Srensen, Søren

Srensen, Søren, distinguished Danish musicologist, organist, and harpsichordist; b. Copenhagen, Sept. 20, 1920. He studied organ with Vider at the Copenhagen Cons. (diploma, 1943) and musicology with Abrahamsen and Larsen at the Univ. of Copenhagen (M.A., 1943; Ph.D., 1958, with the diss. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkemusik; publ. in Copenhagen, 1958). In 1943, with L. Friisholhm, he founded Copenhagen’s Collegium Musicum, a chamber ensemble with which he made frequent appearances as an organist and harpsichordist; also was organist at Holmens Church (1947–58). He was prof. of musicology and chairman of the musicologial inst. at the Univ. of Århus (from 1958); was co-ed, of the Dansk Årbog for Musikforskning (from 1961). Among his many administrative positions were the chairmanships of the Danish Soc. of Organists and Choirmasters (1953–59), the Carl Nielsen Soc. (from 1966), the Danish Council for Research in the Humanities (from 1974), and the State Council of Music Education (from 1986). In 1982 he was awarded Hungary’s Bartok Medal. He won notable distinction as an authority on 17^th-century music, most particularly that of Buxtehude.

Writings

Kirkens liturgi (Copenhagen, 1952; second ed., 1969); ed. with B. Hjelmbor, Natalicia musicologica Knud Jeppesen (Copenhagen, 1962); Renaissancebegrebet i musikhistorien (Århus, 1964); Das Buxtehudebild im Wandel der Zeit (Lübeck, 1973); Kobenhavns Drengekor gennem 50 år (Copenhagen, 1974); ed. Gads musikleksikon (Copenhagen, 1976; second ed., 1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire