Henriques Fini Valdemar, *20 December 1867 Copenhagen, *27 October 1940 Copenhagen, Danish composer and violinist. He first studied in Copenhagen under V. Tofte (violin) and J. Svendsen (composition); between 1888 and 1891, he furthered his violin studies under J. Joachim in Berlin. From 1892 to 1896 he was a member of the Royal Danish Orchestra in Copenhagen. In later years he gave numerous concerts in the Scandinavian countries, in Paris, Berlin and London as a soloist, conductor and leader of the string quartet he had founded.
Henriques gained international renown as a violinist; his playing was characterised by lightness, elegance and romantic sentiment, whilst his repertoire retained a classical-romantic profile. A large part of Henriques’s compositions remained in manuscript form; some (piano reductions of operas, most of the miniatures, songs and chamber works) were published by W. Hansen. Henriques’s finest works (the opera Vølund Smed, the ballet Den lilie havfrue, the Sonata for Violin and Piano, the String Quartet in A minor, and the Symphony in C major) are written in the late Romantic style.
Literature: S. Berg Fini Henriques, Copenhagen 1944 (includes a catalogue of Henriques’ works).
Instrumental:
orchestral:
Symphony in C major 1896
Kong Volmer, symphonic poem 1898
Hans Christian Andersen, overture, 1905
Nordisk Konzert-Ouvertüre 1939
Romance for violin and string orchestra, 1893
Suite in F major for oboe and string orchestra, 1894
chamber:
String Quartet in E flat major 1889
Bornetrio for violin, cello and piano, 1904
String Quartet in A minor 1910
Kammerduetter for two violins and piano, 1912
Quartet for flute, violin, cello and piano, 1937
for violin and piano:
Sonata in G minor 1893
Noveletter 1905
Romance in D major 1909
for piano:
Lyrisk Suite 1909
numerous series of miniatures, including Lyrik 1893, Erotik 1896, Miniature-Aquareller 1900, Karakterstykker 1905, Melodiske profiler 1911, Tommeliden 1914
Vocal-instrumental:
cycles of solo songs, including:
Fire sange, text by S. Michaelis, 1900
To sange, text by A. Oehlenschläger, 1902
Stille sange, text by H. Drachmann, J.P. Jacobsen, Th. Lange, 1909
Den danske studentersang, text by A. Juel, 1922
Julesange, text by E. Bønnelycke, 1926
Jyttevers, text by H. Nathausen, 1929
Stage:
operas:
Volund Smed, libretto H. Drachmann, staged as a melodrama in Copenhagen 1896, and as opera in Copenhagen1940
Staerstikkeren, libretto C.M. Norman-Hansen, staged in Copenhagen 1926
balety:
Den lilie havfrue, libretto J. Lehmann and H. Beck after H.Ch. Andersena, staged in 1909
Tata, staged in 1931
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theatre music
