Holmboe Vagn, *20 December 1909 Horsens, †1 September 1996, Danish composer, teacher and music journalist. Between 1926 and 1929, he studied music theory, music history and composition under K. Jeppesen and F. Høffding, as well as playing the organ, at the Copenhagen Conservatory. In 1930, he continued his studies with E. Toch in Berlin; in 1933, he married the Romanian pianist, Meta Graff; and between 1933 and 1934, he conducted research into folk music in Romania. He then settled in Copenhagen, where he supported himself by giving private lessons until the late 1930s. From 1940 to 1949, he taught music at the Institute for the Blind in Copenhagen; from 1950 to 1965, he lectured at the Conservatory, becoming a professor in 1955. At the same time, from 1947 to 1955, he was a music critic for the daily broadsheet newspaper “Politiken”. In 1965, he retired from his journalistic activities after receiving a lifetime honorary grant from Statens Kunstfond (the Danish national art foundation). Holmboe received a number of grants and awards, including the Danish culture prize in 1965. Holmboe only began assigning opus numbers to his works from 1935 onwards.
In the early period of his career (from 1947), Holmboe was influenced by Stravinsky, incorporating the characteristic features of neoclassicism, particularly in his cycle of 12 chamber concertos. A second important source of inspiration for him was the work of Bartók and Balkan folk music, which found expression in a strongly prominent rhythmic element, motoric drive and ostinato motifs. Holmboe was a continuator of Nielsen’s symphonic tradition with its striving for clarity of line and classical balance of form. Holmboe’s musical language, however, is remarkably expressive, almost ecstatic. The pinnacle of this period of his work was the Symphony No. 5, the performance of which at the International Society for Contemporary Music festival in Copenhagen (1947) brought Holmboe international recognition. From the Symphony No. 6 onwards, the composer’s focus shifted to motivic work. He developed what is known as the “metamorphosis technique”, which involves the organic transformation of subtly sketched thematic ideas. This technique came to dominate Holmboe’s entire later output, beginning in 1949–50, when he composed his first three string quartets (Op. 46, 47, 48), the Symphony No. 7, which marked a step towards concentrating expression within a single-movement symphonic form in works described as symphonic metamorphoses (Epitaph, Monolith, Epilogue, Tempo variabile). Holmboe’s string quartets rank among the outstanding achievements of 20th-century chamber music; these works are imbued with a profound lyricism. The characteristic dotted rhythms and modally coloured melodies lose their folkloric connotations here. In his numerous choral compositions, Holmboe proved himself a master of a cappella vocal polyphony (Liber canticorum, Book I–V) in the tradition of the Jeppesen school, though he did not shy away from more elaborate performance techniques (Requiem for Nietzsche). Holmboe does not adopt the latest innovations in musical language; his work is marked by a constant deepening of expression based on a conscious engagement with musical tradition combined with the technique of metamorphosis. Holmboe presented his aesthetic views and working method in the pages of “Dansk Musiktidsskrift” and in the book Mellemspil.
Literature: V. Holmboe A Catalogue of His Music. Discography. Bibliography. Essays, ed. P. Rapoport, London 1974; R. Layton The Symphonies of V. Holmboe, “The Listener” 1965 no. 4; R. Layton V. Holmboe and the Quartet, “The Musical Times” CX, 1969; J. Balzer V. Holmboe. A Portrait of a Composer, “Musical Denmark” 1969/70; P. Rapoport V. Holmboe’s Symphonic Metamorphoses 1975 (dissertation, University of Illinois).
Compositions
Instrumental:
orchestral:
Concerto-Symphony, Op. 13b, 1937
Symphony No. 1, Op. 4, 1935
Symphony No. 2, Op. 15, 1939
Sinfonia rustica No. 3, Op. 25, 1941
Sinfonia sacra No. 4, Op. 29, with chorus, 1941
Symphony No. 5, Op. 35, 1944
Symphony No. 6, Op. 43, 1947
Symphony No. 7, Op. 50, 1950
Sinfonia boreale No. 8, Op. 56, 1952
Symphony No. 9, Op. 95, 1968, revised 1969
Symphony No. 10, Op. 105, 1971, revised 1972
Sinfonia in memoriam, Op. 65, 1955
Epitaph, Op. 68, symphonic metamorphosis, 1956
Monolith, Op. 76, symphonic metamorphosis, 1960
Epilogue, Op. 80, symphonic metamorphosis, 1962
Tempo variabile, Op. 108, symphonic metamorphosis, 1971
for string orchestra:
Divertimento, 1932; new version, 1976
Symphony No. 1, 1957
Symphony No. 2, 1957
Symphony No. 3, 1959
Symphony No. 4 1962, part of Kairos, Op. 73a–d
Chamber symphony No. 1, Op. 53, 1951
Chamber symphony No. 2, Op. 100, 1968
Chamber symphony No. 3, Frise, Op. 103a, 1970
Diafora, Op. 118, 1974
Louisiana Concerto, Op. 131, 1977
***
Concertino, Op. 22, for violin, viola and string orchestra, 1940
Concertino nr 2, Op. 24, for violin and string orchestra, 1941
Symfonisk ouverture, Op. 28, for percussion, piano and string orchestra, 1941
Chamber Concerto, Op. 17, for piano and orchestra, 1939
Chamber Concerto, Op. 20, for flute, violin and orchestra, 1940
Chamber Concerto, Op. 21, for clarinet and orchestra, 1940
Chamber Concerto, Op. 30, for piano, violin, cello and orchestra, 1942
Chamber Concerto, Op. 31, for viola and orchestra, 1943
Chamber Concerto, Op. 33, for violin and orchestra, 1943
Chamber Concerto, Op. 37, for oboe and orchestra, 1945
Sinfonia concertante, Op. 38, 1945, Op. 39 for violin, viola and orchestra, 1946
Chamber Concerto, Op. 44, for trumpet and orchestra, 1948
Chamber Concerto, Op. 52, for trombone and orchestra, 1950
Chamber Concerto, Op. 67, for oboe, viola and orchestra, 1956
Violin Concerto, Op. 14, 1938
Violin Concerto, Op. 139, 1979
Cello Concerto, Op. 120, 1974
Concerto, Op. 122, for flute and string orchestra with celesta and vibraphone, 1974
Flute Concerto, Op. 126, 1975
Tuba Concerto, Op. 127, 1976
chamber:
String quartet No. 1, Op. 26, 1941
String quartet No. 2, Op. 46, 1949
String quartet No. 3, Op. 47, 1949
String quartet No. 4, Op. 48, 1950
String quartet No. 5, Op. 63, 1954, revised 1956
String quartet No. 6, Op. 66, 1955
String quartet No. 7, Op. 78, 1961
String quartet No. 8, Op. 86, 1965
String quartet No. 9, Op. 87, 1965
String quartet No. 10, Op. 92, 1966, revised 1969
String quartet No. 11, Op. 102, 1969
Quartetto rustico, Op. 111, 1972
String quartet No. 13, Op. 116, 1973
String quartet No. 14, Op. 124, 1975
String quartet No. 15, Op. 125, 1975
4 string trios, 1930–32
Serenade, Op. 3, for clarinet, piano and string quartet, 1936
Quintet, Op. 10, for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin and viola, 1936
Notturno, Op. 19, for wind quintets, 1940
Aspekter, Op. 72, for wind quintets, 1957
Aspekter, Op. 79, for wind quintets, 1962
Serenade, Op. 18, for flute, piano, violin and cello, 1940
Isomeric, Op. 50, for 2 violins and piano, 1951
Primavera, Op. 55, for flute, violin, cello and piano, 1951
Piano Trio, Op. 64, 1954
Quartetto medico, Op. 70, for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano, 1956
Tropos, Op. 75, for 2 violins, 2 violas and a cello, 1960
Quartet, Op. 90, for flute, violin, viola and cello, 1966
Trio, Op. 97, for flute, cello and piano, 1968
Musik til Morten, Op. 104, for oboe and string quintet, 1970
Fanden løs i Vildmosen, Op. 106a, for clarinet, 2 violins and double bass, 1971
Musik for fugle og frøer, Op. 106b, for 2 flutes and 16 bassoons, 1971
Ondata, Op. 109, for 6 drums, 1972
Sekstet, Op. 114, for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola and cello, 1973
Triade, Op. 123, for trumpet and organ, 1975
Nuigen, Op. 129, for piano trio, 1976
Firefir, Op. 130, for 4 flutes, 1977
Ondata 2 for 8 drums, 1978
Sonata, Op. 2, for violin and piano, 1935
Sonata, Op. 16, for violin and piano, 1939
Sonata, Op. 89, for violin and piano, 196
Sonatina capricciosa, Op. 27, for flute and piano, 1942
Sonatina, Op. 93, for oboe and piano, 1966
Sonata, Op. 83, for violin and viola, 1963
Sonata, Op. 71, for flute, 1957
Sonata, Op. 82, for double bass, 1962
Sonata, Op. 101, for cello, 1969
piano:
Rumœnsk suite, Op. 12a, 1937
Dansk suite, Op. 12b, 1938
Sonatina briosa, Op. 27a, 1941
Suono na bardo, Op. 49, 1950
Moto austero, Op. 88a, 1965
Moto austero, Op. 88b, 1972
I venti, Op. 99b, 1972
organ music:
Fabula I, Op. 112, 1972
Fabula II, Op. 115, 1973
Contrasti, Op. 113, 1972
Vocal and vocal-instrumental:
solo songs with piano accompaniment
Edward, Op. 107a, for baritone and orchestra, 1971
The wee wee man, Op. 107b, for tenor and orchestra, 1971
choral works set to texts by Scandinavian poets
a cappella choral works based on biblical texts:
Psalm 62, Op. 13a, 1937
Liber canticorum, Book I, Op. 54, 1952
Liber canticorum, Book II, Op. 59, 1953
Liber canticorum, Book III, Op. 60, 1953
Liber canticorum, Book IV, Op. 61, 1953
Liber canticorum, Book V, Op. 96a, 1967
3 Inuit Songs, Op. 69, for baritone, male choir and timpani, 1956
Requiem for Nietzsche, Op. 84, text by. T. Bjørnvig, for tenor, baritone, choir and orchestra, 1964
13 cantatas without opus numbers for solo voices, choir and various instrumental ensembles, 1940–72
Cantata profana “Frise”, Op. 103, 1970
Stage:
Fanden og borgemesteren (“The Devil and the Mayor”), opera, libretto by W. Kolbenhoff, 1940
Lave og John (“Lave and John”), opera, libretto by L. Thorbjørnsson, 1948
Kniven (“The Knife”), opera, libretto by composer, 1960
Fløjten (“The Flute”), radio play, libretto by P. Gudmundsen, 1946
Den galsindede tyrk (“The Ill-Tempered Turk”), ballet, after A. Salto, 1944
***
film and theatre music
Writings:
papers in “Dansk Musiktidsskrift”:
Musik og æstetik, 1933
Den rumænske folkemusik, 1934
Lidt om moderne musik, 1936
Arabisk musikkultur, 1937
Gadesangen i København (“The street cry in Copenhagen”) , 1938
Om kritik, 1939
Tunesisk musik, 1940
Symfoni, koncert og nutidens musik, 1944
***
Strejflys overnogle problemer i dansk musik, “Prisma” 1950
Tre symfonier, w: Modern nordisk musik, ed. I. Bengtsson, 1957
Mellemspil. Tre musikalske aspekter, Copenhagen 1966, 2nd ed. 1968
On Form and Metamorphosis, in: The Modern Composer and His World, 1961
In Memory of C. Nielsen, “Musical Denmark” 1964
