Finn Høffding's Orchestral music from Dacapo

[M. Henriksen]

Since my fellow countryman Finn Mortensen is debated on this forum, I have no hesitation in mentioning an interesting new release from the Danish label Dacapo. Finn Høffding (1899-1997) is a new name to me. Anyway, here's details and excerpts from the coming release (march 2012):

http://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/recording-finn-hoffding---orchestral-works.aspx

And a short biography:

http://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/artist-finn-hoffding.aspx


Morten

[Dundonnell]

Many thanks for this, Morten

I like what I hear in the short excerpts and shall definitely be buying this cd when it is released

[M. Henriksen]

You're welcome! Please share your impressions of this music when you've got the time. I'm very curious, the excerpts are a bit short. Another interesting coming release (may 2012) from Dacapo is a disc with orchestral works by Erik Norby (1936-2007), a pupil of Per Nørgård. We'll have to make another post for that one.


Morten

[Dundonnell]

Hmmm

I rather fear that Norgard is a bit over my head

[M. Henriksen]

I don't listen to Norgård myself either. 


Morten

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Morten, for this information. I've duly noted the CD - looks very interesting.

[britishcomposer]

I have uploaded a wind quintet by Finn Høffding so that you can get a better impression of his music. I also know the symphonic phantasy 'Det er ganske vist' but neither did impress me very much. However, yes, I am looking forward to this disc as well! Always ready to change my mind!

[Dundonnell]

The Penguin/Pelican "European Music in the Twentieth Century"(ed. Howard Hartog; 1961 edition) has a chapter on 'Modern Music in Scandinavia' written by Bo Wallner. The section on Denmark begins with three composers Wallner considered as the immediate successors to Nielsen: Knudaage Riisager, Finn Hoffding and Jorgen Bentzon. Wallner went on to discuss the next generation of Danish composers, among whom he considered Vagn Holmboe, Hermann D. Koppel, Svend Tarp and Niels Viggo Bentzon the most important figures.

Riisager, Holmboe and Koppel have been reasonably well-treated by the record companies(Dacapo, Danacord and BIS), Niels Viggo Bentzon less so and Tarp hardly at all.
It is interesting therefore to finally get some substantial Hoffding.

Jorgen Bentzon seems, however, to have disappeared without trace

[eschiss1]

I think a brief work or two by Jorgen Bentzon has been broadcast over BBC Through the Night (rebroadcast, rather) - so maybe more like "almost vanished". Likewise Hoffding, I think...
Hoping for more. (And ...

Hang together, or one hangs, separately...er, ok, that's maybe not quite how I want to put it. 
None of these composers' musics go anywhere (except the occasional single never-repeated premiere) without advocates, to paraphrase the much-despised *g* Arnold Schoenberg (writing on a very closely related subject) - so advocate!

[Dundonnell]

I think a brief work or two by Jorgen Bentzon has been broadcast over BBC Through the Night (rebroadcast, rather) - so maybe more like "almost vanished". Likewise Hoffding, I think...
Hoping for more. (And ...

Hang together, or one hangs, separately...er, ok, that's maybe not quite how I want to put it. 
None of these composers' musics go anywhere (except the occasional single never-repeated premiere) without advocates, to paraphrase the much-despised *g* Arnold Schoenberg (writing on a very closely related subject) - so advocate!

It is a bit difficult to "advocate" Jorgen Bentzon's music since I haven't heard a single note of it

Al I can go on is what I read- and that is interesting. He was Niels Viggo's older cousin(by 22 years) but died aged 54 in 1951. Bentzon made a name for himself with chamber music which used the technique of 'character polyphony' and, when that proved somewhat beyond his contemporary audience in Denmark, reverted to a more popular style. His Symphony No.2(1946/7) is well-spoken of by Wallner.

[eschiss1]

Jorgen Bentzon's Sinfonia Buffa of 1939 has been rebroadcast (as "Sinfonia Buffo, op.35") over "Through the Night" a few times (see e.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k4q23 - will keep eye out for it to see when it's next on air so that at least one's heard one work of his

[eschiss1]

The Høffding is now mentioned in Naxos' upcoming releases page.

[eschiss1]

I recall liking Norgard's string quartets somewhat when I heard some of them in college on the Kontrapunkt label (... er... am I confusing him with Nordgren? Agh.) and maybe one of his symphonies afterwards.

[Dundonnell]

I can recommend the new Dacapo Hoffding release with enthusiasm

I was not terribly optimistic about this music. I suppose that I was equating Hoffding with Knudaage Riisager and expecting his music to sound similar-light, airy, neoclassical, a bit insubstantial.

Neoclassical it is but with much more substance and expressive depth The cd booklet notes don't help, I am afraid, telling one little about the music itself and concentrating instead on aspects of Danish humour common to Carl Nielsen, Riisager and Hoffding. It is true though, as Per Norgard says, in his short essay that Hoffding is more of a bridge between Nielsen and the next generation of Koppel, Holmboe and Niels Viggo Bentzon. I would like to hear more of Hoffding's music and that in itself is a recommendation

[Dundonnell]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-finn-hoffding-1260463.html

Martin Anderson's obituary from 'The Independent' (the best place to go for obituaries of composers by far