Metamorphosis no 4, Op. 108 "Tempo variabile" (1)
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Symphonic Poem Suite for Piano, Op. 49 (1)
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Symphony for Strings no 1, Op. 73a (2)
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Symphony for Strings no 2, Op. 73b (2)
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Symphony for Strings no 3, Op. 73c (2)
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Symphony for Strings no 4, Op. 73d (2)
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Symphony no 1 for Chamber Orchestra, Op. 4 (2)
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Symphony no 10, Op. 105 (2)
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Symphony no 11, Op. 144/M 304 (2)
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Symphony no 12, Op. 175/M 338 (2)
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Symphony no 13, Op. 192/M 362 (2)
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Symphony no 2, Op. 15 (2)
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Symphony no 3, Op. 25 "Sinfonia rustica" (2)
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Symphony no 4, Op. 29 "Sinfonia Sacra" (2)
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Symphony no 5, Op. 35 (2)
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Symphony no 6, Op. 43 (2)
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Symphony no 7, Op. 50 (2)
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Symphony no 8, Op. 56 "Sinfonia boreale" (2)
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Symphony no 9, Op. 95 (2)
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Symphony, Op. 65 "Sinfonia in memoriam" (2)
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The Ill-Tempered Turk, Op. 32b (1)
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Triade for Trumpet and Organ, Op. 123 (1)
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Trio for Piano and Strings, Op. 129 "Nuigen" (1)
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Trio for Piano and Strings, Op. 64 (2)
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Trio for Strings, Op. 155 "Gioco" (1)
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Violin Solo (1)
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Biography |
by Roy Brewer
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Few Scandinavian composers other than Sibelius and Nielsen have succeeded in claiming international attention. Holmboe was an exception and is becoming widely recognized as the most important Danish composer since Nielsen. His 13 symphonies (1935 - 1982), 20 string quartets (1949 - 1975) and other compositions, including three operas, Requiem for Nietzsche (1964), 13 chamber concertos and Epilogue (1962), are increasingly shown to be significant contributions to twentieth century music.
Holmboe's musical development was cosmopolitan. He studied in Denmark, with Toch in Berlin and in Romania, where he came into contact with Balkan folk music and heard the works of Béla Bartók whose style he assimilated. On returning to his homeland he continued to work as a composer and critic and was professor at the Royal Danish Conservatory from 1950 - 1965 where he became immersed in Medieval church music. Holmboe's approach, with its free use of melodic and diatonic patterns was, however, basically neo-Classical, though more austere and inward-looking than either Nielsen or Sibelius, whose influence is less evident than that of Stravinsky and Bartók.
The First Symphony (1935) is a work of chamber proportions, while the third and fourth (a choral work), respectively subtitled "Sinfonia rustica" and "Sinfonia sacra," are precursors of a later, darker style in which the idea of "metamorphosis" -- themes that evolve through subtle tonic and thematic relationships -- is reminiscent of Hindemith, and at times, even Wagner.
International attention came when his Fifth Symphony was performed at the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival in Copenhagen in 1947, after which Holmboe received commissions in various parts of Europe. The seventh and ninth symphonies are the most intense of Holmboe's orchestral output, and the Fourth Quartet the most intimate of his chamber works.
In some sense, Holmboe is more "main-line" than his Scandinavian contemporaries are. After his marriage in 1931 to the pianist Meta Graf, he traveled to her homeland, Romania, to collect folk tunes, and later to the Faeroe Islands on a similar quest though, except in the Rustic Symphony, folk elements are not prominent in Holmboe's major works. It remains for Holmboe to receive the consistent programming and advocacy that brought Sibelius to prominence in the '50s, and Nielsen in the '60s. |
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