Riisager, Knudåge
Riisager, Knudåge
Riisager, Knudåge , prominent Danish composer; b. Port Kunda, Estonia, March 6, 1897; d. Copenhagen, Dec. 26, 1974. He went to Copenhagen and studied theory and composition with Otto Mailing and Peder Gram, and violin with Peder Mller (1915–18). He also took courses in political science at the Univ. (1916–21; graduated, 1921) before pursuing musical studies with Roussel and Le Flem in Paris (1921–23), and later with Grabner in Leipzig (1932). He held a civil service position in Denmark (1925–50); was chairman of the Danish Composers’ Union (1937–62) and director of the Royal Danish Cons. (1956–67). A fantastically prolific composer, he wrote music in quaquaversal genres, but preserved a remarkable structural and textural consistency while demonstrating an erudite sense of modern polyphony. He also had a taste for exotic and futuristic subjects. He publ. a collection of essays, Det usynlige mnster (The Unseemly Monster; Copenhagen, 1957), and a somewhat self-deprecatory memoir, Det er sjovt at vaere litte (It Is Amusing to Be Small; Copenhagen, 1967).
Works
(all 1st perf. in Copenhagen unless otherwise given): DRAMATIC: Opera Buffa: Susanne (1948; Jan. 7, 1950). Ballet: Benzin (1927; Dec. 26, 1930); Cocktails-Party (1929); Tolv med Posten (12 by the Mail), after H.C. Andersen (1939; Feb. 21, 1942); Slaraffenland (Fool’s Paradise; 1940; Feb. 21, 1942; originally an orch. piece, 1936); Qarrtsiluni, on Eskimo themes (Feb. 21, 1942; originally an orch. piece, 1938); Fuglfnix (Phoenix; 1944–45; May 12, 1946); Étude, based on Czerny’s studies (1947; Jan. 15, 1948); Mânerenen (The Moon Reindeer; 1956; Nov. 22, 1957); Stjerner (1958); Les Victoires de l’Amour (1958; March 4, 1962); Fruen fra havet (Lady from the Sea; 1959; N.Y., April 20, 1960); Galla-Variationer (1966; March 5, 1967); Ballet Royal (May 31, 1967); Svinedrengen (The Swineherd; Danish TV, March 10, 1969). ORCH.: Erasmus Montanus, overture (1920; Göteborg, Oct. 15, 1924); Suite Dionysiaque for Chamber Orch. (1924); 5 syms.: No. 1 (1925; July 17, 1926), No. 2 (1927; March 5, 1929), No. 3 (Nov. 21, 1935), No. 4, Sinfonia gaia (Oct. 24, 1940), and No. 5, Sinfonia serena for Strings and Percussion (1949–50; Nov. 21, 1950); Introduzione di traverso, overture (1925); Variations on a Theme of Mezangean (1926); T-DOXC,”poème mécanique” (1926; Sept. 3, 1927); Klods Hans (1929); Fastelavn (Shrovetide), overture (1929–30); Suite for Small Orch. (1931); Concerto for Orchestra (1931; Dec. 7, 1936); Concertino for Trumpet and Strings (1933; March 2, 1934); Primavera, overture (1934; Jan. 31, 1935); Slaraffenland, 2 suites (1936, 1940; as a ballet, 1940); Sinfonia concertante for Strings (1937); Partita (1937); Basta (1938); Qarrtsiluni (1938; as a ballet, 1940); Torgutisk dans (1939); Tivoli-Tivoli! (Aug. 15, 1943); Sommer-Rhapsodi (1943; Jan. 30, 1944); Bellman-Variationer for Small Orch. (1945); Sinfonietta (Stockholm, Oct. 1, 1947); Chaconne (1949); Archaeopteryx (1949); Variations on a Sarabande of Charles, Duke of Orleans, 1415 for Strings (1950); Violin Concerto (1950–51; Oct. 11, 1951); Toccata (1952); Pro fistulis et fidibus for Woodwinds and Strings (1952; March 2, 1953); Rondo giocoso for Violin and Orch. (June 18, 1957); Burlesk ouverture (1964); Entrada-Epilogo (May 19, 1971); Bourree, ballet-variations (Danish Radio, March 7, 1972); Trittico for Woodwinds, Brass, Double Bass, and Percussion (Danish Radio, March 3, 1972); Apollon (Nov. 11, 1973). Chamber: 2 violin sonatas (1917, 1923); 6 string quartets (1918; 1920; 1922; 1925–26; 1932; 1942–43); Sonata for Violin and Viola (1919); Wind Quintet (1921); Variations for Clarinet, Viola, and Bassoon (1923); Sinfonietta for 8 Wind Instruments (1924); Divertimento for String Quartet and Wind Quintet (1925); Sonata for Flute, Violin, Clarinet, and Cello (1927); Music for Wind Quintet (1927); Conversazione for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1932); Concertino for 5 Violins and Piano (1933); Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Cello (1936); Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1941); Divertimento for Flute, Oboe, Horn, and Bassoon (1944); Sonatina for Piano Trio (1951); Sonata for 2 Violins (1951); String Trio (1955). Piano: 4 épigrammes (1921); Sonata (1931); 2 morceaux (1933); Sonatina (1950); 4 Brneklaverstykker (1964). Vocal: Dansk Salme for Chorus and Orch. (1942; April 13, 1943); Sang til Solen for Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (Sept. 25, 1947); Sangen om det Uendelige (Canto dell’Infinito) for Chorus and Orch. (1964; Sept. 30, 1965); Stabat Mater for Chorus and Orch. (1966; Danish Radio, Nov. 9, 1967); choruses; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire