David Monrad Johansen

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Portrait of David Monrad Johansen (1888-1974)

David Monrad Johansen (8 November 1888 – 20 February 1974) was a Norwegian composer.

He was born in

Stravinsky’s music came to make a huge impression on him. In addition he met Fartein Valen, which inspired him to start studying dissonant counterpoint
. Later, in 1933 and 1935, he spent short periods abroad for further studies. Monrad Johansen’s study time was extraordinary diverse, and his development was affected by this.

It is difficult to categorise his style, with all the different influences that he went through. Before Berlin, he was within the conservative late

Norse literature or Norwegian
folk stories/songs, but seldom melodies. He did, however, arrange some folk tunes for piano (opus 9 and 10).

Monrad Johansen’s most famous piece is Voluspaa op. 15 (1926). It was composed for soloists/vocals, choir and orchestra, and it is based on the poem Voluspaa, from the

Debussy’s impressionistic pieces. The basis for the music, which is clearly tonal, has modal features. Dorian, Phrygian and Lydian
scales are often apparent. Even though Monrad Johansen had achieved significant recognition with these pieces, it was clear to him that the style was a dead-end, and the following pieces show a composer on a stylistic search. Then, during the studies in 1933 and 1935, he turned more into a neo-classical direction, more polyphonic, more clear tonality, classical forms – also more clear sound and colours, and fewer dissonances than in the 1930s.

Monrad Johansen had a very central position in Norwegian music life in the 1920s and 1930s. He was the leading person within the musical nationalism around 1925, after having achieved great recognition with the 7 songs to old Norwegian folk stories (opus 6) and the piece for male choir, Draumkvedet, opus 7. This position was strengthened when he got an artist scholarship (from 1925 to 1945[1]).

During the German occupation of Norway in the course of World War II, Johansen joined the fascist party Nasjonal Samling and supported the collaborationist government of Vidkun Quisling,[2][1] and during the period of 1942-1945 was a member of the Nazi-appointed Kulturting (Cultural Council).[3] In the post-war Norwegian legal purge he was convicted of treason and sentenced to four years of forced labour.[1]

David Monrad Johansen's son was the composer Johan Kvandal.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 82-02-14138-9
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0-7486-2113-2
    . Quote from page 63:"During the war, Johansen supported the Quisling government during the German occupation."
  3. ^ Bjarne Kortsen. Contemporary Norwegian Orchestral Music. Bergen: Editio norvegica, 1969. Quote from page 211:"... and also member of the Nazi Kulturting 1942-45."

External links

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