Martinus Joannes (Martin) Lürsen

Martin Lürsen (1893-1952) was born in Wormerveer. He was teacher at the music school of the Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Toonkunst in Haarlem. He taught since 1937 at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 1945 he won Teyler's musical competition to write short pieces in each of the ten Euler genera of the third degree with his Modi Antichi, Musiche Nuove. These compositions had to be playable on the Euler-organ in Haarlem. At the award ceremony they were played by a string trio and in 1946 broadcast by Radio Herrijzend Nederland. They were published in 1947 with a comprehensive introduction in Dutch and English by Teyler's Tweede Genootschap.
Lürsen also wrote choral works and songs. His book Grondslagen van de muziektheorie (Foundations of music theory) contains chapters about scales, tunings and acoustics and is a guide for numerous music students for decades already. Adriaan Fokker wrote in commemmoration of him and Willem Pijper a bundle of solfège exercises: Oor en Stem (Ear and Voice).

Literature

• Lürsen, Martinus J. Grondslagen van de muziektheorie. Servire B.V., Katwijk aan Zee, 1944-1985. 10th print, Panta Rhei, 1995, 262 pages.
• Lürsen, Martinus J. Modi Antichi, Musiche Nuove. Een verzameling composities in de tien toongeslachten van den derden graad. De erven F. Bohn N.V., Haarlem, 1947.