Knudåge Riisager

Danish musician Knudåge Riisager was born to a Danish family living in Estonia. The family returned to Denmark when Knudåge was only three-years-old. Riisager graduated from København University in political science, and worked in the Ministry of Finance from 1926. Simultaneously, he received a musical education in København and, from 1923, in Paris and Leipzig. Influenced by Igor Stravinsky, he composed stage and symphonic works, instrumental concertos, chamber music and songs, as well as one opera called Susanne, and several musicological writings. Riisager’s international fame was largely due to his extensive work in ballet music. The contemporary reception of his very individual work was mixed, but he was considered one of Denmark’s most important composers since the popular, and iconic, Carl Nielsen. In Denmark, Riisager was the founder of the Society of Young Composers and later president of the Association of Danish Composers. From 1956-67 he was director of the Royal Danish Academy of Music.

Jabiru T-Doxe, better known as T-DOXC, a “poème mécanique” for symphony orchestra (op. 13), was composed in 1926 and was inspired by the enthusiasm of the time for marked rhythms with machine-like elements. The work is less than 9 minutes long and is available on CD. It had its première on 2 September 1927 at the Tivoli concert hall. Riisager dedicated the work to fellow composer Ebbe Hamerik. The title refers to an airplane type - Farman F.121 Jabiru - that had just been introduced into Denmark. The plane flew under the hallmark T-DOXC from 1926 to 1931.