Johan Halvorsen (15 March 1864 – 4 December 1935) was a Norwegian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, conductor and

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist.

Life

Born in

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such ...

, he was an accomplished

ist from a very early age and became a prominent figure in Norwegian musical life. He received his musical education in Kristiania (now Oslo) and Stockholm, and was a

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German language, German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (UK) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (clarinet or oboe in a concert band). After the Conducting, conductor, the concertma ...

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

before joining the

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

. He was a concertmaster in

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, then a professor of music in Helsinki, and finally became a student once again, in

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

(with Adolph Brodsky), Berlin (with Adolf Becker), and

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

(with César Thomson). Returning to

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

in 1893, he worked as conductor of the theatre

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen and of the

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ( Norwegian: Bergen filharmoniske orkester) is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The M ...

. He became concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic in 1885, and principal conductor in 1893. In 1899 he was appointed conductor of the orchestra at the newly opened National Theatre in Kristiania, a position he held for 30 years until his retirement in 1929. As well as theatre music, Halvorsen conducted performances of over 30

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s and also wrote the

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as th ...

for more than 30 plays. Following his retirement from the theatre he finally had time to concentrate on the composition of his three symphonies and two well-known Norwegian rhapsodies. Halvorsen's compositions were a development of the national romantic tradition exemplified by

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic music, Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwid ...

though written in a distinctive style marked by innovative

orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

. Halvorsen married Grieg's niece, and orchestrated some of his piano works, such as a funeral march which was played at Grieg's funeral. Five days after Halvorsen died, Grieg's cousin and widow Nina Grieg also died. His best known works today are the ''Bojarenes inntogsmarsj'' ('' Entry March of the Boyars'') and ''Bergensiana'', along with his Passacaglia and

Sarabande The sarabande (from ) is a dance in triple metre, or the music written for such a dance. History The Sarabande evolved from a Spanish dance with Arab influences, danced by a lively double line of couples with castanets. A dance called ''zara ...

, duos for violin and viola based on themes by

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

. In early 2016, librarians at the University of Toronto announced that they had located the manuscript score of his violin concerto, performed only three times in 1909 and considered lost. The piece received its fourth performance, 107 years later, in 2016.

Selected compositions

;Operetta *''Mod Nordpolen'', in 3 acts (1911); libretto by

Vilhelm Dybwad Vilhelm Dybwad (12 February 1863 – 16 March 1950) was a Norwegian barrister and writer. He wrote comedies, revues and songs. In his later years he wrote several books of memoirs from his life as a lawyer. Personal life Dybwad was born in ...

;Incidental music *''Gurre'', Op. 17; music for the play by Holger Drachmann *'' Nordraak

iana The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is a standards organization that oversees global IP address allocation, autonomous system number allocation, root zone management in the Domain Name System (DNS), media types, and other Internet P ...

'' *''Askeladden'' *'' Reisen til Julestjernen'' (Journey to the Christmas Star); music for the play by Sverre Brandt *''Tordenskjold'', Op. 18; music for the historical play by Jacob Breda Bull *''Kongen'' (The King), Op. 19; music for the play by

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished ...

*''Fossegrimen'', Op. 21; music for the play by Sigurd Eldegard *''Vasantasena''; music for the old Indian play *''The Merchant of Venice''; music for the

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

play *''Much Ado about Nothing'' (1915); music for the Shakespeare play *''Livet i skogen'', Op. 33; music for

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'' *'' Dronning Tamara'' (Queen Tamara); music for the play by

Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...

*''Macbeth'' (1920); music for the Shakespeare play ;Orchestra *''Bojarenes inntogsmarsj'' ( Entry March of the Boyars) for orchestra (or concert band) (1895) *''Festovertyre'' (Norwegian Festival Overture), Op. 16 (1899) *''Nächtlicher Zug'' from ''Miniatures'' for string orchestra, Op. 29 No. 2 (1910); arrangement by the composer *''Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in Memoriam'', Op. 30 (1910) *''Norway's Greeting to Theodore Roosevelt'', Op. 31 (1910) *''Suite ancienne'' to the Memory of

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Denmark–Norway, Dano–Norwegian dual monarchy. He was infl ...

, Op. 31 (1911) *''Festmarsj'' (Festival March). Op. 32 *''Scène funèbre'' *''Sérénade'', Op. 33 (1913) *''Bergensiana'', Rococo Variations on an Old Melody from Bergen ''"Jeg tog min nystemte Cithar i Hænde"'' (I Took Up My Newly Tuned Zither) (1913) *''Norske rapsodie No. 1'' (Norwegian Rhapsody No. 1) in A major (1919–1920) :# Springar :# I went so lately to my bed :# Halling - Springar *''Norske rapsodie No. 2'' (Norwegian Rhapsody No. 2) in G major (1919–1920) :# Dance tune from Åmot :# Han Ole :# Springar *Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1923) *Symphony No. 2 ''"Fatum"'' in D minor (1924, revised 1928) *Symphony No. 3 in C major (1929) *''Norske eventyrbylleder'' (Norwegian Fairy-tale Pictures), Op. 37 (1933); reworking of 1925 incidental music :# Peik, prinsessen og stortrollet (Peik, the Princess and the Big Troll) :# Prinsessen kommer ridende på bjørnen (The Princess Comes Riding on a Bear) :# Trollenes inntog i berget det blå (Entry of the Trolls into the Town Hall) :# Dans av småtroll (Dance of the Little Trolls) *''Festovertyre'' (Norwegian Festival Overture), Op. 38 *''Elegi'' for string orchestra *''Forspill til den hvite Ring'' *''Rabnabryllaup uti Kraakjalund'', Norwegian Folk-Song Arrangement for string orchestra ;Concert band *''Hallingdal Bataljon's Marsj'' (1882–1883) *''Gatemarsj'' (Street March) *''Norwegian Sea Picture'' *''Salutation to the Royal Couple of Norway'' ;Concertante *''Air norvégien'' (Norwegian Air) for violin and orchestra, Op. 7 (1896/1903). *''Veslemøy's Song'' for violin and orchestra (1898); dedicated to

Kathleen Parlow Kathleen Parlow (September 20, 1890 – August 19, 1963) was a violinist known for her outstanding technique, which earned her the nickname "The lady of the golden bow". Although she left Canada at the age of four and did not permanently return ...

*''Norwegian Song "The Old Fisherman's Song"'' for violin and string orchestra, Op. 31 (1901, 1913) *''Andante Religioso'' for violin and orchestra (1903) *Concerto in G minor for violin and orchestra, Op. 28 (1909); dedicated to Kathleen Parlow *''Bryllupsmarsch'', Norwegian Wedding March for violin and orchestra, Op. 32 No. 1 *''Danses norvégiennes No. 1'' for violin and orchestra (1915) *''Danses norvégiennes No. 2'' for violin and orchestra (1915) ;Chamber music *''6 Stimmungsbilder'' (6 Mood Pieces) for violin and piano (1890) *Suite in G minor for violin and piano (1890) *''Danses norvégiennes'' for violin and piano (1897) *''Elegie'' (Andante) for violin and piano (1897) *''Passacaglia'' in G minor on a Theme by

(from Harpsichord Suite in G minor, HWV 432) for violin and viola or cello (1897) *''Sarabande con variazioni'' in D minor on a Theme by George Frideric Handel for violin and viola or cello (1897) *''Crépuscule'' for violin and piano (c. 1898) *''Suite Mosaïque'' for violin and piano (1898) :# Intermezzo orientale :# Entr'acte :# Scherzino – "Spurven" (The Sparrow) :# Veslemøys sang (Veslemøy's Song) :# Fête nuptial rustique (An Old-fashioned Wedding) *String Quartet in E, Op. 10 *''Little Dance Suite'' for violin and piano, Op. 22 *''Slåtter'', Peasant Dances for violin solo (1903) *''Miniatures'', 5 Easy Pieces for 2 violins and piano, Op. 29 (1910) *''To serenader'' (Two Serenades) for violin and piano *''Norske viser og danse'' (Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances), 30 Folk Arrangements for violin and piano *''Concert Caprice on Norwegian Melodies'' for 2 violins ;Choral *''Varde'', Cantata for male chorus and orchestra, Op. 11 (1904); words by Per Sivle *''Alrune'' for soprano solo, female chorus and chamber orchestra, Op. 20 No. 1 *''Kantate ved kroningen i Trondhjems Domkirke den 22 juni 1906'' for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, orchestra, harp and organ, Op. 27 (1906); words by Sigvald Skavlan *''Bergensiana'' for mixed chorus

Media

References

External links

Johan Halvorsen — Beyond the Transitory
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Halvorsen, Johan 1864 births 1935 deaths 19th-century Norwegian classical composers 19th-century conductors (music) 20th-century Norwegian classical composers 20th-century Norwegian conductors (music) 20th-century Norwegian male musicians Norwegian male conductors (music) Musicians from Bergen Norwegian male classical composers Norwegian Romantic composers Musicians from Drammen Norwegian military musicians Music directors of the Oslo Philharmonic Chief conductors of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Norwegian male classical violinists 19th-century classical violinists 20th-century Norwegian classical violinists Concertmasters Players of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra