Jaan Hargel facts for kids

Jaan Hargel playing the oboe in 1938.

Jaan Hargel (born November 30, 1912 – died January 30, 1966) was a talented musician from Estonia. He was a conductor, a music teacher, and played both the oboe and the flute.

Becoming a Musician

Jaan Hargel started his musical journey in the orchestra at the Tallinn Secondary School of Science. He then played in other orchestras in Tallinn. He could play many instruments, including the piccolo, flute, oboe, and English horn.

In 1940, he finished his studies at the Tallinn Conservatoire. This school is now called the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He specialized in playing the oboe. While studying, he also learned more at the Helsinki Conservatoire, which is now the Sibelius Academy. He even played in the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

From 1934 to 1937, and again from 1941 to 1944, Jaan Hargel worked in the orchestra of the Estonia Theatre. This theatre is now known as the Estonian National Opera. From 1937 to 1941, he played in the Symphony Orchestra of the State Broadcasting Company. Today, this is the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

Leading the Orchestra

In 1944, Jaan Hargel was asked to join the orchestra at the Vanemuine Theatre. Here, he soon got the chance to try conducting. His first time leading an orchestra was in 1944. He conducted the music for August Kitzberg's play Before Cock's Crow at Dawn.

After that, he conducted the operetta Der fidele Bauer by Leo Fall. Then came his first opera, Flames of Revenge by Eugen Kapp in 1945. Conducting at the Vanemuine Theatre became his main job. He worked there for 22 years, from 1944 to 1966. For six of those years (1946–1952), he was the theatre's main conductor.

Jaan Hargel conducted over 70 operas, ballets, and operettas at the Vanemuine Theatre. He was especially important for helping new Estonian music get noticed. He led the first performances of:

• Rummu Jüri (1954), an operetta by Edgar Arro and Leo Normet.
• Just a Dream (1955), an operetta by Boris Kõrver.
• Suitors from Mulgimaa (1960), an opera by Gustav Ernesaks. This opera was performed more than 130 times!

He also had a special connection to Evald Aav's opera Vikings. It was performed at the Vanemuine in 1955 with new music arrangements he helped create. Four years later, he conducted the first full recording of this opera in Estonia. Jaan Hargel also arranged the music for Gustav Ernesaks' opera Suitors from Mulgimaa. He helped update other operas by Ernesaks, like Baptism of Fire and Hand in Hand. The updated version of Hand in Hand, called Mari and Mihkel, was performed outdoors at the 1965 Estonian Song Festival in Tallinn, with Jaan Hargel conducting.

People really enjoyed Jaan Hargel's conducting of many famous works, such as:

• Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini (1946)
• Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1948)
• I pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1949)
• Iolanta by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1951)
• Aida by Giuseppe Verdi (1961)
• Tiefland by Eugen d'Albert (1963)

He also conducted many popular operettas, including:

• Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II (1949)
• Mam'zelle Nitouche by Hervé (1957)
• Maske in Blau by Fred Raymond (1958)

He also conducted a play with music called Taylor Õhk and His Winning Lottery Ticket (1962). This play was performed almost 140 times during his lifetime. One of the most successful ballets at the Vanemuine was Peer Gynt, with music by Edvard Grieg (1959), also conducted by Hargel.

Jaan Hargel's last show at the Vanemuine was the opera Die lustige Weiber von Windsor by Otto Nicolai (1965). He only got to conduct it a few times before he passed away. Besides theatre music, he also conducted symphony concerts. Sometimes, he would even play the flute in concerts if needed.

A Dedicated Teacher

Jaan Hargel was also a music teacher throughout his life. From 1940 to 1944, he taught oboe at the Tallinn Conservatoire. One of his most famous students was Herman Talmre, who became the main oboist for the Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra for many years.

Later, from 1946 to 1949, he taught at the Tartu Teachers' Training Institute. This is now part of the University of Tartu. From 1948 to 1966, he taught at the Tartu Music School, now called Tartu Heino Eller Music School. Many students learned from him, including Heldur Värv and Alo Põldmäe (oboe), and Jaan Õun and Peeter Rööp (flute).

Family Life

Jaan Hargel came from a musical and artistic family. His father, also named Jaan Hargel, was an actor and a sports referee. His wife, Alvi Hargel, was a singer at the Vanemuine Theatre. His son, Jaan Hargel, became an interior architect. His other son, Jüri Hargel, is a flutist and a flute teacher.

Achievements and Recognition

Jaan Hargel was recognized for his talents in many ways:

• He was an Estonian champion in water polo in 1928 and 1929.
• He received the White Cross of the Third Class of the Estonian Defence League in 1939.
• He was named Merited Art Worker of the Estonian SSR in 1965.

Music You Can Hear

You can still listen to some of Jaan Hargel's work:

• An LP record of Evald Aav's opera Vikings (1961).
• A CD of Evald Aav's opera Vikings (1997).
• A CD called Conductor Jaan Hargel, put together by his son Jüri Hargel (2012).

Many more recordings of his performances are kept in the archives of Estonian Public Broadcasting.