Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen

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Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen (April 25, 1903 – November 8, 1984) was a

Norwegian violinist and composer. His composition style is lyrical with a strong grounding in Norwegian folk tunes.[1]

Life

Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen was born in

Griegakademiet, the music conservatory in Bergen, Norway. His teaching position continued until the early 1940s. During the same period he conducted for the Bergen Trade Unions Choir. Olsen was also a critic for the newspaper Bergens Tidende.[4]

In 1936, he became a nationally sponsored artist (komponistgasje) and had started receiving state income for artists.[2] After World War II broke out in 1940, moved to Nordfjord where he lived until 1947, when he settled in Gausdal in Oppland and lived there until 1966, he settled in Lillehammer.

Composer

Olsen wrote a significant amount of large choral pieces, orchestral works, and songs. In the 1920s, his music was primary inspired by Norwegian folk songs and is considered harmonically influenced by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. His later music is miniaturist in nature, his compositional style likened to that of Fartein Valen, his compositional instructor. In the 1930s, he composed large instrumental works inspired by Norwegian poet Olav Aukrust. He also wrote Nine Wood-reliefs with Colours, music for paintings by Norwegian painter and sculptor Dagfinn Werenskiold (1892–1977) .[5]

In 1937, he composed Draumkvædet and some cantatas. He composed music for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and choir and orchestra similar to

Faure's Requiem. The most important work that stemmed after World War II were the Seven Songs to Poems. The poems were written by Norwegian writer Inge Krokann. Around this period he composed Nidarosdomen, an orchestral piece. Other important works include Ver Sanctum for choir and orchestra, Frå Telemark, a folk song for piano and Leitom-suite for piano.[6]

Later years

Sparre Olsen was a member of the Norwegian National Broadcasting Council from 1950-58. He also published two biographical writings,

Gudbrandsdal.[7]

Selected works

  • Canto 1
  • Draumkvædet
  • Frå Telemark
  • Leitom-suite
  • Nidarosdomen
  • Nine Wood-reliefs with Colours
  • Nocturne for flute and horn, op. 57, no. 2
  • Norsk kjærleikssong (Norwegian Love Song) for viola or cello and piano, Op.36 No.3
  • Seven Songs to Poems
  • Tre Dialoger (Three Dialogues) for flute and viola, Op.50 (1976)
  • Ver sanctum

References

  1. ^ Sparre Olsen (Store norske leksikon)
  2. ^ a b Petrak M, Albert, David Mason Green’s Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers Volume 1,(The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation January 2007) p. 1328
  3. ^ Bjørseth, Sture Sparre Olsen Biography (Listen to Norway. 2002) Archived March 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Biography at Musikkhuset Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Biography on Listen to Norway Archived March 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Bjørseth, Sture,Sparre Olsen Biography (Listen to Norway. 2002) Archived March 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Sparre Olsen / utdypning (Store norske leksikon)

Other sources

  • Gaukstad, Øystein Sparre Olsen bibliography (in "Metamorfose. Festskrift til C. G. Sparre Olsen". Universitetsforlaget, 1983)
    ISBN 82-7093-024-5

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carl_Gustav_Sparre_Olsen&oldid=1218373521"