Alf Cranner
Alf Cranner | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 3 March 2020 | (aged 83)
Nationality | Norway Norwegian |
Occupation(s) | visesanger, komponist, gitarist, forfatter og maler |
Alf Cranner (25 October 1936 – 3 March 2020) was a major
Background and works
Alf Cranner was born in Oslo, and studied painting at Statens Kunst- og Håndverksskole (National Arts and Crafts School), where he also taught music and drawing until he retired in 1998.[1]
Cranner received violin lessons as a child (by among others his grandfather Ingvald Cranner), and began playing guitar as a 13-year-old. He had diverse musical interests. Cranner played classical guitar and hung out in jazz circles. In 1961 he became a member of the club Visens venner (friends of folk song). Here he met with among others the Swedish folk singer
Rolv Wesenlund, who was then head of the recording label Philips, offered Cranner a record contract in 1963, and the following year came the LP Fiine antiquiteter. It consists of 18 Norwegian folk songs, adapted and performed by Cranner accompanied on guitar only. In 1964 he became acquainted with Alf Prøysen, a relationship that was crucial for Cranner's further development. Prøysen wrote several lyrics that Cranner put melody to, including Å, den som var en løvetann. At the same time he met the composer Geirr Tveitt, a meeting that resulted in the LP Både le og gråte (1964), where Cranner composed tunes to poems by Jakob Sande.[1][2]
This was in a time when a variety of other Nordic folk singers like Cornelis Vreeswijk, Alf Hambe and Birgitte Grimstad released their first LP recordings. There was evolving a good environment for a young folk singer and multi talented artist to flourish. In 1966 Cranner went on a tour with the poet Harald Sverdrup organized by Den Norske Bokklubben.[1] A recording of the concert in the University Hall at the University of Oslo resulted in a release of the LP Vers og viiiiiiser. In 1967 Cranner published what is likely to be his most important album in the 60's, Rosemalt sound. Here he collaborated with composer and musician Alfred Janson, and combined the folk song tradition with jazz. In the years to come up to 1970, many other Norwegian folk singers also debuted, including Lillebjørn Nilsen, Lars Klevstrand, Åse Kleveland, Finn Kalvik, Ole Paus and Øystein Sunde. This was called the Norwegian Visebølgen (the Norwegian folk music wave) where Cranner was one of the leading figures.[1][2]
In the 1970s, he began a collaboration with author and causeur
Alf Cranner has also written music for theater including in collaboration with Klaus Hagerup, and to Romeo og Julie under the direction of Kjetil Bang-Hansen put up on Det Norske Teatret and to the films Jentespranget from 1972 and Faneflukt from 1973. In 2001, he published the book Jordbundet og himmelvendt, which is a biography of his grandfather, the inventor Christian Holberg Gran Olsen. In 2007 he released the Alf Cranner's visebok: I Adrians hus – sangpoesi og viser.[1][2]
Alf Cranner has been a resident of Kragerø since the 1960s.
Awards and honors
- Spellemannprisen 1974 in the class folk songs for the album Trykt i år
- Spellemannprisen 1977 in the class folk songs for the album Vindkast
- Gammleng-prisenin the class folk songs 1984
- Work of the Year (lyrics) from NOPA, for the album Hvis ikke nå – når da (1989)
- Kardemommegrant in (1993)
- Evert Taube's Memorial Fund grant (1994)
- Alf Prøysen's Honorary Award i (1998)
- Telemark County's Culture Prize (1999)
- Kragerø Kommunes Kulturpris (2000)
- Kongens fortjenstmedalje i gull (2010)[4]
Discography
- Fiine antiquiteter (1964)
- Både le og gråte (1964)
- Vers og viiiiiiser (1966) with Harald Sverdrup
- Rosemalt Sound (1967)
- Almuens opera (1970)
- Odd Børretzen og Alf Cranner i levende live på Sandvika kino en kald desemberdag i 1973 (1974) with Odd Børretzen
- Trykt i år (1974)
- Vindkast (1977)
- Hva er det de vil? Live from ABC-Teateret (1980) with Odd Børretzen
- Din tanke er fri (1985)
- Sanger om fravær og nærvær (1989)
- 48 viser (1992)
- Kafé Kaos (1995)
- 50 beste fra 40 år (2003)
- Som en rose (2004)
- I går, i dag, i morgen (2006)
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Biography - Store Norske Leksikon". (in Norwegian)
- ^ a b c d e f g "Biography - fra Norsk Pop & Rock Leksikon gjengitt i MIC.no". (in Norwegian)
- ^ "Som en rose, Alf Cranner tolker Robert Burns - Haugen-no.no". Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2012-06-25. (in Norwegian)
- ^ "Kongens gull til Alf Cranner Telemarksavisa". (in Norwegian)
External links
- Alf Cranner's Website
- Alf Cranner at NRK Forfatter
- Alf Cranner at Rockheim
- Alf Cranner discography at Discogs