THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AXEL JØRGENSEN TO THE SOLO TROMBONE REPERTOIRE OF DENMARK IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Authors

Andrew H. Converse, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

4-15-2009

Document Type

Article

Comments

A DOCTORAL DOCUMENT Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, Major: Music. Under the Supervision of Professor Scott Anderson
Lincoln, Nebraska: April, 2009
Copyright (c) 2009 Andrew H. Converse

Abstract

Axel Jørgensen is one of a few Danish composers who has contributed compositions to the solo trombone repertoire that gained an international and lasting reputation in the twentieth century. Jørgensen, like many Danish composers from the first part of the twentieth century, is often overlooked due to the imposing figure of Carl Nielsen. Jørgensen’s compositions, while not overly patriotic, give the trombonist a sense of the Danish Nationalistic Romantic style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Jørgensen was one of the first composers to write for the emerging slide trombone idiom in Denmark at the beginning of the twentieth century. His compositions for slide trombone are in large part due to the influence of his colleague and friend, trombonist Anton Hansen. Hansen played the largest role in the slide trombone’s rise over the valve trombone in Denmark.

The two primary compositions by Jørgensen for trombone are the Romance Op. 21 and the Suite Op. 22. Although Jørgensen wrote at least four other compositions for solo trombone, these are no longer published or performed today. Jørgensen’s compositional style is consistent throughout his trombone works. The most defining trait is his use of sequence. In addition, the Romance and Suite share melodic material originating from Jørgensen’s composition professor, Otto Malling.

The first chapter of this document discusses the related research and purpose of this paper. In addition, the first chapter includes a discussion of the Danish Golden Age of Music and Danish solo trombone works prior to Jørgensen. Chapter two covers the biography of Axel Jørgensen. A biography of Anton Hansen is included in chapter three. Chapter four examines the melodic material and circumstances surrounding the composition of the Romance. The Suite is discussed similarly in chapter five. Chapter six looks at the melodic similarities between the Romance, the Suite, and Otto Malling’s Piano Concerto Op. 43. The concluding chapter provides a summary.