| Information: |
Herman David Koppel (Copenhagen, 1 oktober 1908-14 juli 1998) was a Danish composer, pianist and musicteacher.
The Koppel family came in 1907 from Blaszki in Poland as a Jewish family to Copenhagen. This family bought a piano and Herman David, the eldest son, could, five years old, start playing. In 1925 he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy for Music. Carl Nielsen was in the board that admitted him. Koppel got musictheory from Emilius Bangert and pianolessons from Rudolph Simonsen. He was selfeducated in composition. In the following years a firmly knotted friendship between Nierlsen and Koppel emerged; as a pianoplayer Koppel examinined the works of Nielsen and Nielsen examinined the compositions of Koppel. In 1930 Koppel made his debut as concertpianist, firstly before friends and afterwards on stage. The compositions of Koppel were in the beginning still related to the works of Nielsen, but after his death in 1931, Koppel choose a more modern path, just like his colleague-composer Knudåge Riisager.
In 1943 Koppel and his family had to fly overnight because of nazi-Germany. They arrived in Örebro in Zweden. This flight and the stories about the razzia's on Jews in Denmark made a deep impression on him and also on his music. This was formerly mainly instrumental, but became later on vocal with references to the Old Testament. After his return to Denmark, he went on playing and composing. From 1949 till 1978 he was teaching in the Academy, as a teacher and from 1955 on as a professor. Later on he was in the board of the Society for Danish Arts (1977-1981) and of the Danish Organisation for Composers (1981-1987). .
His music can be divided in a period of neoclassicismus, but still with influences from the late-romanticisme, and then to more modern variations. Even the jazz did not miss his influences on the music of Koppel.
|