Johannes Hiob

May 17, 1907 Lokuta village, Särevere parish – August 7, 1942 Vorkuta forced-labor camp

Composer, organist and choral conductor Johannes Hiob graduated from Paide Joint Gymnasium in 1928 and in 1934 Tallinn Conservatoire in composition under Artur Kapp and organ with Artur Topman.

From 1933–1936, Hiob worked as an organist and choral conductor in Tallinn Nõmme Rahu Church. From 1936 he started to hold a position of scientific secretary of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Music Secretariat that brought along the duties of organist and choral conductor of Tallinn Dome Church. There, together with August Topman, he founded the prime male choir that was formed a mixed choir „Cantate Domino“ by the end of the year. In 1937, he called together Dome Church’s chamber choir, with whom he performed every month a concert at State Broadcast (1937–1938).

He organised sacred song days, supplementary teacher trainings for church choral conductors and organists, on his initiative the series of choral music notebooks „Church Choir“ was published (1924–1925 and from 1931). He expressed opinions on Estonian church music in press, aiming to explain the people the nature and perspectives of Lutheran church music. He gave a lecture on development of Estonian churh music at II Nordic church music congress in Helsinki in 1936 (published in magazine „Eesti Kirik“ May 14, 1936). He passionately fended for performances of Rudolf Tobias’s music. In 1940, after the divestiture of Church Music Secretariat, Hiob worked as a music teacher in Haapsalu. In 1941, he was mobilised to Red Army where he was imprisoned and sent to a forced-labor camp in Vorkuta.

The main part of Johannes Hiob’s oeuvre is formed by sacred works, from among the remarkable ones are vocal-symphonic pieces (cantatas The Message Of Isaiah, Redeeming Patience, Christmas Cantata and oratorio Smoking Sinai). He has written also symphonic and chamber music and choral songs. Hiob’s mode of expression is powerful, dramatically intense and rich of contrasts. Vocal-symphonic pieces are characterised by monumental sound, following the example of Rudolf Tobias’s music.

At the General Song Celebrations his „Awake!“ in 1994 by joint choir and „Largo religioso“ by wind orchestra in 1938 have been performed.

© EMIK 2014

The texts on the EMIC's homepage are protected by the copyright law. They can be used for non-commercial purposes referring to the author (when specified) and source (Estonian Music Information Centre).