Kilpinen, YrjÖ (Henrik)

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Kilpinen, YrjÖ (Henrik)

Kilpinen, YrjÖ (Henrik), Finnish music critic and composer; b. Helsinki, Feb. 4, 1892; d. there, March 2, 1959. He studied with Furuhjelm at the Helsinki Music Inst. (1908-09; 1911-12; 1916-17), Hofmann and Heuberger in Vienna (1910–11), and Juon and Taub-mann in Berlin (1913–14). He wrote music criticism in Helsinki (1919–31) and also taught at the Helsinki Cons.; he was elected a member of the Finnish Academy (1948). He was best known as a composer of songs, of which he wrote more than 750; many were popular in Germany as well as in Finland. He also wrote Pastoral Suite for Orch. (1944), Totentanz for Orch. (1945), more than 30 men’s choruses, chamber music, 6 piano sonatas and other piano pieces.

Bibliography

W. Legge, The Songs of Y. K. (London, 1936); T. Karila, Y. K. (Borga, 1964); R Pullano, A Study of the Published German Songs ofY. K. (diss., Univ. of III, 1970); M. Pulkinen, Y. K. (Helsinki, 1982).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire