Hakon Børresen

Hakon Børresen

Axel Ejnar Hakon Børresen (born June 2, 1876 in Copenhagen ; † October 6, 1954 there ) was a Danish composer .

Life

Børresen came from a merchant family and received piano, violin, cello and music theory lessons in his youth. At his wish to become a composer, his father asked for a competent judgment, which is why Børresen paid Johan Svendsen in 1895 . He was convinced of Børresen's talent. Private lessons followed, ending in 1901 with the world premiere of Børresen's First Symphony. The young composer received the Ancker legacy for this work. He spent the following year in Germany , France and Belgium , where he made various connections. From 1902 Børresen lived freelance in Copenhagen and Skagen , where he owned a second home. He made particular contributions as organizer of music festivals and as chairman of the Danish Composers' Association, an office which he held from 1924 to 1949. He also helped found the Danish Music Council in 1935 and became its first chairman. Børresen died as one of the most respected personalities in Danish musical life.

Audio language

Stylistically, Børresen is fully committed to late Romanticism ; more recent tendencies had no influence on his work. He often took his inspiration from images and moods of Danish nature, so that many of his works have a distinctly national tone. Especially at the beginning of his career, he was still strongly influenced by Tchaikovsky and his teacher Svendsen . Børresen's naturally flowing melodies and effective instrumentation are particularly striking. His works are also characterized by a fresh, powerful, optimistic mood. Overall, his music seems slightly anachronistic, but it convinces the listener with its freshness, folklore and immediacy of expression. Today, however, Børresen receives little attention.

Works

• Orchestral works
  • Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3 (1900)
  • Symphony No. 2 in A major, Op. 7 "The Sea" (1904)
  • Symphony No. 3 in C major op.21 (1925/26)
  • Violin Concerto in G major op.11 (1904)
  • "The Normans", concert overture op. 16 (1912, rev. 1935)
  • Serenade in C major for horn, strings and timpani (1944)
  • "Nordic Folk Melodies" for string orchestra (1949)
• Vocal works
  • "The royal guest", opera (1919)
  • "Kaddara", opera (1921)
  • Songs
  • Choirs
• Other stage works
  • "Tycho Brahe's Dream", ballet (1924)
  • Stage music
• Chamber music
  • String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, Op. 20 (1913)
  • String Quartet No. 2 in C minor (1939)
  • String sextet in G major op.5 (1901)
  • Violin Sonata in A minor op.9 (1907)
  • Romance for violoncello and piano in D major op.4 (1902)
• Piano music
  • smaller pieces