Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996)

[calyptorhynchus]

I like Holmboe's music a lot (I mainly know the symphonies and the string quartets). At the moment I'm going through the SQs and liking them even more. I love the way that the SQs sound so right, that is, they sound exactly what I think a C20 tough tonal SQ should sound like: plenty of flow, wonderful counterpoint, moments of intense beauty &c

In particular I love the moment when each quartet reaches its tonal goal. I don't have much of sense of tonality, but the ending of each (and the ending of each movement as well) always seems just right.

However, I can also see why people might not get him, because it's difficult to pin down his style. If you listen to other C20 masters like Nielsen, VW, Robert Simpson &c every bar of their pieces could only have been written by them (respectively). With Holmboe I struggle to think what is distinctive about his style. A composer he reminds me of in this regard is Elizabeth Maconchy (who also wrote lots of very fine SQs).

I don't mind the sound of the Da Capo SQ recordings, it suits the music, you wouldn't want it too warm! I usually listen to music quite softly.

[Madiel]

No folks, I didn't lend my CDs to the other local... 

[Madiel]

AHA! I KNEW IT!!

The Trombone Sonata, opus 172a, and To a Living Stone, opus 172c, are based on the same musical material!

Which means that the (I think) unrecorded piano quintet Translation, opus 172b, would be as well.  I've seen explicit indications for some other works that share opus numbers that they share material, but not, surprisingly, for these even though they were recorded by the same group. The liner notes for both 172c (on Volume 1) and 172a (on Volume 2) fail to mention the connection. The main catalogue of Holmboe's work doesn't say anything either!

[asin]B00004WEXT[/asin][asin]B00005NQL0[/asin]

[Madiel]

Having had it suggested that I post my thoughts on my new Holmboe discs here in this thread, this is the first one that I've completed listening to:

[asin]B00AOALXJI[/asin]

Now, as I said, I haven't completed any of the other discs yet, but... wow is this good, and it might be the best of the lot.  The sound quality, as everybody I've seen talk about this disc has said, is fantastic. (NB The mere fact that I've bought a disc in the year of release, so that other people are still talking about it, is extremely rare for me!)

Then there's the music. The early Concerto for Orchestra is surprisingly un-Holmboe like, really. There are some traces there, yes, but it doesn't even sound that much like the early opus number works (this concerto is 1929, and op.1 is 1935). I certainly like it. I'm not sure it's going to become a favourite though.

The other two works, though... fantastic. I am not, in general, always enamoured of concertos, but I found both of these works riveting. The Viola Concerto is wonderfully dynamic, and the Violin Concerto just has this fantastically magical, transfixing air about it - I found myself entirely listening to the violin's weaving and twisting lines and barely registering the supporting orchestra. The liner notes talks about the violinist's role "as a fantasizing, temperamental folk-like musician", which seems very apt.

[Mirror Image]

That's a great disc right there no doubt about it. Have you heard any of the concertante recordings on BIS? I really love the work Beatus Parvo which is a choir concerto for chorus (obviously), strings, and timpani. You'll love this work I think.

[Madiel]

That's a great disc right there no doubt about it. Have you heard any of the concertante recordings on BIS? I really love the work Beatus Parvo which is a choir concerto for chorus (obviously), strings, and timpani. You'll love this work I think.

The Recorder and Flute Concertos disc was one of my recent purchases. I've heard quite a few bits and pieces of the other BIS concertante recordings via Spotify, and in fact Beatus Parvo made an exceptionally good impression from just one listen.

(I recently sampled all the things on the 'chamber concerto' recordings that are not duplicated across BIS and Da Capo, to see if I had any clear preference for my next bout of Holmboe shopping. The answer was that I clearly need both sets...)

[Mirror Image]

The Recorder and Flute Concertos disc was one of my recent purchases. I've heard quite a few bits and pieces of the other BIS concertante recordings via Spotify, and in fact Beatus Parvo made an exceptionally good impression from just one listen.

(I recently sampled all the things on the 'chamber concerto' recordings that are not duplicated across BIS and Da Capo, to see if I had any clear preference for my next bout of Holmboe shopping. The answer was that I clearly need both sets...)

The Brass Concertos disc is also worth picking up at some point. The Trombone Concerto, in particular, was rather good. I haven't heard any of the Chamber Concerto works yet, so I'll be eyeing these in the future.

[Madiel]

The Brass Concertos disc is also worth picking up at some point. The Trombone Concerto, in particular, was rather good. I haven't heard any of the Chamber Concerto works yet, so I'll be eyeing these in the future.

Ah, but the Trombone Concerto is a Chamber Concerto. That's the trick.  At some point Holmboe changed from calling the series of 13 numbered concertos 'chamber concertos' to just plain 'concertos'.  Da Capo has recorded them on 4 discs of 'chamber concertos', and BIS has recorded a considerable number of them without that title.  The trumpet, trombone, piano, clarinet, and oboe concertos, and two of the orchestral concertos, are all part of what Da Capo calls 'chamber concertos 1 to 13'.

[Mirror Image]

Ah, but the Trombone Concerto is a Chamber Concerto. That's the trick.  At some point Holmboe changed from calling the series of 13 numbered concertos 'chamber concertos' to just plain 'concertos'.  Da Capo has recorded them on 4 discs of 'chamber concertos', and BIS has recorded a considerable number of them without that title.  The trumpet, trombone, piano, clarinet, and oboe concertos, and two of the orchestral concertos, are all part of what Da Capo calls 'chamber concertos 1 to 13'.

Ah, okay. Well you're definitely much more affluent in Holmboe's oeuvre than I am, so I appreciate the continuing education.

[Madiel]

I finished off another one of my new discs last night:

[asin]B009F2CWJG[/asin]

It felt to me like these works are often lighter in tone than the works on Volume 1. Although really, I'd have to go back and listen to the whole of each disc to see whether that's a fair impression. What terrible tasks I set myself. 

But certainly the Quartetto Medico is deliberately a lighter affair.

I liked the sonata for solo cello quite a bit, but the clear standout on this first set of listens was the Sextet, for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola and cello. The liner notes seem to think that's a fairly rare combination, but it really works. The instruments can be set off against each other in pairs, at high, middle and low pitches.

[Madiel]

More thoughts on the other discs I got...

[asin] B00000DD3R[/asin]

I really enjoyed the flute concertos, especially no.2, and especially the final movement which is just a total delight. Crazy pizzicato strings and a couple of bassoons is a great opening.

The recorder concerto... it's not that I dislike it, it's just that the sound-world is so strange. I find the wobble in the recorder's tone a little disconcerting right now. I may well get used to it. I'd be curious to hear the other recording (Michala Petri) to see if it sounds any different.

[asin]B0000268PM[/asin]

Holmboe's masterpieces as some have suggested? For me at the moment... no. At least, not in total. I think Epitaph is marvellous, well up to the standard of Holmboe's symphonies and virtually part of that series in all but name.  I also found Tempo variabile very rewarding.  However, I really didn't get much out of the short Monolith.  As for Epilog, the work that did initially get labelled as a symphony... I think Holmboe actually worked out it wasn't really at the same level as his symphonies, certainly in terms of motivic organisation. At the moment I find the first half of the piece a little repetitive and 'obvious' by his standards. It's big and dark and powerful, yes, but I don't currently find it as impressive as a couple of its disc-mates.

[asin]B00004WEXT[/asin] [asin]B00005NQL0[/asin]

I tried listening to all of the preludes together, and in truth a lot of them blend together. They don't all necessarily have distinct characters from each other. But they are all, in fact, quite good pieces. Exercises in contrasting textures more than anything else, with the instruments used in various 'blocks' - winds, strings, brass, and the percussive accents. The orchestra used is small enough to have individual instruments register, but large enough to provide quite a lot of variety.

The 2 chamber works on the second disc are also enjoyable, certainly similar in approach to the other chamber works more recently recorded by Ensemble MidtVest.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks for these, please carry on.

[Madiel]

Thanks for these, please carry on.

I'll have to buy some more discs, then! 

PS Provisional Holmboe shopping list: the 4 discs of 'chamber' concertos from Da Capo, the 3 discs of 'concertos' from BIS that include about half of the same works, the Requiem for Nietzsche, and if I can find a copy at a decent price the complete collection of Liber Canticorum that I think is on the Danica label.

[calyptorhynchus]

Hey Guys

Is there a recent CD with selections from the Liber Canticorum available? Can't seem to find one.

[Madiel]

Hey Guys

Is there a recent CD with selections from the Liber Canticorum available? Can't seem to find one.

Depends what you want. I don't think there's any single CD that is just Liber Canticorum. Bits of it appear within a number of choral collections.

On the other hand, if you want the whole thing, there is a complete 3-CD set that was released by Danica. I haven't got it yet, and I'm not sure how easy it would be to get on CD, but Amazon has the mp3s of it.

[asin]B000SXMWM8[/asin]

EDIT: You might still be able to buy it on CD for only about A$40 plus shipping. http://www.lillemuko.dk/en/discography/vagn-holmboe-liber-canticorum

[calyptorhynchus]

Thanks Orfeo

Being in Australia I don't think I can download Amazon MP3s (seem to remember trying once).

But I will investigate the CDs from Denmark.

[Madiel]

But I will investigate the CDs from Denmark.

Hey, if they still have them, we could get 2 at once and save on postage! 

[Mirror Image]

I thought I would never be saying this considering I struggled so long with Holmboe's music but he's slowly becoming one of my favorite composers (a long list I know). I don't know why I struggled, but his music is simply magnificent. I know Orfeo is a huge fan and I have say that his ongoing commentary on this thread has helped me come to appreciate the composer much more. Christo even knew Holmboe and it was wonderful reading his account of getting acquainted with the man behind the music.

[Madiel]

 

I saw you've had a listen to Symphony No.3 recently, and No.2 again.

I've got a hankering for Symphony No.6 at the moment, which my spreadsheet tells me I haven't listened to in full for over 2 years. Calyptorhynchus and I did indeed go for the Liber Canticorum set, so keen for that to arrive. It could trigger another general binge...

[Mirror Image]

I saw you've had a listen to Symphony No.3 recently, and No.2 again.

I've got a hankering for Symphony No.6 at the moment, which my spreadsheet tells me I haven't listened to in full for over 2 years. Calyptorhynchus and I did indeed go for the Liber Canticorum set, so keen for that to arrive. It could trigger another general binge...

The 2nd and 3rd are damn good. I have to be careful around on this thread as well because if I buy something it could very well trigger a binge as well. So is the 6th your favorite Holmboe symphony?