Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen

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.

Life

Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen was born in Stavanger, Norway. When he was a year old, the family moved to Copenhagen, but settled in Oslo during 1909. From 1922, he studied violin with Herman van der Vegt. In 1923, he became a violinist at the Oslo Philharmonic.Petrak M, Albert, David Mason Green’s Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers Volume 1,(The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation January 2007) p. 1328
/ref> He continued there for the next ten years. From 1926 until 1930, he received instruction in composition from Norwegian composer Fartein Valen. He also traveled to Berlin, Germany to study with composer Max Butting from 1930-31. He also traveled to London to study with Australian-born composer and pianist Percy Grainger in 1936. Starting in 1934, he accepted a teaching position at 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''.

In 1936, he became a nationally sponsored artist (''komponistgasje'') and had started receiving state income for artists. 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) .

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.

Later years

Sparre Olsen was a member of the Norwegian National Broadcasting Council from 1950-58. He also published two biographical writings, ''Percy Grainger '' (1963) and '' Tor Jonsson'' (1968). In 1968, he received the honor of Knighthood in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. When Sparre Olsen died in Lillehammer during 1984, his urn was set down at the Lom stave church in Gudbrandsdal.''Sparre Olsen / utdypning'' (Store norske leksikon)
/ref>

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

Other sources

* Gaukstad, Øystein ''Sparre Olsen bibliography'' (in "Metamorfose. Festskrift til C. G. Sparre Olsen". Universitetsforlaget, 1983)

External links

Music Information Centre Norway biographyMusikk-Huset Forlag (publisher): Sparre Olsen

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Carl Gustav Sparre
Norwegian male classical violinists
Norwegian classical musicians
Norwegian artists
Norwegian male artists
Norwegian male conductors (music)
20th-century Norwegian classical composers
1903 births
1984 deaths
20th-century Norwegian conductors (music)
20th-century Norwegian classical violinists
Norwegian male classical composers
20th-century Norwegian male musicians
People from Gausdal
Musicians from Stavanger