Bentzon, Niels Viggo
Bentzon, Niels Viggo
Bentzon, Niels Viggo, prominent Danish pianist, pedagogue, and composer, cousin of Jorgen Bentzon; b. Copenhagen, Aug. 24, 1919; d. there, April 25, 2000. He began his piano training with his mother, and then took lessons with the jazz pianist Leo Mathisen; he subsequently studied piano with Christiansen, organ with Bangert, and theory with Jeppesen at the Copenhagen Cons. (1938–42). In 1943 he made his debut as a pianist, and later toured Europe and the U.S. He taught at the Århus Cons. (1945–49) and the Royal Danish Cons. of Music in Copenhagen (from 1949). Although a prolific composer, Bentzon also found time to write music criticism, publ. poetry, and paint. He publ. Tolv-toneteknik (Copenhagen, 1953) and Beethoven: en skitse af et geni (Copenhagen, 1970). His compositions followed along avant-garde lines for the most part, encompassing happenings, audio-visual scores, and graphic notation.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: Fflwsf III (1961–62; Kiel, June 21, 1964); Automaten (1973; Kiel, May 3, 1974). ballet:Metafor (Copenhagen, March 31, 1950); Kurtisanen (The Courtesan; Copenhagen, Dec. 19, 1953); Doren (The Door; Copenhagen, Nov. 14, 1962); Jenny von Westphalen (Ârhus, Sept. 9, 1965); Jubilacumsballet 800 (1968); Duell (Stockholm, Nov. 12, 1977). ORCH.: 22 numbered syms. (1942–91); 8 piano concertos (1947–82); 4 violin concertos (1951–76); 3 cello concertos (1956–82); 2 flute concertos (1963, 1976); concertos for Oboe (1952), Accordion (1962), Clarinet (1970–71), Viola (1973), Tuba (1975), etc. CHAMBER: 11 string quartets (1940–76); 7 violin sonatas (1940–73); 5 wind quintets (1941–57); 4 cello sonatas (1946–72); 8 sonatas for different solo wind instruments (1947–73); 4 quartets for 4 Flutes (1974–77); Harp Sonata (1986); Trio Quartetto for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1991); Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1993). KEYBOARD: 15 numbered piano sonatas (1940–81) and numerous other piano pieces; organ music. OTHER: Various vocal works and occasional pieces.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire