Scandinavian American. [volume], June 01, 1947, Page 7, Image 7

About Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
THE SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN
DANISH MUSIC
Continued from Page 6)
great beauty in its dramatic de-l
velopment of this story from the‘
Old Testament. I
Thomas Laub (1852 - 192ml
brought a renaissance to Danish
church music. He hailed back to
the Lutheran Chorals from about.
1550-1600. and either restored the:
old Chorals to their original form
or composed new ones in the.
style of that period.
Different trends pervade Danisht
music. From Johan Ernst Hart-i
mann, a line emphasising the*
northern heritage passes via
Claus Schall (1757-1835). compos
er of ballets (“Lagertha”) to I.
P. E. Hartmann. But Hartmann‘s
tone language also has deep roots
in that of Weyse, and Weyse‘s
cantata-art was taken up and
continued by Hartmann. In Dan
ish ballad-writing a line from
Weyse—Kuhlau leads via Heise and
Henrik Rung (1807-1871) to
Luge-Miller and Carl Nielsen. In
the strophic form Thomas Laub
and Carl Nielsen intentionally
hall back, seeking inspiration in
I. A. P. Schulz and the Danish
folk songs. Perhaps. in a wider
sense, one might also talk of a
line reminiscent of the folk-song
from Kuhlau ("Elf-Hill") via
Hartmann (“Little Kirsten") to
Heise ("King and Marshall").
_ The nestor of contemporary
Danish composers is Hakon Bor
resen (1876- ). He is a pupil of
Johan Svendsen and in many re
spects follows up the style of this
Nomegian composer. His over
ture “The Normans", a recon
struction of one of his youthful
works, is a vision set to music
of the old Vikings and their raids
in bygone days on the beaches
of France and England. His two
operas, “The Royal Guest" (1919)
and "Kaddara" (1921). the latter
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on a Greenland motif, are part of
the regular repertory of the Royal
Danish opera—stage Hakon Bor
resen is Chairman of the Associa
tion of Danish Tone-Artists and
of the Music Council, the organ
officially representing music in its
relation to the State.
Among the composers of thel
generation preceding World War
1 who won a name for themselves
before that war. We may mention
Peder Gram (1881 - ); Herman‘
Sandby (1881 — l; N. O. Raastedl
(1888 - l; and Poul Schierbeckl
(1888 - l. Peder Gram has won“
particular acclaim for his orches
tral works comprising two sym
phonics. a number of overtures
and the fine “Poeme lyrique". He
is now Musical Director of the!
Danish State Radio. Herman
Sandby. in his younger days. was
internationally known as a cellist.
He has created a great number
of impressionistic orchestral
Qworks. tinged with romanticism.
N. O. Raasted holds the position
iof organist in the Copenhagen
lCathedraI‘ He is known for his
organ-compositions. his chamber
music and his many songs. Poul
Schierbeck is a pupil of Carl Niel
sen. He too has enriched the
Danish song-treasury with many
new works. For the Royal Thea
tre he has composed the opera
“Fete galante".
The generation which put itsi
musical. imprint on the years be-i
tween the two world wars holds!
such names as- Ebbc Hamerik!
(1898 - l; Finn l-loft'ding’ (1899-i1 i
iJorgen Bentzon (1897 - i: and:
‘Knudage Riisager (1897 — ). The;
‘main characteristic of Ebbe Ham-1
‘erik‘s compositions is a grave ser-I
liousness, evidenced in the finest
way in his latest opera "The
‘Traveling Companion" which had
its premiere in Copenhagen in
1946. Among his other works for
the stage. the operas “Stepan”
and "Leonardo de Vinci" have
ibeen given performances in Ant
‘Werp. Finn Hoffding who has a
\name as a fine pedagogue and
author of a manual in harmony.
has won particular recognition
with his imaginative orchestral
phantasy: “It is quite certain“
:and his chamber music. Jorgen
,BentZOn being in very close touch
!with the popular music movement
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in Denmark has worked assid
uously to find modes of expres
sing modern music written for a
small orchestra. His opera "Sat
urnalia" on a libretto based on
the Roman satirist. Apuleius’
writings. had its premiere in 1944
on the Royal Theatre.
Knudage Riisager who is chair
man of the Danish Association of
Composers represents the smilr
in Danish music. In his overtures
“Erasmus Montanus" and “Shreve
tide." and particularly in his
orchestral suite “The land of Co
caygne". all of them written
with eminent skill reminiscent of‘
the French technique, his zestful
humor blossoms forth in full flow
er. His trumpet concerto and con
certino for five violins and piano—
forte have aroused international
interest. During World War II.
the Royal Theatre gave three bal
lets of his: “The land of Co
jcaygne.” “Twelve by the Mail
lcoach" based on one of Hans
Christian Andersen's fairy tales.
and “Qarrtsiluni.” The last men
tioned ballet was originally a tone
poem on a Greenland festival mo
‘tif. His most recent composition
is the ballet-music for "Fugl Fon
liks" (The Phoenix) (1946).
Other contemporary composers'
are Knud Jeppesen (1892 - ); and
Emil Reesen (1887 - ). Knud Jep
pesen's public career as a com
poser is of rather recent date.
He is internationally known as a.‘
musicologist. and for many years
he held the position of Director
of the Royal Danish Conservatory
of Music. In 1946 he was awarded
a professorship at the university
of Aarhus in Jutland. As a com
poser he has been growing stead
ily m stature. and his "Te Deum
danicum". composed for the in
auguration of the auditorium of
‘the State Radio in 194:1. places
lhim squarely as one of the rank
ying Danish composers. As to Emil
[Recsen he has notably scored a
lgi'eat success with his bullets
fi“Gaucho" (1931i and "Goddcsaos'
§Quarrol" (1933).
On the same order as Riisager
We find Svend Erik Tarp (1908-)
whose compositions stand out by
their elegance of form. He has
found his way to a style remin
iscmt of the divertissemento, a
style marked by clarity and logic.
especially noticable in his concer—
tino for flute. his concerto for
piano and orchestra. and his sym
phonic work “Sinfonia divertontv"
[ :19451.
I Other composers of about thei
‘same age as Tarp are Bernhard‘
lChristensen (1906 - i, Well known}
ias an organ player and composer
'of ballets; Herman D. Koppel
‘ (1908 - i. an eminent pianist
‘whose production is on the order
{or symphonic and chamber music;
[and Otto Mortens‘m «1907 . i
{connected with the Royal Theatre.
iHe has made a name for him
lself as a song-writer and com—
qposer of chamber music. Also of
ithe ~s'ame generation is Vagn
’Holmboe (1909 - i a deep nature
ilin search of himself. He was
awarded a prize for his symphony
!N0. 4 in the competition staged
;0n the occasion of the inaugura
{tion of the new auditorium of the
iState Radio 11945».
i To the youngest set belongs:
Niels Viggo Bentznn (1919 - l.‘
‘3 cousin of Jorgen Benizon. His1
lyouth notwithstanding he has al-i
ready a considerable produviinn'i
ibehind him. His compositionsi
iwhich bear the imprint of a lofty.
lethical attitude are of a marked;
iGermanic trend His opposite-
Jnumber is Jorgi-n Jersild. 119134!
Jwho reviews music in the Copen
iimgen daily "Berlingske Tidvnili‘“.
:As a composer he is most fastidi- ,3
‘aous. His production is as yet very:I
flhmited. but definitely remarkable}
1His style shows a Gallic C‘RFitY,’
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perhaps partly due to the factI
that he was a public of Albert!
Roussel. Among the youngest we!
would also mention Svend SH}
Schultz (1913 - l and Leif Kayser
(1919 - ). Svend S. Schultz is the.
music critic of the newspaper"
“Politiken.” and his own piano!
works and symphonies have crea-'
ted quite a sensation. During 1939'
and 1940 Leif Kayser composedi
two symphonies and a number ofl
other works, but in recent years:
his production has been scant. i
This list contains only a smali‘
selection 0f the many musieans’
who through their activity as?
composers have contributed their3
share to Danish musical life and
have put their stamp on it. With-i
out completing the list we might'
still add the following namoszl
lRudolph Simonsen (1889 - u, at‘
present Director of the Royal‘
Danish Conservatory of Music:
who has written five symphonies: ‘
Emilius Bangert (1883 - ) cantor
at the Cathedral of Roskilde; .1
L. Emborg (1876 - ) who has
mostly devoted his talents to
choral music; Rued Langgaard
(1893 - l who in his symphonic
works of weaving and interlacing
harmonies resumes and continues
the Schumann-Cede style; Kai
Senstius (1889 - ); Erling Brene
(1896—); Flemming Weis (1898-I'.
Finn Videro (1906 - i. a highly
regarded organ-player who. in ad
dition to organ music. has written
piano pieces and songs: Frantz
Syberg (1904 - ) who is the auth
‘or of a remarkable symphony:
the chief conductor of the Royal
:Theatre, Johan Hye Knudsen
;(1896 - l. and the WW) conduc-
Itors of the State radio, Erik ’i‘ux
(en (1902 - l and Launy Gronduh‘.
111886 - l.
Danish music is charavterizeil
by a certain moderation. It never
goes to extremes. It shuns eunl
black and snow white. Like Dan
ish pictorial art and Danish pm“
try it produces the finest and
most genuine effect when only
medium colors are used to express
it. That is a special national
trait, very apparent in Danish
music, in C. F‘. E. Weyse as in
Carl Nielsen: in Peter Heise as
well as in R. E. Lange-Milleri
Perhaps its underlying cause is
to be found in the tone. the pitch.
of the Danish language. The inm
ish poet. Jens Buggesen 1176»:-
.1826) expressed it in a few worth
:in the closing lines of his pro
igramme poem "The poetics in;
humor":
I love a smile and a tem-
But neither laughter nor
Weeping.
Alf Kjellin, young Swmlish mn
tion picture character actor, who
took the male lead in the {11m
“Hats" «shown in thv Unitcd
States under the title of ”Tur
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Selznick and is soon oxpm-ted ho
forc tho canu‘ras in Hollywun‘l.
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7
Boat ls Gift To
Norway's King
‘ I v
OSLO Insistent demands from
all parts of Norway concerning
disposal of the King Haakon
Birthday Fund. now being collect
ed for presentation to Norway's
king on August 3rd ~ his 75th
birthday. have forced a change in
the Fund Committee's original
plans. At that time it was stated
jthat King Haakon would himself
ldetermine to what purpose the
Lfunds would be put.
1 Since then. however, letters from
iall parts of the country have asked
ifor assurance that this be a per
'sonal giftrithat this time the king
iuse all the money. or a part of it.
:for himSelf. Hithertoi—thanks to
lthe King‘s generosity — similar
lgifts have. found their way into a
ivariety of charities and worthy un
gdertakings. with little remaining
lin the form of a personal gift.
I With an increasing flow of let
ltors and protests. the Fund Com
mittee has now visited King
Haakon and received word that if
this be the peoples' wish. he would
‘like to have a boat of his own. The
'nearest thing to a. Royal Yacht
‘Ithat Norway has ever known. is
1the now dilapidated "Heimdal" on
‘whieh King Haakon arrived in
iNorway in 1905.
i In various stages of disrepair
[since before World War I, the
1"Heimdal" has served as every—
‘tthing from a naval vessel. to a
guard-house for wayward Nor
wegian soldiers in Scotland during:
{the last war. Norwegians are now
‘assured that their present to their
king on his 75th birthday will be in
the form of a personal gift.
Funds in excess will be disposed
of according to the King's \\ ishes.
A Scandinavian association of
tmvvling salesmen. with members
from Sweden, Norway. Denmark.
and Finland. has boon founded in
Stockholm. Carl Christensen of
Malmé. is president.
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