Life

Bent Lorentzen was born in Stenvad, a village in eastern Jutland. He studied musicology at the university in Aarhus

Aarhus

Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...

 and at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

. He was a pupil of Knud Jeppesen, Finn Høffding, Vagn Holmboe and Jörgen Jersild. After his final examination he taught at the Academy of Music in Aarhus for some years.

Bent Lorentzen occupies a special position in modern Danish composition music. In the 1960s Electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 inspired his creativity to take new paths, and since then innumerable other composition techniques have exerted an influence. Lorentzen was one of the earliest pioneers in the field of Danish electronic music (The Bottomless Pit in 1972 for the Nordic Music Days in Oslo

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

, and Visions 1978), which was also introduced with an educational aim: the LP Elektronmusikkens materiale [The Material of Electronic Music, 1968] and the LP Water – electronic music for children, 1968. The possibilities of serialism perfectly matched his constructivism and his interest in sound as totality and potential for experiences, which were not limited by traditional musical elements. Bent Lorentzen’s music is often characterized as "sonic," meaning that it has the actual sounds - the experience of sonority and materiality at its centre.

He has composed in nearly all genres. His orchestral music includes concertos for oboe (1980), cello (1984), piano (1984), saxophone (1986), trumpet (1991) and violin (2001); his chamber music comprises solo works for organ, piano, trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, guitar, violin, cello and double-bass, as well as string quartets and works with mixed ensembles (2-12 instruments). His choral music consists of a wealth of works in a special theatrical style. To these we can add electronic music and instrumental theatre works. Bent Lorentzen has probably had most significance as a music dramatist with eighteen opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

s so far, many of which have been staged abroad, mostly in Germany at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

, at the Statestheatres of Braunschweig

Braunschweig

Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....

 and Kassel

Kassel

Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...

, also at the theatres of Bremen

Bremen

The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

 and Kiel

Kiel Opera House

The Peabody Opera House is a civic performing arts building in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded as the Kiel Opera House, it opened it 1934 and operated until 1991, when it and the adjacent Kiel Auditorium were closed so the auditorium could be demolished and replaced by the Scottrade Center...

, as well as at the Hamburgische Staatsoper.
Of course he is performed in Denmark at the Royal Operahouse in Copenhagen and at the ... in Aarhus.

There is no question: Lorentzen is a dramatist in no matter what genre he composes. Incidentally he resembles Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...

 in two ways [apart from a shared interest in altered seventh chords]: 1.) he writes most of his libretti himself, and 2.) the works are all part of an ambitious vision of a reformed musical life. He is the most prolific music dramatist in Denmark with – until now – 18 operas or Music-Theater pieces, of which many have been performed abroad and some of them feature German lyrics by Michael Leinert. Add to this the instrumental theatre and pantomimic Carillons (for actors and bells). In a genre all of its own is Comics (1987) for entertainer, orchestra, children's and adult choir and amateur band.

His son, Morten Lorentzen

Morten Lorentzen

Morten Lorentzen is a Danish comedian, actor and film director. He is the son of the composer Bent Lorentzen. Appearing both on film and TV and as a live stand-up, he is best known for his role as John in the comic duo of John and Aage on Canal 2, alongside Povl Erik Carstensen...

, is a comedian.

Awards

Lorentzen has held a number of important posts in different organisations in the Danish musical life, and he was the artistic director of the Ebeltoft Festival 1990-93. He was a prizewinner at several foreign competitions such as the Prix Italia

Prix Italia

The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...

in 1970 (for Euridice), the Serocki composers’ competition in 1984 (for Paradiesvogel), the International Competition for Choir Compositions in Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 1987 (for Olof Palme

Olof Palme

Sven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...

), the Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...

 Organ Prize in 1988 (for Luna), Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 Modern Masters in 1991 (for the Piano Concerto) and the Music and Poetry Prize in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 in 1989 (for Enzensberger’s Prozession). He was awarded ”Danish Choir Composer of the year” in 1990 and the Carl Nielsen

Carl Nielsen

Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...

 Prize in 1995.

List of works (a selection)

Bent Lorentzen’s works are published in Denmark by Edition Wilhem Hansen, Copenhagen and Edition Samfundet, Copenhagen.

Opera and Music Theatre

• Bill and Julia (1991)
• Cain and Abel (2005/06)
• Do You Know The Tune They're Playing – Mozart Panorama (1974)
• Eine Wundersame Liebesgeschichte – Tristan Variationen (1979)
• The End!? (1969)
• Euridice (1965; radio opera 1969)
• Fackeltanz (1993)
• Friisholm (1971)
• The Fussy Man (1994)
• Orfeo (1992)
• Pergolesi's Homeservice (1998)
• The Magic Brillant (1994)
• Den Stundesløse (1996)
• 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
  Hermann Hesse
  Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
  
  

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)
• Paradisvogel (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 / and 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)
• Amorous Psalms (1998)
• 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)

Discography (selection)

• 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 Shuster (trumpet)

Dacapo: DCCD 9314

• Piano Concerto

Ensemble Århus Sinfonietta

Conductor Søren K. Hansen and Thomas Søndergaard

Dacapo: 8.226516

• Piano Concerto Music From Six Continents

Ensemble Slovak RSO, Szymon Kawalla

Vienne 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

External links

• Bent Lorentzen, the popular avantgardist, article by Lars Ole Bonde
• Works by Bent Lorentzen at Edition Samfundet
• Complete Works at Edition Wilhelm Hansen
• Royal Opera House of Copenhagen, where some of Lorentzen's operas have been performed
• Den Jyske Opera of Aarhus, where some of Lorentzen's operas have been performed
• Pergolesi's HomeService