August Topman

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August Topman (* June 28 . Jul / 10. July  1882 greg. In Lõpemetsa at Raikküla today county Rapla , † 8. September 1968 in Tallinn , Soviet Union ) was an Estonian composer , organist and professor.

Life

August Topman (spelling also Topmann ) was born the son of a school teacher. He completed his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1904 in the subject organ with Louis Homilius and in 1911 in composition with Anatoly Lyadow and Jāzeps Vītols .

From 1904 to 1919 Topman was the organist of the Tallinn Johannes Church ( Jaani kirik ). He also taught music at various Tallinn schools from 1907 to 1931. In 1919 he was one of the founders of the Tallinn Higher Music School ( Estonian Tallinna Kõrgem Muusikakool ). From the same year Topman was a lecturer at the Tallinn State Conservatory for Organ, Music Theory and Music Teacher Training, from 1925 with the title of Professor. His students included Juhan Jürme , Els Aarne , Johannes Hiob , Edgar Arro , Villem Kapp and Hugo Lepnurm .

From 1913 to 1921 Topman was choirmaster and conductor at the Estonia Opera House . In addition, he worked as a choir director and celebrated concert organist. From 1927 to 1929 Topman was also chairman of the Estonian Singers Association ( Eesti Lauljate Liit ).

After the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union , August Topman was withdrawn from teaching at the Conservatory for political reasons. It was not until the mid-1950s that he was rehabilitated in the course of de-Stalinization and in 1957 received the title of "Honored Artist of the Estonian SSR ".

In addition to his work as an organist and music teacher, Topman is also known for his own compositions. These include two cantatas and numerous solo songs and choral pieces.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eesti elulood. Tallinn: Eesti entsüklopeediakirjastus 2000 (= Eesti entsüklopeedia 14) ISBN 9985-70-064-3 , p. 545
personal data
SURNAME Topman, August
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Topmann, August
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Estonian composer, organist and university lecturer
DATE OF BIRTH July 10, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH Lõpemetsa near Raikküla , today Rapla County
DATE OF DEATH September 8, 1968
Place of death Tallinn , Soviet Union