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Artist
Jón Leifs
12+ albums
contemporary classicalClassicalicelandiccomposer20th Century
about
Jón Leifs (May 1, 1899 – July 30, 1968) Jón was born in Sólheimar. He left Iceland in 1916 to study in Germany at the Leipzig Conservatory. He graduated in 1921 having studied piano, and then devoted his time to conducting and composing. He became successful as a conductor, and also as a writer. He married pianist Annie Riethof. They had two daughters, Snót and Líf, and lived in Wernigerode and subsequently in Baden-Baden. Because his wife was Jewish, his family was harassed by the Nazis. In 1944 he moved to Sweden, and in 1945 he moved back to Iceland. After returning to Iceland he eventually divorced his wife. One of his daughters, Líf, drowned in a swimming accident off the coast of Sweden, and he wrote his string quartet Vita et Mors in her memory. Most of his works are about Icelandic natural phenomena. In the piece Hekla he depicts the eruption of the volcano Hekla which he witnessed. Dettifoss (Op. 57) was inspired by the Dettifoss waterfall, the most powerful in Europe. In the Saga Symphony he musically portrays five characters of famous Icelandic sagas. His last work, Consolation, Intermezzo for string orchestra was written as he was dying. He died of lung cancer in Reykjavík in 1968. In recent years Leifs has become recognized as the most important and original composer of Icelandic music in the twentieth century. A controversial figure in his own lifetime, Leifs´s most important contribution to Icelandic music was his attempt to integrate elements of native fol
top songs
1
Hekla, Op. 52
2,4662Requiem, Op. 33b
1,1803Minni Islands (Iceland Overture), Op. 9
1,0524Reverie (Vokudraumur)
5875Hughreysting (Consolation), Op. 66: Consulation, Intermezzo for string orchestra, Op. 66
4296String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21, "Mors et vita"
3297Torrek - Intermezzo, Op.1 No.2
3188Hinsta kvethja (Elegy), Op. 53 for string orchestra
2779Icelandic Folk Dances, Op. 11: II. Tempo Giusto
27010Baldr, Op. 34: Act I: The Creation Of Man
199albums
Leifs: Hekla / Iceland Overture / Loftr-Suite / Reminiscence Du Nord
Leifs: Fine I & II, Elegy, Iceland Cantata & Icelandic Overture
LEIFS: Complete Piano Music (The)
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Orchestral Music - Leif, S. / Shostakovich, D. / Nielsen, C. / Schulhoff, E. (Earquake)
Leifs: Geysir And Other Orchestral Works
Leifs: String Quartets Nos. I-3
Leifs: Baldr, Op. 34
Leifs: Organ Concerto / Dettifoss / Variazioni Pastorale / Fine Ii
LEIFS: Hafis / Nott / Gudrunmarkvida
Leifs: Lay of Helgi the Hunding-Slayer (The) / Groa's Spell / Landfall / Iceland Cantata
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Leifs: Requiem
Meditatio: Music for mixed choir