The prolific Mr. Holmboe

Synopsis

If pressed to name a famous 20th century Danish composer, most concert-goers would say, “Carl Nielsen”–after all, he wrote six symphonies that get performed every now and then. But if pressed to name a 20th century Danish composer who wrote thirteen symphonies, fewer would be able to say, “Vagn Holmboe, of course–and he also wrote 20 string quartets!”

To be fair, the works of Vagn Holmboe, a Dane who lived from 1909 to 1996, don’t show up on the programs of American orchestras or string quartets very often these days, which is a shame, since his music is quite intriguing.

The prolific Mr. Holmboe wrote as many string quartets as Bartok and Shostakovich’s combined, and both those composers influenced his style. Holmboe’s String Quartet No. 13, for examples, is in 5 movements, like some of Bartok’s, and premiered in Copenhagen on today’s date in 1976.

In addition to being a prolific composer and respected composition teacher, Holmboe was a nature lover: in 1939 he settled in the idyllic Danish countryside of Zealand, where he personally planted 3000 trees on his land by Lake Arreso.

Music Played in Today's Program

Vagn Holmboe (1909 – 1996) String Quartet No. 13, Op. 124 Kontra Quartet Da Capo CD 8.207001 (complete) or 8.224127 (Quartets 13-15 only)

On This Day

Births

• 1561 - Italian composer Jacopo Peri, in Rome; His setting of Rinuccini's poem "Dafne," staged in 1600, is credited as the first opera;

Deaths

• 1813 - Bohemian composer Jan Krittel Vanhal (Johann Baptist Wanhal), age 74, in Vienna;

Premieres

• 1882 - Tchaikovsky: "1812 Overture," on an all-Tchaikovsky program presented during an Art and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow (Julian date: Aug. 8);

• 1943 - Manuel Ponce: Violin Concerto, in Mexico City, conducted by Carlos Chavez;

• 1956 - Bliss: "Edinburgh Overture," at the opening of the Edinburgh Festival of Music and Drama;

• 1958 - Menotti: opera "Maria Golovin," at the International Exposition in Brussels, Belgium;

• 1961 - John Harbison: "Duo" for flute and piano, at the Brooklyn Museum, with flutist Neil Zaslaw and pianist Juliette Arnold;

• 1965 - Harrison Birtwistle: "Tragoedia" for chamber ensemble, at Wardour Castle in England, during the Castle Summer School of Music, by the Melos Ensemble conducted by Lawrence Foster;

• 1973 - Carl Orff: cantata "De Temporum Fine Commedia" (A Play of the End of Time) at the Salzburg Festival, with Herbert von Karajan conducting;

• 1979 - Harbison: opera "The Winter's Tale" in San Francisco;

• 1980 - Rubbra: Symphony No. 11, in London by the BBC Northern Symphony;

• 1992 - Joan Tower: "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" No. 5 (dedicated to Joan Harris), at the opening of the Joan and Irving Harris Concert Hall at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.

• 2004 - Zhou Long: “The Immortal” for orchestra, at a BBC Proms concerts with the BBC Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting;

• 2004 - Peter Maxwell Davies: “Naxos Quartet” No. 4 (“Children’s Games”), in the Chapel of the Royal Palace, Oslo (Norway) during the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, by the Maggini Quartet.