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Jón Leifs

March 13, 2023

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a family name, but this person is referred to by the given name Jón.

Jón Leifs (born Jón Þorleifsson on 1 May 1899 – 30 July 1968) was an Icelandic composer, pianist, and conductor.

Jón Leifs (1934)

Life

Jón Leifs was born Jón Þorleifsson, at the farm Sólheimar, then in the Húnavatnssýsla, northwestern Iceland.[1] He left for Germany in 1916 to study at the Leipzig Conservatory. He graduated in 1921 having studied piano with Robert Teichmüller, but decided not to embark on a career as a pianist, devoting his time instead to conducting and composing. During this period he also studied composition with Ferruccio Busoni, who urged him to "follow his own path in composition".[2]

In the 1920s Jón Leifs conducted a number of symphony orchestras in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Norway and Denmark, thus becoming the only internationally successful Icelandic conductor to date,[1] although he failed to obtain a fixed position. During a tour of Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland with the Hamburger Philharmoniker, he gave the very first symphonic concerts in Iceland in the summer of 1926 (a total of 13 concerts with different programmes).[1] During this period, he was also very active as a writer on music and musical interpretation, both in German and Icelandic. Between 1925 and 1928, he travelled through Iceland on three occasions to record folk songs among the population in his home county Húnavatnssýsla in Northern Iceland. His observations on this were published in both Icelandic and German periodicals.

Beginning with piano arrangements of Icelandic folk songs, Jón Leifs started an active career as a composer in the 1920s.[1] From the 1930s he concentrated his efforts on the composition of large orchestral works, some of which were not performed until after his death. Most of his output is inspired by Icelandic natural phenomena. In the piece Hekla he depicts the eruption of the volcano Hekla which he witnessed. Dettifoss (Op. 57) was inspired by Dettifoss, Europe’s second most powerful waterfall. In the Saga Symphony he musically portrays five characters from the classic Icelandic sagas.

In 1935 Jón Leifs was appointed Musical Director of the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. However, having found it difficult to implement his vision for the radio service, he resigned from the post in 1937 and returned to Germany.[1]

 
Gravesite of Jón Leifs at Fossvogsgarður cemetery in Reykjavík.

Jón Leifs married the pianist Annie Riethof soon after graduating from the Leipzig Conservatory.[1] They had two daughters, Snót and Líf, and made their home first in Wernigerode. Since Riethof was Jewish, the family lived under constant threat of Nazi persecution. In 1944, the couple managed to obtain permission to leave Germany and moved to Sweden with their daughters. However, by this time their marriage was showing signs of strain and they divorced in 1946. Jón Leifs later married, and divorced, a Swedish woman, Thea Andersson. His third wife, who survived him, was Þorbjörg Jóhannsdóttir Leifs (1919–2008). She and Jón had one son, Leifur (b. 1957).

In 1945 Jón Leifs moved back to Iceland (leaving his family in Sweden), and became a fierce proponent of music education and of artists’ rights. This included working for the ratification by Iceland of the Berne Convention, which happened in 1947, and setting up the Performing Rights Society of Iceland (STEF) in 1948.[1]

In 1947 tragedy struck. Jón Leifs’ younger daughter Líf drowned in a swimming accident off the coast of Sweden in 1947, aged only eighteen. Overcome with grief, he composed four works dedicated to her memory,[3] including Requiem Op. 33b for mixed choir, perhaps his most celebrated piece. The other works are Torrek Op. 33a, for solo voice and piano, Erfiljóð (In memoriam) Op. 35 for male choir, and the string quartet Vita et mors Op. 36.

Jón Leifs composed his last work, Consolation, Intermezzo for string orchestra, as he had only weeks to live. He died of lung cancer in Reykjavík in 1968.

Jón Leifs and his first wife are the subjects of the film Tears of Stone (Tár úr steini) (1995) by Icelandic director Hilmar Oddsson. A square in Bergholz-Rehbrücke (Nuthetal, Germany), where he lived with his family from the 1930s until 1944, is named after him.

Works

  • Vökudraumur (Reverie) for solo piano (1913)
  • Torrek – Intermezzo, Op. 1 No. 2 (piano piece) (1919)
  • Trilogia piccola, Op. 1 (1922–24)
  • Four Pieces for solo piano, Op. 2 (1921)
  • Studies for solo violin, Op. 3 (1924)
  • 3 Songs, Op. 4 (1924)
  • Organ Prelude, Op. 5, No. 1 (1924)
  • Kyrie, chorus, Op. 5, No. 2 (1924)
  • Loftr-Suite, Op. 6a (1925)
  • Íslensk þjóðlög[4] (Icelandic Folk Songs) for solo piano (1925)
  • Organ Concerto, Op. 7 (1930)
  • Variations on a Theme by Beethoven, Op. 8 (1930)
  • Iceland Overture, Op. 9 (1926)
 
Hekla ur Laugardal
  • Overture to Loftr, Op. 10 (1927)
  • Íslensk rímnadanslög (Icelandic Folk Dances), Op. 11 (1929–30)
  • 3 Church Songs (Hymns) for voice and piano/organ, Op. 12a (1929)
  • Iceland Cantata, Op. 13 (1930)
  • 2 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 14a (1929–30)
  • Ný rímnadanslög (New Icelandic Dances), Op. 14b (1931)
  • Íslendingaljóð (Poems of Icelanders) for male chorus, Op. 15a (1931)
  • Sjavarvísur (Ocean Verses) for male chorus, Op. 15b (1931)
  • 3 Organ Preludes, Op. 16 (1931)
  • Íslenskir söngdansar (Icelandic Dance-Songs) for chorus and instruments ad lib, Op. 17a (c. 1931)
  • 2 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 18a (1931)
  • 2 Songs of the Edda (Love Verses from the Edda) for tenor and piano, Op. 18b (1931–32)
  • Nocturne for harp, Op. 19a (c. 1934)
  • 2 Icelandic Folk Songs for voice and piano, Op. 19b (1934)
  • Edda, Part 1 "The Creation of the World", Op. 20 (1932–37)
  • Mors et Vita, Op. 21 (1st String Quartet) (1939)
  • Guðrúnarkviða, Op. 22 (1940)
  • 3 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 23 (1941)
  • 3 Saga Songs (3 Songs from Icelandic Sagas) for tenor and piano, Op. 24 (1941)
  • Songs from the Saga Symphony for tenor and piano, Op. 25 (1941)
  • Sögusinfónía (Saga Symphony), Op. 26 (1941–42)
  • 3 ættjarðarsöngvar (3 Patriotic Songs) for male chorus, Op. 27 (1927–43)
  • 3 söngvar eftir Jónas Hallgrímsson (3 Verses by Jónas Hallgrímsson) for chorus, Op. 28 (1943)
  • Íslendingaljóð (Poems of Icelanders) for male chorus, Op. 29 (1943)
  • Íslendingaljóð (Poems of Icelanders) for chorus, Op. 30 (1943)
  • 3 Ancient Songs for voice and piano, Op. 31 (1944)
  • 3 alþýðusöngvar (3 Folksongs) for chorus, Op. 32 (1945)
  • Torrek, Op. 33a (1947)
  • Requiem, Op. 33b (1947)
  • Baldr, Op.34 (1943–47), A Choreographic Drama in Two Acts
  • Erfiljóð (Elegies), Op. 35 (1948)
  • Vita et Mors, Op. 36 (2nd String Quartet) (1948–51)
  • Fjallasöngvar (Mountain Verses) for mezzo-soprano, baritone, male chorus, timpani, percussion and double bass, Op. 37 (1948)
  • Þorgerðarlög (Songs of Thorgerdur) for male chorus, flute, viola and cello, Op. 38 (1948)
  • 2 söngvar (2 Songs) for male chorus, Op. 39 (1948–61)
  • Réminiscence du nord, Op. 40 (1952)
  • Landfall – Overture, Op. 41 (1955)
  • Edda, Part 2, "Líf guðanna" (The Lives of the Gods), oratorio for soli, chorus and orchestra, Op. 42 (1951–66)
  • Baptism Invocation for baritone and organ, Op. 43 (1957)
  • Trois peintures abstraites, Op. 44 (Þrjú óhlutræn málverk) (1955)
  • Memorial Songs on the Death of Jónas Hallgrímsson for mezzo-soprano/baritone and piano, Op. 45 (1958)
  • Vorvísa (Spring Song), Op. 46 (1958)
  • Turmglockenspiel über Themen aus Beethovens Neunter Symphonie for carillon (1958)
  • Das Leben muss trotz allem Stets weiter gehen for carillon (1958)
  • Es ist ein Ros entsprungen for folksong, chorus (arr. 1958)
  • Stand, House of Stone for tenor and piano, Op. 47a (1958)
  • Jónas Hallgrímsson in memoriam, Op. 48 (1961)
  • Boy's Song, "Strákalag", Op. 49 (1961)
  • Quintet, Op. 50 for flute/piccolo, clarinet, bassoon, viola and cello (1961)
  • Geysir, Op. 51 (1961)
  • Hekla, Op. 52 (1961) for orchestra and percussion
  • Elegy, Op. 53 (1961)
  • Víkingasvar (Viking’s Answer), Op. 54 (1962), Intermezzo for wind ensemble, percussion, violas and double basses
  • Fine I, Op. 55 (1963) (Farewell to earthly life)
  • Fine II, Op. 56 (1963) (Farewell to earthly life)
  • Dettifoss, Op. 57 (1964)
 
Dettifoss. (4558931050)
  • Scherzo concreto, Op.58 (1964)
  • Nótt (Night), Op. 59 (1964)
  • Darraðarljóði, Op. 60 (1964)
  • Helga kviða Hundingsbana, Op.61 (1964)
  • Grógaldr, Op. 62 (1965)
  • Hafís (Drift Ice), Op. 63 (1965)
  • El Greco, Op. 64 (3rd String Quartet) (1965)
  • Heilsuheimt (Health Regained) for chorus (arr. 1965) [orig. work of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 132, No. 2]
  • Edda, Part 3 "Ragnarok" (The Twilight of the Gods), oratorio for soli, choruses and orchestra, op. 65 (1966–68, incomplete)
  • Hughreysting (Consolation), Intermezzo for string orchestra, Op. 66 (1968)

Recordings

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra with En Shao (cond.) has performed Hekla Op.52[5] and Dettifoss,[6] Op. 57.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Hjálmar H Ragnarsson (1990). "Jón Leifs" (pdf). Andvari. pp. 5–38. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Jón Leifs: Baldur". Musical Observations. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  3. ^ Árni Heimir Ingólfsson (12 July 1997). "Mjök hefr Rán ryskt um mik". Lesbók Morgunblaðsins. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  4. ^ Ingólfsson, Árni Heimir (2019). Jón Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253044081.
  5. ^ R.E.B.
  6. ^ Barnett, Rob. "Jon Leifs". Classical Music Web. Retrieved 13 October 2020.

Bibliography

  • Åhlén, Carl-Gunnar (2002). Jón Leifs: kompositör i motvind (in Swedish). Stockholm. ISBN 978-91-7486-596-7.
  • Ragnarsson, Hjálmar H. (1990). Jón Leifs. Andvari (in Icelandic) (115 ed.). Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka þjóðvinafélag. pp. 5–38. ISSN 0258-3771. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  • Árni Heimir Ingólfsson. 2019. Jón Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland. Indiana University Press.

March 13, 2023
jón, leifs, this, icelandic, name, last, name, family, name, this, person, referred, given, name, jón, born, jón, Þorleifsson, 1899, july, 1968, icelandic, composer, pianist, conductor, 1934, contents, life, works, recordings, references, bibliographylife, edi. This is an Icelandic name The last name is a family name but this person is referred to by the given name Jon Jon Leifs born Jon THorleifsson on 1 May 1899 30 July 1968 was an Icelandic composer pianist and conductor Jon Leifs 1934 Contents 1 Life 2 Works 2 1 Recordings 3 References 4 BibliographyLife EditJon Leifs was born Jon THorleifsson at the farm Solheimar then in the Hunavatnssysla northwestern Iceland 1 He left for Germany in 1916 to study at the Leipzig Conservatory He graduated in 1921 having studied piano with Robert Teichmuller but decided not to embark on a career as a pianist devoting his time instead to conducting and composing During this period he also studied composition with Ferruccio Busoni who urged him to follow his own path in composition 2 In the 1920s Jon Leifs conducted a number of symphony orchestras in Germany Czechoslovakia Norway and Denmark thus becoming the only internationally successful Icelandic conductor to date 1 although he failed to obtain a fixed position During a tour of Norway the Faroe Islands and Iceland with the Hamburger Philharmoniker he gave the very first symphonic concerts in Iceland in the summer of 1926 a total of 13 concerts with different programmes 1 During this period he was also very active as a writer on music and musical interpretation both in German and Icelandic Between 1925 and 1928 he travelled through Iceland on three occasions to record folk songs among the population in his home county Hunavatnssysla in Northern Iceland His observations on this were published in both Icelandic and German periodicals Beginning with piano arrangements of Icelandic folk songs Jon Leifs started an active career as a composer in the 1920s 1 From the 1930s he concentrated his efforts on the composition of large orchestral works some of which were not performed until after his death Most of his output is inspired by Icelandic natural phenomena In the piece Hekla he depicts the eruption of the volcano Hekla which he witnessed Dettifoss Op 57 was inspired by Dettifoss Europe s second most powerful waterfall In the Saga Symphony he musically portrays five characters from the classic Icelandic sagas In 1935 Jon Leifs was appointed Musical Director of the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service However having found it difficult to implement his vision for the radio service he resigned from the post in 1937 and returned to Germany 1 Gravesite of Jon Leifs at Fossvogsgardur cemetery in Reykjavik Jon Leifs married the pianist Annie Riethof soon after graduating from the Leipzig Conservatory 1 They had two daughters Snot and Lif and made their home first in Wernigerode Since Riethof was Jewish the family lived under constant threat of Nazi persecution In 1944 the couple managed to obtain permission to leave Germany and moved to Sweden with their daughters However by this time their marriage was showing signs of strain and they divorced in 1946 Jon Leifs later married and divorced a Swedish woman Thea Andersson His third wife who survived him was THorbjorg Johannsdottir Leifs 1919 2008 She and Jon had one son Leifur b 1957 In 1945 Jon Leifs moved back to Iceland leaving his family in Sweden and became a fierce proponent of music education and of artists rights This included working for the ratification by Iceland of the Berne Convention which happened in 1947 and setting up the Performing Rights Society of Iceland STEF in 1948 1 In 1947 tragedy struck Jon Leifs younger daughter Lif drowned in a swimming accident off the coast of Sweden in 1947 aged only eighteen Overcome with grief he composed four works dedicated to her memory 3 including Requiem Op 33b for mixed choir perhaps his most celebrated piece The other works are Torrek Op 33a for solo voice and piano Erfiljod In memoriam Op 35 for male choir and the string quartet Vita et mors Op 36 Jon Leifs composed his last work Consolation Intermezzo for string orchestra as he had only weeks to live He died of lung cancer in Reykjavik in 1968 Jon Leifs and his first wife are the subjects of the film Tears of Stone Tar ur steini 1995 by Icelandic director Hilmar Oddsson A square in Bergholz Rehbrucke Nuthetal Germany where he lived with his family from the 1930s until 1944 is named after him Works EditVokudraumur Reverie for solo piano 1913 Torrek Intermezzo Op 1 No 2 piano piece 1919 Trilogia piccola Op 1 1922 24 Four Pieces for solo piano Op 2 1921 Studies for solo violin Op 3 1924 3 Songs Op 4 1924 Organ Prelude Op 5 No 1 1924 Kyrie chorus Op 5 No 2 1924 Loftr Suite Op 6a 1925 Islensk thjodlog 4 Icelandic Folk Songs for solo piano 1925 Organ Concerto Op 7 1930 Variations on a Theme by Beethoven Op 8 1930 Iceland Overture Op 9 1926 Hekla ur Laugardal Overture to Loftr Op 10 1927 Islensk rimnadanslog Icelandic Folk Dances Op 11 1929 30 3 Church Songs Hymns for voice and piano organ Op 12a 1929 Iceland Cantata Op 13 1930 2 Songs for voice and piano Op 14a 1929 30 Ny rimnadanslog New Icelandic Dances Op 14b 1931 Islendingaljod Poems of Icelanders for male chorus Op 15a 1931 Sjavarvisur Ocean Verses for male chorus Op 15b 1931 3 Organ Preludes Op 16 1931 Islenskir songdansar Icelandic Dance Songs for chorus and instruments ad lib Op 17a c 1931 2 Songs for voice and piano Op 18a 1931 2 Songs of the Edda Love Verses from the Edda for tenor and piano Op 18b 1931 32 Nocturne for harp Op 19a c 1934 2 Icelandic Folk Songs for voice and piano Op 19b 1934 Edda Part 1 The Creation of the World Op 20 1932 37 Mors et Vita Op 21 1st String Quartet 1939 Gudrunarkvida Op 22 1940 3 Songs for voice and piano Op 23 1941 3 Saga Songs 3 Songs from Icelandic Sagas for tenor and piano Op 24 1941 Songs from the Saga Symphony for tenor and piano Op 25 1941 Sogusinfonia Saga Symphony Op 26 1941 42 3 aettjardarsongvar 3 Patriotic Songs for male chorus Op 27 1927 43 3 songvar eftir Jonas Hallgrimsson 3 Verses by Jonas Hallgrimsson for chorus Op 28 1943 Islendingaljod Poems of Icelanders for male chorus Op 29 1943 Islendingaljod Poems of Icelanders for chorus Op 30 1943 3 Ancient Songs for voice and piano Op 31 1944 3 althydusongvar 3 Folksongs for chorus Op 32 1945 Torrek Op 33a 1947 Requiem Op 33b 1947 Baldr Op 34 1943 47 A Choreographic Drama in Two Acts Erfiljod Elegies Op 35 1948 Vita et Mors Op 36 2nd String Quartet 1948 51 Fjallasongvar Mountain Verses for mezzo soprano baritone male chorus timpani percussion and double bass Op 37 1948 THorgerdarlog Songs of Thorgerdur for male chorus flute viola and cello Op 38 1948 2 songvar 2 Songs for male chorus Op 39 1948 61 Reminiscence du nord Op 40 1952 Landfall Overture Op 41 1955 Edda Part 2 Lif gudanna The Lives of the Gods oratorio for soli chorus and orchestra Op 42 1951 66 Baptism Invocation for baritone and organ Op 43 1957 Trois peintures abstraites Op 44 THrju ohlutraen malverk 1955 Memorial Songs on the Death of Jonas Hallgrimsson for mezzo soprano baritone and piano Op 45 1958 Vorvisa Spring Song Op 46 1958 Turmglockenspiel uber Themen aus Beethovens Neunter Symphonie for carillon 1958 Das Leben muss trotz allem Stets weiter gehen for carillon 1958 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen for folksong chorus arr 1958 Stand House of Stone for tenor and piano Op 47a 1958 Jonas Hallgrimsson in memoriam Op 48 1961 Boy s Song Strakalag Op 49 1961 Quintet Op 50 for flute piccolo clarinet bassoon viola and cello 1961 Geysir Op 51 1961 Hekla Op 52 1961 for orchestra and percussion Elegy Op 53 1961 Vikingasvar Viking s Answer Op 54 1962 Intermezzo for wind ensemble percussion violas and double basses Fine I Op 55 1963 Farewell to earthly life Fine II Op 56 1963 Farewell to earthly life Dettifoss Op 57 1964 Dettifoss 4558931050 Scherzo concreto Op 58 1964 Nott Night Op 59 1964 Darradarljodi Op 60 1964 Helga kvida Hundingsbana Op 61 1964 Grogaldr Op 62 1965 Hafis Drift Ice Op 63 1965 El Greco Op 64 3rd String Quartet 1965 Heilsuheimt Health Regained for chorus arr 1965 orig work of Ludwig van Beethoven Op 132 No 2 Edda Part 3 Ragnarok The Twilight of the Gods oratorio for soli choruses and orchestra op 65 1966 68 incomplete Hughreysting Consolation Intermezzo for string orchestra Op 66 1968 Recordings Edit The Iceland Symphony Orchestra with En Shao cond has performed Hekla Op 52 5 and Dettifoss 6 Op 57 References Edit a b c d e f g Hjalmar H Ragnarsson 1990 Jon Leifs pdf Andvari pp 5 38 Retrieved 11 October 2013 Jon Leifs Baldur Musical Observations Retrieved 17 October 2013 Arni Heimir Ingolfsson 12 July 1997 Mjok hefr Ran ryskt um mik Lesbok Morgunbladsins pp 4 5 Retrieved 17 October 2013 Ingolfsson Arni Heimir 2019 Jon Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland Indiana University Press ISBN 0253044081 R E B Barnett Rob Jon Leifs Classical Music Web Retrieved 13 October 2020 Bibliography EditAhlen Carl Gunnar 2002 Jon Leifs kompositor i motvind in Swedish Stockholm ISBN 978 91 7486 596 7 Ragnarsson Hjalmar H 1990 Jon Leifs Andvari in Icelandic 115 ed Reykjavik Hid islenzka thjodvinafelag pp 5 38 ISSN 0258 3771 Retrieved 11 October 2013 Arni Heimir Ingolfsson 2019 Jon Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland Indiana University Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jon Leifs amp oldid 1132220142, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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