Vagn Holmboe(1909-96): a Catalogue of the Orchestral Music

[Dundonnell]

Arguably the finest Danish composer since Carl Nielsen and one of the 20th century's most important composers, Holmboe's works are very well-represented on disc. Still unrecorded however are the two Violin Concertos(1938 and 1978-79), the Viola Concerto(1991-92), the three Chamber Symphonies(1951, 1968, 1969-70) and Holmboe's last completed composition-the Concerto for String Quartet and orchestra.

VAGN HOLMBOE: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1927:      Symphony
1928:      Symphony  (incomplete)
1929:      Concerto for Orchestra
1931:      Requiem for children's choir and orchestra
                Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
                Chamber Music No.1 for chamber orchestra
1932:      Chamber Music No.2 for strings
                Music I for school orchestra
1933:      Divertimento I for chamber orchestra
                Concerto for strings
                Symphony  (incomplete)
1933/76:Divertimento II for strings
1935:      Suite No.1 for chamber orchestra, op.1
                Overture
                Chamber Sonata No.1 for Violin and String Orchestra, op. 2b
               Symphony No.1 for chamber orchestra, op. 4: 15 minutes   +  (Bis cd)
               Rumanian Suite for Piano and Chamber Orchestra   (incomplete)
               Rhapsody for Flute and Chamber Orchestra, op.5
1935-36:Suite No.2 for chamber orchestra, op.6
1936:      Suite No.3 for chamber orchestra, op.11
                Little Overture
1937:      Concerto-Symphony for Violin and Orchestra, op.13b  (incomplete)
1938:      Violin Concerto No.1, op.14
                Danish Suite for orchestra
                Rumanian Suite for orchestra (revision of 1935 work)
                Concertino for chamber orchestra
                Music for Violin Choir
1938-39:Symphony No.2, op.15: 27 minutes   +  (Bis cd)
1939:      Chamber Concerto No.1 for Piano, Strings and Timpani, op.17:  29 minutes    +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1940:      Chamber Concerto No.2 for Flute, Violin, Strings and Percussion, op.20:21 minutes   +  (Dacapo cd)
                Concertino No.1 for Violin, Viola and String Orchestra, op.22: 10m minutes
                Concertino No.2 for Violin and String Orchestra, op.24   (lost)
1940-42:Chamber Concerto No.3 for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra, op. 21:16 minutes    + (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1941:      Symphony No.3 "Sinfonia Rustica", op. 25: 26 minutes   +  (Bis cd)
                Symphonic Overture, op.28
1941/45:Symphony No.4 "Sinfonia Sacra" for chorus and orchestra, op. 29: 26 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1942-45:Chamber Concerto No. 4 for Piano Trio and Chamber Orchestra, op.30:16 minutes   +  (Dacapo cd)
1943:      Chamber Concerto No.5 for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, op.31: 22 minutes   +  (Dacapo cd)
                Chamber Concerto No.6 for Violin and Chamber Orchestra, op.33:22 minutes    +  (Dacapo cd)
1944:      Symphony No.5, op.35: 25 minutes    + (Bis cd)
1944-45:Ballet "The Ill-Tempered Turk", op.32A (and Ballet Suite, op.32B: 19 minutes     +  (Bis cd))
                Chamber Concerto No.7 for Oboe and Chamber Orchestra, op. 37:19 minutes    +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1945:      Chamber Concerto No.8 "Sinfonia Concertante" for orchestra, op. 38: 19 minutes    +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1945-46:Chamber Concerto No.9 for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, op. 39:20 minutes    +  (Danacord and Dacapo cds)
                Chamber Concerto No.10 for Wood, Brass and Gut and Orchestra, op.40:20 minutes    +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1946:      Cantata No.5 for baritone, chorus and orchestra
1947:      Symphony No.6, op.43: 31 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1948:      Chamber Concerto No.11 for Trumpet and Orchestra, op.44: 15 minutes    + (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1950:      Symphony No.7, op. 50: 23 minutes    *   +  (Bis cd)
1950:      Chamber Concerto No.12 for Trombone and Orchestra, op.52: 14 minutes     +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1951:      Chamber Symphony No.1, op.53: 19 minutes     +   (Dacapo cd)
                Symphony No.8 "Sinfonia Boreale", op. 56: 34 minutes   *   + (Bis cd)
1953:      "The Tree" for chorus and small orchestra, op.62: 10 minutes
1954:      Sinfonia in Memoriam, op.65: 26 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1955-56:Chamber Concerto No.13 for Oboe, Viola and Chamber Orchestra, op. 67:21 minutes   + (Dacapo cd)
1956:      Symphonic Metamorphosis No.1 "Epitaph" for orchestra, op. 68: 22 minutes    + (Bis cd)
1957:      Sinfonia I, op.73A: 11 minutes    +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
                Sinfonia II, op.73B: 19 minutes   +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
                Concertino for four recorders and string orchestra
1958-59:Sinfonia III, op.73C: 10 minutes    +  (Bis and Dacapo cds)
                Cantata No.12 for soloists, reciter, chorus and orchestra
1960:      "The Forest" for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra, op.74: 27 minutes
                Symphonic Metamorphosis No.2 "Monolith" for orchestra, op.76:8 minutes     + (Bis cd)
1961-62:Symphonic Metamorphosis No.3 "Epilog" for orchestra, op.80: 26 minutes      +  (Bis cd)
1962:      Sinfonia IV, op.73D: 16 minutes    + (Bis and Dacapo cds)
1963-64:Requiem for Nietzsche" for tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra, op. 84:51 minutes    +  (Dacapo cd)
1964:      "Sinfonia Zieleriana" for orchestra  (unfinished)
1967-68/69:Symphony No.9, op. 95: 30 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1968:      Chamber Symphony No.2 "Elegy", op.100: 30 minutes   +   (Dacapo cd)   
1969-70:Chamber Symphony No.3 "Frise", op. 103a: 25 minutes     +  (Dacapo cd)
1970-71/72:Symphony No.10, op. 105: 26 minutes    *   +  (Bis cd)
1971:      "Music for Birds and Frogs" for two flutes and sixteen bassoons, op.106B
1971-72:Symphonic Metamorphosis No.4 "Tempo variabile" for orchestra, op. 108:17 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1973:      "Beatus Parvo" for choir and orchestra, op.117: 17 minutes    + (Bis cd)
1973-74:"Diafora" for strings, op. 118
1974:      Cello Concerto, op.120: 23 minutes    + (Bis cd)
                Concerto for Recorder, Strings, Celesta and Vibraphone, op.122: 18 minutes    + (Bis cd)
1975-76:Flute Concerto No.1, op.126: 22 minutes    + (Bis cd)
1976:      Tuba Concerto, op. 127: 16 minutes    + (Bis cd)
1977:     "Louisiana Concerto" for strings, op.131
               "Concerto giocondo e severo" for orchestra op.132: 10 minutes
               "The Word" for chorus, brass and organ, op.134
               "Fanfare 77"  for orchestra
1978-79:Violin Concerto No.2, op. 139: 25 minutes
1980:      Symphony No.11, op. 144: 20 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1981-82:Flute Concerto No.2, op. 147: 19 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1981:      Biblical Cantata for baritone, women's chorus and orchestra, op.150: 30 minutes
1983:      Concerto for brass with percussion, op. 157
1985:      "Ode to the Soul" for soprano, tenor, chorus and brass, op.161
1986:      Prelude "To a Pine Tree" for orchestra, op. 164: 5 minutes   + (Dacapo cd)
                Prelude "To a Dolphin" for orchestra, op. 166: 9 minutes   +  (Dacapo cd)
                Prelude "To a Maple Tree" for orchestra, op.168: 7 minutes   +  (Dacapo cd)
1987:      Prelude "To a Willow Tree" for orchestra, op.170: 4 minutes   +  (Dacapo cd)
               Intermezzo concertante for Tuba and Orchestra, op. 171: 7 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
               Prelude "To a Living Stone" for orchestra, op.172c: 11 minutes  +  (Dacapo cd)
               Prelude "To the Seagulls and Cormorants" for orchestra, op. 174, No.6: 6 minutes     +  (Dacapo cd)
1988:      Symphony No.12, op. 175: 23 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1989:      Prelude "To the Pollution of Nature" for orchestra, op.180: 7 minutes  +  (Dacapo cd)
1990:     "Die Erfullung" for soprano, baritone, chorus and wind orchestra, op.183: 20 minutes
               Prelude "To the Victoria Embankment" for orchestra, op. 184: 11 minutes    +  (Dacapo cd)
1991:     Prelude "To the Calm Sea" for orchestra, op.187:  5 minutes  + (Dacapo cd)
               Prelude "To the Unsettled Weather" for orchestra, op. 188: 9 minutes     + (Dacapo cd)
1991-92:Viola Concerto, op. 189: 25 minutes
1994:      Symphony No.13, op. 192: 19 minutes    +  (Bis cd)
1995-96:Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra, op. 195

[eschiss1]

Caveat - according to Rapoport's "The Compositions of Vagn Holmboe", the score (I think he means score, parts, and the whole etc., but I'm not entirely sure) of the 2nd concertino op.24/M.125 of 1940 is missing. (That isn't to say it might not turn up; there's no notation that it was ever published, however.)
The Romanian Suite for Orchestra is an incomplete orchestration of a complete piano work. Rapoport includes such things for completeness

Most of his occasional (written for occasions) series of 13 cantatas seem to have been lost, and of those that survive, not all are for orchestra (no.13 is for a cappella mixed voices); only no.5 seems, I think, to have been published so far (and only in vocal score).  No.12 (M. (Meta) 201) is for soloists, reader, chorus & orchestra also (unpublished) and seems still to exist according at least to this source, dating from 1958-59 (premiered 11-September 1959 and conducted by Per Dreier, written for the anniversary of Aarhus University.)

[karelm]

This is an interesting composer and I enjoyed traversing his output on the BIS complete symphonies set.  It's quite a journey.

[Dundonnell]

Thanks for the additional information, Eric