Vagn Holmboe

Vagn Holmboe Gylding ( born December 20, 1909 in Horsens, Jutland, † September 1, 1996 in Ramløse ) was a Danish composer.

Life

Holmboe began - on the recommendation of Carl Nielsen - his musical studies at the age of 17 years at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen in Knud Jeppesen (theory) and Finn Høffding (composition). After the final examination in 1929 he moved to Berlin, where he taught Ernst Toch. From 1933 to 1934, a study visit in Romania followed, where he married the Romanian pianist Meta Graf. The young family fed on, back in Denmark, first through music lessons. Winning the Scandinavian competition the Chapel Royal Copenhagen with his Symphony No. 2, 1939 marked his breakthrough as a composer. From 1950 to 1965 taught at the Conservatory Holmboe in Copenhagen.

Works

Holmboe's musical output includes approximately 200 provided with opus numbers works, including an opera, 13 symphonies and 21 string quartets ( the 21st quartet entitled Quartetto sereno was completed by his pupil Per Nørgård ). There are also solo concerts for almost all the instruments of the symphony orchestra, chamber music in various occupation, numerous works for choir a cappella and songs.

Holmboe is the most significant symphonic Denmark by Carl Nielsen. Characteristic of his overall tonal music is a technique that he himself described as metamorphic: standing at work beginning, simple musical fragments experienced a seemingly organic development ( partially similar to Jean Sibelius). Influences of the folk music of Southeastern Europe (about Béla Bartók ) are evident, especially in his earlier works, but it also suggestions by Nielsen, Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich felt.