Karkoff, Maurice (Ingvar)

Karkoff, Maurice (Ingvar) , prominent Swedish composer and teacher; b. Stockholm, March 17, 1927. He began his training in theory with Blomdahl (1944–47), concurrently studying piano at the Stockholm Musikhögskolan (1945–51) and theory with Larsson (1948–53). He later pursued composition studies with Koch in Stockholm, Holmboe in Copenhagen, Jolivet in Paris, and Vogel in Switzerland. He was music critic of the Stockholm daily Tidningen (1962–66). In 1965 he became a teacher of theory and composition at the Stockholm Municipal Music Inst. In 1976 he was awarded the City of Stockholm Prize of Honor, and in 1977 was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm. In his music, he absorbed many cultures; these are reflected in his compositions, many of which may be described as romantically modernistic and thematically sensitive to exotic resources and coloristic instrumental timbres.

Works

dramatic: Chamber Opera: Grandskibbutzen (The Frontier Kibbutz; 1971-72). orch: Sinfonietta (1954); Saxophone Concertino (1955); syms.: No. 1 (Bergen, Oct. 22, 1956), No. 2 (1957; Swedish Radio, Jan. 5, 1959), No. 3, Sinfonia breve (1958-59; Gavle, Jan. 10, 1960), No.4 (1963; Stockholm, April 4, 1964), No. 5, Sinfonia da camera (Gavle, Nov. 11, 1965), No. 6 (1972-73; Stockholm, Oct. 12, 1974), No. 7, Sinfonia da camera (1975), No. 8 (1979–80), Short Symphony for Symphonic Band (1980-81; Stockholm, Sept. 27, 1982), Dolorous Symphony for Strings (1981–82); Sinfonia piccola (1982–83), No. 10 (1984–85); Little Symphony (1987), No. 11, Sinfonia della vita (1993–94), and No. 12, Sinfonia semplice (1994–96); Violin Concerto (1956); Piano Concerto (1957); Cello Concerto (1957–58); Trombone Concerto (1958); Horn Concerto (1959); 9 Aphoristic Variations (1959); Clarinet Concerto (1959); Variations (1961); Serenata for Chamber Orch. (1961); Suite for Harpsichord and Strings (1962); Concerto da camera for Balalaika and Orch. (1962–63); Concerto for Orchestra (1963); Oriental Pictures (1965-66; also for Piano); Transfigurate mutate (1966); Tripartita (1966–67); Textum for Strings (1967); Metamorphoses (1967); Sinfonietta grave (1968–69); Epitaphium for Small Chamber Orch. (1968; also for Nonet); 5 Summer Scenes (1969); Triptyk (1970); Partes caracteris (1971); Symphonic Reflexions (1971); Passacaglia for Strings (1971); Trumpet Concerto (1977); Tre colori for Strings (1978); Textur (1978); Tre schizzi da Capri for Small Orch. (1979–80); Musica seria for Flute, Harpsichord, and Strings (1980); Fantasia (1988); 4 Sketches for Strings (1990); Concerto for Bassoon and Strings (1990); Concerto for Tuba and Strings (1991); Concertino lirico for Flute and Strings (1992). chamber: Flute Sonata (1953); Cello Sonata (1954–55); Violin Sonata (1956); Wind Quintet (1956–57); 2 string quartets (1957, 1984); Quartet for 2 Trumpets, Horn, and Trombone (1958); Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1960); Chamber Concerto for 14 Winds, Timpani, Percussion, and String Basses (1961); Metamorphoses for 4 Horns (1966); Terzetto for Flute, Cello, and Piano (1967); Epitafium for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and String Quartet (1968); 4 parte for 13 Brasses and Percussion (1968); Epitafium for Accordion, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (1970); Characters for Wind Quintet, Trombone, Euphonium, and Percussion (1973–74); Quasi una marcia for 2 Wind Quintets and Percussion (1974); Serenata for Flute or Alto Flute and Piano (1975–76); Ernst und Spass for Saxophone Quartet (1984); Profilen for Alto and Baritone Saxophones (1984); Sechs Albumblätter for 11 Saxophones (1985–98); Reflexionen for Saxophone Quartet (1986); Ballata quasi una fantasia for Baritone Saxophone and Piano (1988); Poem for Clarinet, Viola, Alto Saxophone, and Piano (1988); 5 Poems for English Horn and Piano (1991). Piano: Sonata (1956); Partita piccola (1958); Capriccio on Football (1961; a musical report on a football game); Monopartita (1969); 3 Expressions for 2 Pianos (1971); 3 Nocturnes (1974); Femton albumblad (1988–89); Fantasia for Piano, Left-Hand (1992). vocal: 6 Serious Songs for Low Voice and Orch. (1955); 6 Allvarliga Songs for High Voice and Orch. (1955); Det Svenska Landet, cantata for Baritone, Men’s Chorus, and Orch. (1956); Livet (Life) for Alto and Orch. (1959); 10 Japanese Songs for High Voice and Piano or Orch. (1959); Gesang des Abgeschiedenen, 5 romances for Baritone and Piano or Orch. (1959); Himmel och Jord, cantata (1960); 6 Nocturnes for Soprano, Flute, Violin, Viola, and Guitar (1963); Sju rosor senare for Reciter, Speaking Chorus, Mixed Chorus, and Orch. (1964); Jeremiah for Reciter, Baritone, Speaking Chorus, Men’s Chorus, and Orch. (1965); Das ist sein Erlauten, cantata (1965); Landschaft aus Schreienfor Soprano, Reciter, Oboe or Oboe d’amore or English Horn, 2 Clarinets, Double Bass, and Harp, after Nelly Sachs (1967); 6 Chinese Impressions for Soprano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Cello, and Percussion (1973); Varsel och aningar for High Voice, Winds, and Percussion (1975); Voices from the Past: Songs to 7 Korean Poems for Contralto or Baritone and Small String Orch. (1981); Karlak och var i japan for 5 Women’s Voices, Flute or Alto Flute or Piccolo, Clarinet or Bass Clarinet, Guitar, and 2 Percussion (1986–87); Ljus och marker, cantata (1991); Herren är min herde, cantata for Reciter, Soloists, Chorus, 4 Winds, and 3 Percussion (1992–93); Främmande stad for Voice and Orch. (1996); Andlig musik for Mezzo-soprano and Clarinet (1998); Närvaro αν Gud for Soprano and Reciter (1998–99).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire