Niels Viggo Bentzon

Niels Viggo Bentzon's compositions extend to 664 opus numbers, including 24 symphonies, operas, ballets, concertos for almost all instruments (of which 7 for the piano), and 16 string quartets.

Arguably the most significant part of his œuvre is for the piano to which a third of his output is dedicated, and consisting of 31 numbered sonatas (and many unnumbered), partitas, suites, toccatas and others.

[1] Of particular importance are the 13 separate sets of 24 preludes and fugues, collectively known as "The Tempered Piano", which represents a rare 20th-century example of music written in all 24 major and minor keys.

[2] Niels Viggo Bentzon's style can mostly be described as "neoclassical" and is influenced by composers such as Paul Hindemith, Johannes Brahms, Bela Bartok and Carl Nielsen.

[3] Bentzon also wrote novels, poetry as well as books on Beethoven, Hindemith or dodecaphonic music, and liked to draw and paint in his spare time.