Rosenberg, Hilding (Constantin)

Rosenberg, Hilding (Constantin) , important Swedish composer and teacher; b. Bosjökloster, Ring-sjön, Skåne, June 21, 1892; d. Stockholm, May 19, 1985. He studied piano and organ in his youth, and then was active as an organist. He went to Stockholm in 1914 to study piano with Andersson; then studied composition with Ellberg at the Stockholm Cons. (1915–16), and later took a conducting course there. He made trips abroad from 1920; then studied composition with Stenhammer and conducting with Scherchen. He was a répétiteur and asst. conductor at the Royal Opera in Stockholm (1932–34); also appeared as a guest conductor in Scandinavia and later in the U.S. (1948), leading performances of his own works; likewise was active as a teacher, numbering Bäck, Blomdahl, and Lidholm among his students. Rosenberg was the foremost Swedish composer of his era. He greatly influenced Swedish music by his experimentation and stylistic diversity, which led to a masterful style marked by originality, superb craftsmanship, and refinement.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Resa till Amerika (Journey to America; Stockholm, Nov. 24, 1932; orch. suite, Stockholm, Sept. 29, 1935); Spelet om St. Örjan, children’s opera (1937; rev. 1941); Marionetter (1938; Stockholm, Feb. 14, 1939; 2 suites for Small Orch., 1926; overture and dance suite, 1938); De två konungadböttrarna (The 2 Princesses), children’s opera (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Sept. 19, 1940); Lycksalighetens o (The Isle of Bliss; 1943; Stockholm, Feb. 1, 1945; Vindarnas musik for Orch. from the opera, 1943); Josef och Hans broder (Joseph and His Brothers), opera-oratorio, after Thomas Mann (1946–48; Swedish Radio, Stockholm: part 1, May 30, 1946; part 2, Dec. 19, 1946; part 3, Sept. 9, 1947; part 4, Jan. 23, 1948; Partita for Orch. from the opera-oratorio, 1948); Kaspers fettisdag (Kasper’s Shrove Tuesday), chamber opera (1953; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Feb. 28, 1954); Porträten (The Portrait), radio opera after Gogol (1955; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, March 22, 1956; rev. 1963); Hus med dubbel ingång (The House with 2 Doors), lyric comedy after Calderón (1969; Stockholm, May 24, 1970). Ballet : Eden (1946; based on the Concerto No. 1 for Strings, 1946); Salome (1963; Stockholm, Feb. 28, 1964; based on the Metamorfosi sinfoniche Nos. 1 and 2, 1963); Sönerna (The Sons; Swedish TV, Stockholm, Dec. 6, 1964; based on the Metamorfosi sinfoniche No. 3, 1964); Babels torn (The Tower of Babel; 1966; Swedish TV, Stockholm, Dec. 6, 1964; based on the Sym. for Wind oni Percussion, 1966). Pantomime : Yttersta dornen (The Last Judgment; 1929; not perf.; 2 preludes and 2 suites for Orch. from the pantomime, 1929). Melodramas : Prometheus och Ahasverus (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, April 27, 1941); Djufars visa (Djufar’s Song; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Dec. 18, 1942; suite for Orch. from the melodrama, 1942). Incidental Music To : Plays and films. ORCH. : Adagio (1915); Syms.: No. 1 (1917; rev. 1919; Göteborg, April 5, 1921; rev. 1922–71; Stockholm, May 18, 1974), No. 2, Sinfonia grave (1928–35; Göteborg, March 27, 1935), No. 3 (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Dec. 11, 1939; orig. subtitled Defrya tidsåldrarna [The 4 Ages of Man], with text from Rolland’s novel ]ean Christoph; rev. 1952), No. 4, Johannes uppenbarelse (The Revelation of St. John), for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Dec. 6, 1940), No. 5, Hortulanus or Örtagårdsmästaren (The Keeper o h n), for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Oct. 17, 1944), No. 6, Sinfonia semplice (1951; Gavle, Jan. 24, 1952), Sym. for Wind and Percussion (1966; Göteborg, Oct. 27, 1972; music also used in the ballet Babels torn, 1966), No. 7 (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Sept. 29, 1968), and No. 8, In candidum, for Chorus and Orch. (1974; Malmö, Jan. 24, 1975); 3 fantasistycken (1918; Göteborg, 1919); Sinfonia da chiesa No. 1 (1923; Stockholm, Jan. 16, 1925; rev. 1950) and No. 2 (1924; Stockholm, Jan. 20, 1926); 2 violin concertos: No. 1 (1924; Stockholm, May 8, 1927) and No. 2 (1951; Stockholm, March 25, 1952); Suite on Swedish Folk Tunes for Strings (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Sept. 13, 1927); Threnody for Stenhammar (Sorge-musik) (1927); Trumpet Concerto (1928; Stockholm, Jan. 16, 1929); Overtura piccola (1934); Symphonie Concertante for Violin, Viola, Oboe, Bassoon, and Orch. (1935; Göteborg, Jan. 1936); 2 cello concertos: No. 1 (1939) and No. 2 (1953; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, April 25, 1954); Adagio funèbre (1940); I bergakungens sal (In the Hall of the Mountain King), suite (1940); Viola Concerto (1942; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Feb. 11, 1943); 4 concertos for Strings: No. 1 (1946; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, July 6, 1947; music used in the ballet Eden, 1946), No. 2 (n.d.), No. 3 (n.d.), and No. 4 (1966; Stockholm, Sept. 14, 1968); Overtura bianca-nera (1946); Concerto No. 2 (1949; Malmö, Jan. 12, 1950) and No. 3, Louisville (1954; Louisville, March 12, 1955; rev. 1968) for Orch.; Piano Concerto (1950; Göteborg, March 14, 1951); Ingresso solenne del premio Nobel (1952); Variations on a Sarabande (1953); Riflessioni No. 1 (1959; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, April 24, 1965), No. 2 (1960; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, March 2, 1962), and No. 3 (1960) for Strings; Dagdrivaren (The Sluggard) for Baritone and Orch. (1962; Stockholm, Oct. 28, 1964); Metamorfosi sinfoniche Nos. 1 to 3 (1963–64; music from Nos. 1 and 2 used in the ballet Salome, 1963; music from No. 3 used in the ballet Sönerna, 1964); various suites, preludes, partitas, etc. CHAMBER : String quartets: No. 1 (1920; Stockholm, March 6, 1923), No. 2 (1924; Stockholm, March 6, 1925), No. 3, Quartetto pastorale (1926; Göteborg, April 3, 1932), No. 4 (1939; Stockholm, Nov. 2, 1942), No. 5 (1949; Stockholm, May 23, 1950), No. 6 (Stockholm, May 25, 1954), No. 7 (1956; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Nov. 13, 1958), No. 8 (1956; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, May 25, 1954), No. 7 (1956; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Nov. 13, 1958), No. 8 (1956; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, May 12, 1959), No. 11 (1956; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Oct. 23, 1959), and No. 12, Quartetto riepilogo (1956; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Dec. 11, 1959); Trio for Flute, Violin, and Viola (1921); 3 sonatas for Solo Violin (1921; 1953; 1963, rev. 1967); 2 violins sonatas (1926, 1940); Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1927); Tafelmusik for Piano Trio or Chamber Orch. (1939); Wind Quintet (1959); Sonata for Solo Flute (1959); Sonata for Solo Clarinet (1960); numerous piano works. VOCAL : Oratorios: Den heliga natten (The Holy Night; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Dec. 27, 1936); Perserna (The Persians; 1937; not perf.); Huvudskalleplats (Calvary), for Good Friday (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, April 15, 1938; rev. 1964–65); Svensk lagsaga (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Feb. 24, 1942); Hymnus (1965; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, July 24, 1966). Cantatas : Julhymn av Romanus (Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Feb. 24, 1942); Cantata for the National Museum (1942; Swedish Radio, Stockholm, June 1, 1943); Lyrisk svit (Göteborg, Oct. 2, 1954); Hymn to a University (1967; Lund, June 13, 1968). Also choruses and songs.

Bibliography

M. Pergament, H. R., a Giant of Modern Swedish Music (Stockholm, 1956); P. Lyne, H. R.: Catalogue of Works (Stockholm, 1970).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire