Jón Leifs

Jón Leifs (; born Jón Þorleifsson; 1 May 1899 – 30 July 1968) was an Icelandic composer, pianist, and conductor.

Life Jón Leifs was born Jón Þorleifsson, at the farm Sólheimar, then in the Húnavatnssýsla, northwestern Iceland. He left for Germany in 1916 to study at the Leipzig Conservatory. He graduated in 1921 having studied piano with Robert Teichmüller, but decided not to embark on a career as a pianist, devoting his time instead to conducting and composing. During this period he also encountered the legendary pianist-composer Ferruccio Busoni, who urged him to "follow his own path in composition".

In the 1920s Jón Leifs conducted a number of symphony orchestras in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Norway and Denmark, thus becoming the only internationally successful Icelandic conductor to date, including Requiem Op. 33b for mixed choir, perhaps his most celebrated piece. The other works are Torrek Op. 33a, for solo voice and piano, Erfiljóð (In memoriam) Op. 35 for male choir, and the string quartet Vita et mors Op. 36.

Jón Leifs composed his last work, Consolation, Intermezzo for string orchestra, as he had only weeks to live. He died of lung cancer in Reykjavík in 1968.

Jón Leifs and his first wife are the subjects of the film Tears of Stone (Tár úr steini) (1995) by Icelandic director Hilmar Oddsson. A square in Bergholz-Rehbrücke (Nuthetal, Germany), where he lived with his family from the 1930s until 1944, is named after him. An English-language biography, Jón Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland, by the musicologist Árni Heimir Ingólfsson, was published in 2019 and was listed as one of that year's most notable books by The New Yorker critic Alex Ross (music critic).

Works

Vökudraumur (Reverie) for solo piano (1913) Torrek – Intermezzo, Op. 1 No. 2 (piano piece) (1919) Trilogia piccola, Op. 1 (1922–24) Four Pieces for solo piano, Op. 2 (1921) Studies for solo violin, Op. 3 (1924) 3 Songs, Op. 4 (1924) Organ Prelude, Op. 5, No. 1 (1924) Kyrie, chorus, Op. 5, No. 2 (1924) Loftr-Suite, Op. 6a (1925) Íslensk þjóðlög (Icelandic Folk Songs) for solo piano (1925) Organ Concerto, Op. 7 (1930) Variations on a Theme by Beethoven, Op. 8 (1930) Iceland Overture, Op. 9 (1926)

Overture to Loftr, Op. 10 (1927) Íslensk rímnadanslög (Icelandic Folk Dances), Op. 11 (1929–30) 3 Church Songs (Hymns) for voice and piano/organ, Op. 12a (1929) Iceland Cantata, Op. 13 (1930) 2 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 14a (1929–30) Ný rímnadanslög (New Icelandic Dances), Op. 14b (1931) Íslendingaljóð (Poems of Icelanders) for male chorus, Op. 15a (1931) Sjavarvísur (Ocean Verses) for male chorus, Op. 15b (1931) 3 Organ Preludes, Op. 16 (1931) Íslenskir söngdansar (Icelandic Dance-Songs) for chorus and instruments ad lib, Op. 17a (c. 1931) 2 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 18a (1931) 2 Songs of the Edda (Love Verses from the Edda) for tenor and piano, Op. 18b (1931–32) Nocturne for harp, Op. 19a (c. 1934) 2 Icelandic Folk Songs for voice and piano, Op. 19b (1934) Edda, Part 1 "The Creation of the World", Op. 20 (1932–37) Mors et Vita, Op. 21 (1st String Quartet) (1939) Guðrúnarkviða, Op. 22 (1940) 3 Songs for voice and piano, Op. 23 (1941) 3 Saga Songs (3 Songs from Icelandic Sagas) for tenor and piano, Op. 24 (1941) Songs from the Saga Symphony for tenor and piano, Op. 25 (1941) Sögusinfónía (Saga Symphony), Op. 26 (1941–42) 3 ættjarðarsöngvar (3 Patriotic Songs) for male chorus, Op. 27 (1927–43) 3 söngvar eftir Jónas Hallgrímsson (3 Verses by Jónas Hallgrímsson) for chorus, Op. 28 (1943) Íslendingaljóð (Poems of Icelanders) for male chorus, Op. 29 (1943) Íslendingaljóð (Poems of Icelanders) for chorus, Op. 30 (1943) 3 Ancient Songs for voice and piano, Op. 31 (1944) 3 alþýðusöngvar (3 Folksongs) for chorus, Op. 32 (1945) Torrek, Op. 33a (1947) Requiem, Op. 33b (1947) Baldr, Op.34 (1943–47), A Choreographic Drama in Two Acts Erfiljóð (Elegies), Op. 35 (1948) Vita et Mors, Op. 36 (2nd String Quartet) (1948–51) Fjallasöngvar (Mountain Verses) for mezzo-soprano, baritone, male chorus, timpani, percussion and double bass, Op. 37 (1948) Þorgerðarlög (Songs of Thorgerdur) for male chorus, flute, viola and cello, Op. 38 (1948) 2 söngvar (2 Songs) for male chorus, Op. 39 (1948–61) Réminiscence du nord, Op. 40 (1952) Landfall – Overture, Op. 41 (1955) Edda, Part 2, "Líf guðanna" (The Lives of the Gods), oratorio for soli, chorus and orchestra, Op. 42 (1951–66) Baptism Invocation for baritone and organ, Op. 43 (1957) Trois peintures abstraites, Op. 44 (Þrjú óhlutræn málverk) (1955) Memorial Songs on the Death of Jónas Hallgrímsson for mezzo-soprano/baritone and piano, Op. 45 (1958) Vorvísa (Spring Song), Op. 46 (1958) Turmglockenspiel über Themen aus Beethovens Neunter Symphonie for carillon (1958) Das Leben muss trotz allem Stets weiter gehen for carillon (1958) Es ist ein Ros entsprungen for folksong, chorus (arr. 1958) Stand, House of Stone for tenor and piano, Op. 47a (1958) Jónas Hallgrímsson in memoriam, Op. 48 (1961) Boy's Song, "Strákalag", Op. 49 (1961) Quintet, Op. 50 for flute/piccolo, clarinet, bassoon, viola and cello (1961) Geysir, Op. 51 (1961) Hekla, Op. 52 (1961) for orchestra and percussion Elegy, Op. 53 (1961) Víkingasvar (Viking’s Answer), Op. 54 (1962), Intermezzo for wind ensemble, percussion, violas and double basses Fine I, Op. 55 (1963) (Farewell to earthly life) Fine II, Op. 56 (1963) (Farewell to earthly life) Dettifoss, Op. 57 (1964)

Scherzo concreto, Op.58 (1964) Nótt (Night), Op. 59 (1964) Darraðarljóði, Op. 60 (1964) Helga kviða Hundingsbana, Op.61 (1964) Grógaldr, Op. 62 (1965) Hafís (Drift Ice), Op. 63 (1965) El Greco, Op. 64 (3rd String Quartet) (1965) Heilsuheimt (Health Regained) for chorus (arr. 1965) [orig. work of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 132, No. 2] Edda, Part 3 "Ragnarok" (The Twilight of the Gods), oratorio for soli, choruses and orchestra, op. 65 (1966–68, incomplete) Hughreysting (Consolation), Intermezzo for string orchestra, Op. 66 (1968)

Recordings The Iceland Symphony Orchestra with En Shao (cond.) has performed Hekla Op.52 and Dettifoss, Op. 57.