Rasmussen, Karl Aage

Rasmussen, Karl Aage , Danish composer, conductor, and teacher; b. Kolding, Dec. 13, 1947. He took courses in music history, theory, and composition at the Århus Cons. (graduated, 1971), where his principal mentors were Nrgård and Gudmundsen-Holmgreen. He taught at the Funen Cons. (1970–72). In 1971 he joined the faculty of the Århus Cons. as a lecturer, becoming a docent in 1979 and a prof. in 1988. He also was a docent at the Royal Danish Cons. of Music in Copenhagen (1980–82). From 1973 to 1988 he was active with the Danish Radio. In 1975 he founded a chamber ensemble, the Elsinore Players, and in 1978 the NUMUS Festival, serving as its artistic director until 1985 and again from 1987 to 1990. In 1986 he founded the Danish Piano Theater. From 1987 to 1990 he was chairman of the Danish Arts Foundation. In addition to monographs on composers, he wrote much music criticism and contributed articles on music history to periodicals in his homeland and abroad. His music follows the cosmopolitan trends of pragmatic hedonism within neoclassical formal structures.

Works

DRAMATIC : Crapp’s Last Tape, opera (1967); Jephta, opera (1977); Majakovskij, scenic concert piece (1978); The Story of Jonah, musical radio play (1981); Our Hoffmann, musical play (1986); The Sinking of the Titanic, opera (1993; Jutland, May 4, 1994). ORCH : Symphony for Young Lovers (1966); Recapitulations (1967); Symphonie classique (1968); Anfang und Ende, sym. (1972; Århus, Feb. 11, 1976); Contrafactum for Cello and Orch. (1979); A Symphony in Time (1982); Movements on a Moving Line (1987); Sinking Through the Dream- Mirror, concerto for Violin and 13 Instruments (1993); 3 Friends (1994–95); Scherzo with Bells (1996); The Lion, the Mouse, the Big Elephant, and Jens Pismyre for Actor and Orch. (1997); Double Concerto for Harp, Guitar, and Orch. (1998); Invisible Mirrors for Guitar and 13 Instruments (1999). CHAMBER : Protocol and Myth for Accordion, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (1971); Genklang (Echo) for 3 Pianos (1 prepared, 1 mistimed) and Celesta (1972); A Ballad of Game and Dream for Chamber Ensemble (1974); Berio Mask for Chamber Ensemble (1977); Encore: I (Lonesome) for Guitar (1977), II (Join) for Guitar (1985), III (Encore for Frances) for Cello (1982), IV (Match) for Cello and Piano (1983), V (Ich, nur…) for Voice (1983), VI (Chains) for Clarinet (1983–85), VII (Strain) for Piano (1984), VIII (Fugue) for Clarinet, Vibraphone, and Piano (1983–84), and IX (Beat) for Silenced Percussion (1985); Italian Concerto for Chamber Ensemble (1981); A Quartet of 5 for 2 Trumpets, Horn, and 2 Trombones (1982); Solos and Shadows for String Quartet (1983); Surrounded by Scales for String Quartet (Lerchenborg, Aug. 4, 1985); Still for String Quartet (1989); Contìnuo for Flute and Guitar (1991); Trauergondol for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1998). KEYBOARD : Piano : Paganini Variations (1976); Fugue (1984); Encore VII (Strain) (1984); 13 Etudes and Postludes (1990); Contrary Dances (1992); Barcarole (1996). Organ : Antiphony (1973); Chorus (1985). VOCAL : This Moment for 3 Sopranos, Flute, and Percussion (1966); Love Is in the World for Voice, Guitar, and Percussion (1974–75); Liederkreis for Soprano, Tenor or Baritone, Flute, Clarinet, Vibraphone, and Piano (1986).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire