August Topman

July 10, 1882, Kabala parish, Rapla county, Harju county – Septmeber 8,1968, Tallinn
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union 1944–1949

Organist, choral conductor, pedagogue and composer August Topman was a very versatile and active figure in Estonian musical life. He was one of the initiators and founders of Estonian highest music education institution, the current Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Working there as an organ teacher, he increased the number of organs in organ class and founded the Department of Church Music in 1937. The list of Topman’s composition is not very big, he mainly wrote choral music.

August Topman received his first musical education form his father. He studied organ with Tallinn Dome Church organist Ernst Reinicke. Topman graduated with two diplomas from St. Petersburg Conservatory, completing his studies in the organ class of Louis Homilius in 1904 (music theory was taught by composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Anatoli Lyadov and Alexander Glazunov) and composition class of Jāzeps Vītols in 1911 (taking also conducting lessons from Nikolai Tcherepenin).

August Topman was an organist in Tallinn St. John’s Church in 1904–1919 and worked as music teacher in several general education schools (1907–1931).

August Topman was one of the initiator and founders of Tallinn Higher Music School (1919). In 1923–1950 he worked there as the teacher of music theory and organ, and was a lecturer at school and church music department (Professor since 1925). He also lectured about church music at the Department of Theology at the University of Tartu. Among his students there are Juhan Jürme, Peeter Laja, Joosep Aavik, Herman Känd, Paul Indra, Kasimir Žypris, Hillar Saha, Hugo Lepnurm, Johannes Hiob, Edgar Arro, Johannes Kappel, Friedrich-Werner von zur Mühlen, Udu Topman, Leo Virkhaus, Leho Võrk, Carl Otto Märtson et al.

Additionally, Topman participated in the founding of Collegium Musicum (organisation which united organ students). In 1950, August Topman was forced to leave his job as a teacher for illegitimate reasons from the Tallinn State Conservatoire and his membership in the Estonian Composers’ Union was discontinued.

Since 1911, August Topman regularly gave organ recitals, performing music from different eras by Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Karl Piutti, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Ferenc Liszt and many others, also Estonian composers music, like Peeter Süda and Artur Kapp formed a part of his repertory. He also collaborated with different singers and instrumental soloists.

Since 1904, August Topman was active as a conductor in several choirs, including Oratorio Choir of Tallinn St. John’s Church, Music Department Mixed Choir of Estonia Society (1911–1924) and Tallinn Men’s Singing Society (1927–1936). Under his baton was performed such large-sacle vocal works like Joseph Haydn’s The Seasons (1913, 1921) and Creation (1915), Nils Gade’s Kalanus (1914), Georg Friedrich Händel’s Simson (1917) and Messiah (1922, 1928), Camille Saint- Saëns’s Requiem (1921) and Felix Mednessohn’s Elias (1923). In 1013–1921, Topman worked as a chorus master-repetitor and opertta conductor in the theatre Estonia. He was the conductor of Jaques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld (1920), Sidney Jones’s The Geisha (1920), Franz Lehár’s The Mountain Prince (1920) and Johann Strauss/Ernst Reiterer’s 1001 Night (1921).

August Topman was the chairman of Estonian Singers’ Union (1927–1929) and founder and chairman of Secretariat of Church Music (1931–1935). He has wrote a autobiographical book „Memories“ („Mälestused“, 1929).

In 1957, August Topman was given the honorary title of Estonian SSR Honoured Worker in Arts.

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