Artur Kapp (28 February 1878 – 14 January 1952) was an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

composer. Born in

Suure-Jaani Suure-Jaani () is a Populated places in Estonia, town in the northern part of the county of Viljandi County, Viljandimaa in Põhja-Sakala Parish, Põhja-Sakala rural municipality, 25 kilometres north of the town of Viljandi. Until 2017, Suure-Ja ...

, Estonia, then part of the

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, he was the son of Joosep Kapp, who was also a classically trained musician. Kapp began his musical career studying organ at the

Saint Petersburg Conservatory The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory () (formerly known as the Petrograd Conservatory and Leningrad Conservatory) is a school of music in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 2004, the conservatory had around 275 faculty member ...

as a student of both Louis Homilius and composition with

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...

in 1891. Kapp graduated from the Conservatory in 1900 as a composer and from 1904 until 1920 worked as a music director in the southern

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n city of

Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...

, then returning to Estonia as a professor and conductor at the

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

Conservatory where he counted among his students such future notable Estonian composers as

Evald Aav Evald Aav ( – 21 March 1939) was an Estonian composer born in Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire. He studied music composition there with Artur Kapp and wrote primarily vocal music to words in the Estonian language. In 1928 he co ...

, Edgar Arro,

Gustav Ernesaks Gustav Ernesaks (12 December 1908 – 24 January 1993) was an Estonian composer and a choir conducting, conductor. Biography Gustav Ernesaks was born on 12 December 1908 in Perila, Estonia. He was educated at the Estonian Academy of Music an ...

Helen Tobias-Duesberg Helen Tobias-Duesberg (11 June 1919 – 4 February 2010) was an Estonian- American composer. Life Helen Tobias was born in Suure-Jaani, Estonia on 11 June 1919. Tobias was the youngest daughter of Estonian composer, Rudolf Tobias, born seven mon ...

Riho Päts Riho Päts (26 June 1899, Tartu - 15 January 1977, Tallinn) was an Estonian composer, choir director, music journalist and music teacher Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or sec ...

and

Enn Võrk Enn Võrk (14 March 1905 in Volkovysk, Grodno Governorate – 20 September 1962 in Tallinn) was an Estonian composer, conductor, and organist. In 1926, he graduated from Tallinn Conservatory. Between 1926–1933, he conducted Choir of St. ...

. He is, along with

Rudolf Tobias Rudolf Tobias ( – 29 October 1918) was the first Estonian professional composer, as well as a professional organist. He studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. His compositions include among others piano works, string quartets and an o ...

(1873-1918), generally considered to be one of the founders of Estonian

symphonic music An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, a ...

. Kapp's son

Eugen Eugen is a masculine given name which may refer to: * Archduke Eugen of Austria (1863–1954), last Habsburg Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order from 1894 to 1923 * Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865–1947), Swedish painter, art collector, and pa ...

(1908–1996) and nephew

Villem Villem is an Estonian language, Estonian masculine given name. It is a cognate of the English language William and the German Wilhelm (name), Wilhelm and may refer to: *Villem Gross (1922–2001), Estonian writer and journalist *Villem Grünthal ...

(1913–1964) became notable composers as well, having studied at the

Tallinn Conservatory The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

under direction of the elder Kapp. Some of Kapp's most enduring works are the 1899

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...

''Don Carlos'' and the 1900

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

''Paradiis ja Peri'' ("''Paradise and Peri''"), both of which are large scale works that prominently feature the organ. He is possibly best recalled for his

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

''Hiiob'' ("''Job''") and ''Metsateel'' ("''On A Road Through The Woods''"), a piece for solo voice. Kapp's work is abundant and diverse and covers many classical genres. He wrote five symphonies, five concertos, overtures, four orchestral suites, in addition to the above. After the Soviet invasion of Estonia during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Kapp was forced to resign his position as a composer and retired to Suure-Jaani. He died there in 1952 at the age of 73. His professional career spanned more than five decades. His last two major works were the overture "To the Party" (1947), the Symphony No. 4 (dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Soviet Young Communist League, 1948), and the Symphony (Cantata-Symphony) No. 5 (Peace Symphony). In 1998, the annual Suure-Jaani Music Days festival was founded to celebrate Artur Kapp's musical legacy, as well as that of his sons and fellow composer

Mart Saar Mart Saar ( in Hüpassaare – 28 October 1963) was an Estonian composer, organist and collector of folk songs. Childhood Saar was born in the small borough of Hüpassaare (now in Karjasoo, Suure-Jaani Parish), Kreis Fellin in the Livonia ...

(1882-1963), who was also from the area. The Festival is organized by the Eesti Kontsert in conjunction with the town of Suure-Jaani and the International Artur Kapp Society. The venues for performances include

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

and

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

churches, the Kapp Museum, and the song festival stage.

External links/Sources

The International Arthur Kapp Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kapp, Artur 1878 births 1952 deaths People from Suure-Jaani People from Kreis Fellin Estonian male classical composers 20th-century Estonian classical composers 20th-century Estonian composers 20th-century Estonian conductors (music) 20th-century Russian male musicians Pupils of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni Academic staff of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Honoured Workers of the Arts Industry of the Estonian SSR Recipients of the Stalin Prize