Otto Mortensen


Otto Hübertz Mortensen was a Danish composer and conductor. He also played the organ and piano. For a number of years he worked at the Danish Theatre">Denmark">Danish Theatre as a rehearser for the opera, and later worked at Aarhus University.
As a composer, Mortensen composed both vocal works and instrumental music. He is most famous for arranging countless choral works and for writing the melodies for a number of Danish songs, e.g. Septembers himmel, Min skat, Sommervise, and the Norwegian Kringsatt av fiender. In the years leading up to his death, he worked on new melodies to a number of psalms, e.g. At sige verden ret farvel.
The melody for the poem by Helge Rode, Du gav os de blomster, som lyste imod os, was selected by the Danish [Ministry of Culture] in 2006 as one of 12 songs to be a part of the Canon of Culture in the category musical scores.

List of compositions

The following works do not make a complete listing.
  • Quintette pour Flûte, Hautbois, Clarinette, Cor et Basson
  • Quartet 1937
  • Sonata for oboe and piano
  • 10 Danish Songs
  • Four Songs
  • Three Songs
  • Selected Songs
  • Sange af Nordiske Digtere, for voice & piano
  • Songs, for voice & piano
  • Septembers himmel er så blå, for voice & piano
  • Min Skat. Hun er sød, hun er blød, song for voice & piano
  • Septembers himmel er så blå, for voice and piano
  • Sommervise. Du danske sommer, jeg elsker dig, for voice and piano
  • Det var en lørdag aften, song
  • Du gav os de blomster
  • Lørdag aften, for chorus