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Bent Lorentzen (born February 11, 1935, died October 3, 2018) was a famous Danish composer. He was known as one of the most important people in modern Danish music. His music was often played at festivals in Denmark and other countries, especially in Poland and Germany. He won many international awards and was even named "Choral Composer of the Year" in Denmark in 1989.

About Bent Lorentzen's Life

Bent Lorentzen was born in Stenvad, a small village in Djursland, Denmark. He studied music at the university in Aarhus and at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. He learned from well-known teachers like Knud Jeppesen, Finn Høffding, Vagn Holmboe, and Jørgen Jersild. After finishing his studies, he taught music at academies in Aarhus and Copenhagen for several years.

Lorentzen was one of the first people in Denmark to create electronic music. This is music made using electronic tools and technology. Some of his early electronic pieces include The Bottomless Pit (1972) and Visions (1978). He also made educational records like The Material of Electronic Music (1968) and Water – electronic music for children (1968) to help people learn about this new type of music.

Bent Lorentzen wrote many different kinds of music. His orchestral music includes concertos for instruments like the oboe, cello, piano, saxophone, trumpet, and violin. A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument and an orchestra. He also wrote chamber music, which is for a small group of instruments. This included pieces for solo instruments like the organ, piano, and guitar, as well as string quartets (four string instruments). He also wrote many pieces for choirs, which are groups of singers.

However, the most important part of Lorentzen's work was his operas and other stage shows. An opera is a play where the words are sung to music. His last opera, Der Steppenwolf, was performed in Aarhus in 2016.

Awards and Recognition

Bent Lorentzen held many important positions in Danish music groups. He was also the artistic director of the Ebeltoft Festival from 1990 to 1993. He won several awards in other countries, including:

  • The Prix Italia in 1970 for his opera Euridice.
  • The Serocki composers’ competition in 1984 for his chamber work Paradiesvogel.
  • The International Competition for Choir Compositions in Austria in 1987 for his piece Olof Palme.
  • The Olivier Messiaen Organ Prize in 1988 for Luna.
  • The Vienna Modern Masters award in 1991 for his Piano Concerto.
  • The Music and Poetry Prize in Belgium in 1989.

In Denmark, he was named "Danish Choir Composer of the year" in 1990. He also received the Carl Nielsen Prize in 1995 and the Wilhelm Hansen Composer Prize in 2003. From 1982 until he passed away, Lorentzen received a special lifelong grant from the Danish Art Council, which helped him continue his work.

Selected Works

Bent Lorentzen’s music is published in Denmark by Edition Wilhelm Hansen and Edition Samfundet.

Opera and musical theatre

  • Bill and Julia (1991)
  • Cain and Abel (2005/06)
  • Do You Know The Tune They're Playing? (Die Musik kommt mir äusserst bekannt vor) – Mozart Panorama (1974)
  • Eine Wundersame Liebesgeschichte (A wondrous love story) -Tristan Variations (1979)
  • The End!? (1969)
  • Euridice (1965; radio opera 1969)
  • Fackeltanz (1993)
  • Friisholm (1971)
  • Den Stundesløse/The Fussy Man (1994), after the play by Ludvig Holberg
  • Orfeo (1992), after Monteverdi's opera
  • Pergolesi's Homeservice (1998), after Pergolesi's "La Serva Padrona"
  • The Magic Brillant (1994)
  • The Serpent (1964;1974)
  • Stalten Mette (1963; 1980; TV 1981)
  • Studies for Two (1967)
  • Toto The Clown (1985)
  • Der Steppenwolf (1999), after the novel by Hermann Hesse
  • Jeppe (2009), after the play by Ludvig Holberg

Orchestra

  • Latin Suite I (1984)
  • Partita (1976)
  • Tide (1971)

Soloist(s) and orchestra

  • Cello Concerto (1984)
  • Gewitter im Juni (2000)
  • Hunting Concerto (1996)
  • My Bride is Like a Garden (1972)
  • Oboe Concerto (1980)
  • Partita (1994)
  • Piano Concerto (1984)
  • Saxophone Concerto (1986)
  • Tivoli (2006)
  • Violin Concerto (2001)
  • Regenbogen (1991)
  • Double concerto for trumpet and trombone (1999)

Large ensemble (7 or more players)

  • Cyclus 4
  • Paesaggio (1983)
  • Paradiesvogel (1983)
  • Wunderblumen (1982)
  • Zauberspiegel (1998)
  • Steppenwolf-Fragment (2000)

Works for 2-6 players

  • Flamma (2001)
  • Mambo (1982)
  • Orfeo Suite (1992)
  • Quadrata (1963)
  • Quartetto Barbaro (1990)
  • Samba (1980)
  • Schumann-variations (1993)
  • Warszawa (1983)
  • Cello Scenes (1990)

Solo works (excluding keyboard)

  • Birds (2001)
  • Circles (1996)
  • Cries (1991)
  • Round (1981)
  • Diamond (1983)
  • Granite (1971)
  • Quartz (1971)
  • Sif's Golden Hair (2006)
  • Tears (1992)
  • Tiefe (1993)
  • Circus (2001)

Solo keyboard(s)

  • Jupiter (1995)
  • Luna (1984)
  • Mars (1985)
  • Saturnus (1996)
  • Sirrum (1986)
  • Sun (1982)
  • Triplex (1974)
  • Venus (1996)
  • Nachtigall (1988)
  • Nimbus (1977)
  • Puncti (1972)

Solo voices, chorus, orchestra, narrator

  • Genesis (1992)
  • The Tinder Box (2003)
  • Comics (1987)

Chorus a cappella / chorus plus one instrument

  • 3 Madrigals (1977
  • Ammen Dammen Des (1981)
  • Auschwitz (1987)
  • Graffiti (1984)
  • Mund (1989)
  • Olof Palme (1986)
  • Prozession (1988)
  • Purgatorio (1975)

Solo voice(s) and up to six players

  • 11 Danish Lovesongs (2003)
  • Carnaval (1976)
  • Dejligste rose (1989)
  • Den Lidendes Mund (2000)
  • Far verden, far vel (1989)
  • Fire Kingo-koralmotetter (2004)
  • Her vil ties, her vil bies (1989)
  • Ich bin eine Rose (1988)
  • Når mit øje, træt af møje (1989)
  • Siv Vand og Måne (1997)
  • Tristan und die Künigîn (1987)

Music for young performers

  • 9 Easy Pieces for Strings (1964)

Electroacoustic works

  • The Bottomless Pit (1972)
  • Cloud-Drift (1973)
  • Visions (1978)

Selected Discography

Here are some of Bent Lorentzen's recorded works:

  • 5 Easy Pieces
    • Abgrund - Colori - Goldranken - Nachtigall
    • Piano Works
    • Dacapo: 8.224246
  • Do You Know The Tune They're Playing - Mozart Panorama
    • Die Musik kommt mir äusserst bekannt vor!
    • Chamber opera
    • Helikon: HCD 1012
  • Hunting Concerto
    • Ensemble Århus Sinfonietta
    • Conductor Søren K. Hansen and Thomas Søndergaard
    • Dacapo: 8.226516
  • Intersection
    • Aarhus Brass Quintet
    • Paula: PACD 82
  • Mambo
    • Ensemble The Danish Trio
    • Paula: PACD 57
  • Contemporary Denmark 1992
    • The Danish Trio, Esbjerg Ensemble, Kontra etc.
    • Danish Music Export: MXPCD 0292
  • Concertos for Oboe and Trumpet
    • Ensemble Aarhus SO, Frans Rasmussen
    • Merete Hoffmann (oboe), Martin Schuster (trumpet)
    • Dacapo: DCCD 9314
  • Piano Concerto
    • Ensemble Århus Sinfonietta
    • Conductor Søren K. Hansen and Thomas Søndergaard
    • Erik Kaltoft (piano)
    • Dacapo: 8.226516
  • Piano Concerto Music From Six Continents
    • Ensemble Slovak RSO, Szymon Kawalla
    • Vienna Modern Masters: VMM 3009
  • Syncretism
    • Composers: Cope/Bräm/Haubenstock-Ramati/Lorentzen/Kaczynski
    • Ensemble MW2
    • Vienna Modern Masters: VMM 2024
  • An introduction to electronic music
    • Record CHESTER JWC 1001
    • Format: Vinyl, LP; Country: UK; Released: 1968
    • Style: Musique Concrète, Education, Spoken Word, Experimental
    • Credits: Compilation Producer, Narrator - Bent Lorentzen
  • A Wondrous Love Story - Tristan Variation
    • Opera. Label: Kontrapunkt. 2005
    • Morten Frank Larsen (barytone). Jens E. Christensen (organ). Joanna Stroz (percussion.
    • Label: dacapo 8.226568
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