Colding-Jorgensen, Henrik

Colding-Jorgensen, Henrik, Danish organist, choirmaster, and composer; b. Riisskov, March 21, 1944. He studied composition with Holmboe in Copenhagen, and pursued training at the Royal Danish Cons, of Music there, where he graduated as an organist in 1966 and as an organ pedagogue in 1967. He then studied instrumentation, electroacoustics, and composition on his own. After teaching at the Musikhojskole in Copenhagen (1967–70) and at the Funen Academy of Music in Odense (1969–75), he became organist and choirmaster at the Hundige and Kildebronde churches near Copenhagen in 1975. From 1981 to 1991 he also was a member of the executive board of the Danish Composers’ Soc. While his works have been influenced by Stravinsky, Berg, Webern, and Ligeti, he has developed an individual style in which strict structuralism is complemented by a liberating expressivity

Works

orch.:Sym. No. 1 (1965); At elske musikken (To Love Music; 1975); Ballade for Tuba and Chamber Orch. (1979); Nuup Kangerlua (1985); Le Alpi nel Cuore (1988); Babylon for Piano and Orch. (1991). chamber:Mourn for Guitar (1969); Suite à deux for Flute and Clarinet (1971); Cello for Cello (1972); Balancer (Balances) for Violin and Percussion (1974); Boast for Tuba (1980); Performances for Brass Quintet (1981); Recitativ og Fuga for Piano and Cello (1983); Toccata, Aria e Minuetto for Oboe (1986); Sjaelen og sommerfuglen (The Soul and the butterfly) for Sopranino Recorder and Harpsichord (1990); Som en rejsende (As a traveller) for Cello and Percussion (1992); Krystal: Metamorfose for String Quartet (1993); Diskurs Med Tiden (Discourse with Time) for Chamber Ensemble (1996); Sourires (Smiles) for Tuba (1997). keyboard: organ:Magnus (1972); To moendi i hvide klaeder: Duo viri in vestibus albis (1999). vocal:Lapidary Landscapes for Mezzo-soprano, Bass-baritone, Oboe, English Horn, Viola, Cello, and Percussion (1965); Pà din taerskel (At your doorstep) for Contralto and Orch. (1966); Barbare for 6 Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1967); Enfance III for Contralto, Horn, and Harp (1967), IV for Contralto and Piano (1968), and II for Mezzo-soprano and Clarinet (1983); Altid noget andet (Always something else) for Tenor and Viola d’Amore (1973); Ava Maria for Contralto (1974); Victoria Gennem Skoven (Victoria Through the Forest) for Contralto and Orch. (1975); An de Nachgeborenen I (1980) and II (1984) for Soprano and Wind Quintet; Det er mig der vaelter (It is I who am Overturned) for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, and Organ (1981); Dein Schweigen for Mezzo-soprano, Clarinet, and Piano (1982); Du sollst nicht for Mezzo-soprano, Clarinet, and Piano (1984); Sic Enim for Mezzo-soprano and Organ (1985); 2 Songs by Keats for Soprano and Guitar (1988); Nunc Est for Mezzo-soprano, Clarinet, and Organ (1989); 4 British Songs for Girl’s Chorus (1997).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire