Musicians - Vagn Holmboe

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	Musicians - Vagn Holmboe

Vagn Gylding Holmboe (December 20 1909, Horsens, Jutland – September 1 1996) was a Danish composer and teacher who wrote largely in a neo-classic style with influences of Stravinsky and Bartók. Musical metamorphosis of thematic or motivic fragments characterize most of his works between the years 1950 and 1970.

Thirteen symphonies, three chamber symphonies, four symphonies for strings, twenty string quartets, numerous concertos, one opera, and the late series of preludes for chamber orchestra, as well as much choral and other music, characterize the main body of his work, in addition to some early works that never received opus numbers.

His last work, the twenty-first string quartet, Quartetto sereno, was completed by his pupil Per Nørgård.

Major works

(M. — Meta number — for Metamorphosis. Might also be said to be named after his wife, Meta May Holmboe... numbering system assembled by Prof. Rapoport. This information from The Compositions of Vagn Holmboe.)

Symphonies
*sym. 1, for chamber orchestra, M. 85
*sym. 2, 1938–9, M. 107
*sym. 3, Sinfonia rustica, M. 126
*sym. 4, Sinfonia sacra for chorus and orchestra, M. 132
*sym. 5, 1944, M. 145
*sym. 6, 1947, M. 155
*sym. 7, 1950, M. 167
*Chamber symphony no. 1, 1951, M. 171
*sym. 8, Sinfonia boreale, M. 175
*Sinfonia in memoriam, 1954-5, M. 185
*Sinfonia I for strings, M. 194
*Sinfonia II for strings, M. 196
*Sinfonia III for strings, M. 200
*Sinfonia IV for strings, M. 215 (Kairos)
*sym. 9, 1967–9, M. 235
*Chamber symphony no. 2, 1968, M. 240
*Chamber symphony no. 3, 1969–70, M. 246
*sym. 10, 1970–2, M. 250 (premiered by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Sixten Ehrling
)
*sym. 11, 1980–1, M. 304
*sym. 12, 1988, M. 338
*sym. 13, 1993–4, M. 362

Concertos
*Several (about twenty,) including especially
*Concerto for trumpet and chamber orchestra (two horns and strings,) 1948, M. 157 (eleventh of a series of 13 concertos with chamber orchestra originally called chamber concerti)
*Cello concerto, 1974–9, M. 273
*Recorder concerto, 1974, M. 275
*Flute concerto no. 1, 1975–6, M. 279
*Tuba concerto, 1976, M. 280
*Flute concerto no. 2, 1981–2, M. 307

String quartets
*From no. 1, 1948–9, M. 159 to no. 20, 1985, M. 322 (this the last of four works representing the times of the day) (also the completion of Quartetto sereno)

Some other works
*Notturno for wind quintet, 1940, M. 118
*Brass quintets - no. 1, 1961–2, M. 212; no. 2, 1978, M.293
*Requiem for Nietzsche for tenor, baritone, chorus, and orchestra, 1963–4, M. 219
*Symphonic metamorphoses for orchestra —
**Epitaph, 1956, M. 189 (premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra)
**Monolith, 1960, M. 207
**Epilog, 1961–2, M. 213
**Tempo variabile (Changeable weather,) 1971-2, M.254
*Two sonatas for guitar, op. 141-2
*Five intermezzi for guitar, op. 149

Ccommercial recordings of his symphonies by Owain Arwel Hughes are still available, as are recordings of his string quartets, chamber concertos, and some other works. His choral or brass music, or his wind Notturno from 1940 may be performed more often than his works for full or chamber orchestra.

Private tapes of performances conducted by him and by Fritz Mahler exist, but these are rare and difficult to obtain.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Vagn Holmboe ]

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