9/17/2015

ArneNordheimLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

Search
RepertoireSearch
Home

Composers

News

Genre

Listen

Rental

License

OnDemand

Film&TV /

Calendar

Buy

Pops

Composers
Arne Nordheim
> ShortBio
> LongBio
> Snapshot
> News
> Works
> Performances
> Discography
> Photos
> Listen

Arne Nordheim
Born: 1931
Died: 2010
Nationality: Norwegian
Publisher: Edition Wilhelm Hansen
Photo Morten Lberg
Everythingshouldsing
ArneNordheimamusicalexplorerandaleadingfigureinEuropeanmusic.Heisknown,admired,
andsometimescriticizedwithinandoutsideNorwaythroughnearlyhalfacentury.Thecomposerand
hisart,whichconsistsofalmostallgenresandembraceswidelydifferentaestheticalpositions,cannot
bedisregarded.Hismusicallanguageimpartsalwaysahumanisticmessage.
Musicalcompositiondoesnotconsistmerelyofwritingdownnotes.Livingacreativelifeinvolves
expressingtherestlessnessinonessoul.Composingisnotonlymakingsound.Itisphilosophy,
silence,speed,rhythm,everything",Nordheimdeclaredsomeyearsago.Thisstraightforward
characterization,correspondtoNordheimswayofthinkingaboutmusicandlifetohisperceptionofselfaswellastohis
couragetoinducethoughtladenprocessestomentalvibrations.ArneNordheimisaneageranddaringsound
experimentalist,regardedforseveraldecadesasNorwaysmostprominentfigureontheinternationalsceneofmodern
music.
Nordheimisrightlyconsideredtobetheoneofthemostinnovativecomposersofourtime.Thisstatusisaffirmedbyalmost
everyworkofhisimpressiveoutput,whichprovidesclearevidenceofhisinspiringpioneeringspiritandsupremecommandof
thecompositionalcraft.
Nordheimsopennessandinternationalorientation,hiswillingnesstoreceivemusicalimpulsesfromabroadandhisconstant
searchfornewmeansofexpressionandnewmusicalformsandideas,becameaworthyalternativetotheprevailing
nationalromanticmovementinNorwegianmusic.ItisNordheimsmeritthatnewdoorswereopenedtocreatingmusic
youngcomposersespeciallylearnedthroughNordheimthattherewasaworthyworldtoexploreintensivelyoutsideNorway.
Viewedinthelightofthesefacts,itisnotunreasonabletomaintainthatNordheimspioneerworkbecameofvitalimportance
forthedevelopmentofnewmusicinNorway.ThemusicologistKjellSkyllstadthusdescribesNordheimasthegreatreformer
andrestorerofNorwegianmusicaftertheSecondWorldWar.HallgjerdAksnes,andexpertonNordheimsmusic,callshim
aromanticandlyricalmodernist,aliteraryorientedcomposerwholikestoexpresshismusicalstanceinextramusicalterms.
Finally,NordheimsDanishcolleague,PerNorgard,hashailedNordheimastheinnovatorofnotonlyNorwegianmusic,but
alsoofScandinavianmusicassuch.
Thecreativeimpulse
ArneNordheimwasbornonJune20,1931inthetownofLarvikontheOsloFjord.HewaseducatedattheMusic
ConservatoryinOsloandhadoriginallycontemplatedforhimselfacareerasachurchorganist.Atthesametime,he
frequentlyreceivedguidanceincompositionbytheDanishcomposerVagnHolmboe.Theideaofbecomingacomposer
cametoNordheimasakindofrevelationduringaperformanceofGustavMahlerssecondsymphonyResurrectioninApril
1949inOslo.
Theaestheticmovementoriginatedfromthephilosophical,humanandpropheticstatementmanifestedinMahlersmusical
heritagehasbeenemphasizedbyseveralwritersadistinguishingfeatureofNordheimsmusicandthinking.Inhisreviewof
thelatestNordicMusicDaysinFinland,AndersBeyerwritesofamovingperformanceofNordheimsmightyViolinConcerto
(1996)interpretedbytheyoungviolinistJaakkoKuussisto:NordheimtakesthetraditionfromMahlerashispointofdeparture
andwritesapocalypticmusicwithgreatexpressivepower.Nordheimfromhissidenevercontradictedhisadmirationfor
Mahlersmusic.ThefirstencounterswithMahlersmusicespeciallywithDasLiedvonderErdeandthesongcyclesmade
atremendousimpactontheyoungcomposerandstimulatedhim.JustlikeMahler,Nordheimisalsodeeplyconcernedwith
theeternalthemes,whichevolvearoundloneliness,love,death,nature,andthefundamentalquestionsoflifeandhuman
existence.

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/longbio/ArneNordheim

1/2

9/17/2015

ArneNordheimLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical
Asearlyas1955,NordheimheardmusiqueconcreteinParis,andin1959hestudiedelectroacousticmusicinBilthovenin
theNetherlands.Intheearly1960s,hebegantowritehisownelectroacousticworks.Intheyears19671972,hemade
severaljourneystoStudioEksperymentaleinWarsaw,wherehegraduallywasabletomasterthetechniqueofelectronic
music.Someoftheimportantelectroacousticworksandcompositionswithcombinationsofelectronicandtraditional
instrumentswerecreatedinWarsaw.NordheimhassincebeenaleadingfigurewithintheelectroacousticmusicintheNordic
countries.WorkssuchasEpitaffiofororchestraandelectronicselements(1964,revised1978),akeyworkbasedonthe
poemEdsubitosera(Andsuddenlyitisevening)bySalvatoreQuasimodo,thefirstpiecesintheResponseseries,andthe
worksforelectronicsalone,Solitaire,Warszawa,PaceandPolyPoly(writtenfortheWorldsFairinOsaka1970)arefrom
theseyears.Intheseearlyworkstoo,Nordheiminneverthelessconsciousofthenecessityofinspirationandofalyrical
singingqualitythroughhismusic.ItisnocoincidencethathismottoisEverythingshouldsing.
Newart,whichaftererasspringsfromaremoteandalmostforgottenpastworld,inthecaseofNordheimfromthemusicaland
historicalstorehouse,reflectshiddenmemoriesandexperiences.Nordheimmasterstheinstrumentationandnotation
techniquesofmodernmusic,andhehasadelicatefeelingforsoundcombinations.Nevertheless,hewasformerlyconsidered
anenfantterriblebytheNorwegianmusicallife.Overtheyears,however,theseearlyworkshavegraduallybeenacceptedby
thepublicandgainedrecognitioninwidercircles.
Aliterarycomposer
ManyofNordheimsmajorworksreflectdirectlyandindirectlyadeepinterestinpoetryandliteratureandtheyarebasedon
literarysourcesconcerningthegreatmysteriesoflife.Healwayspreferstouseoriginaltextsintheiroriginallanguage,ashe
emphasizesthesonorousqualitiesofthelanguageitself.ItseemsasifNordheimemploystextsinordertofindinspirationto
sethismusicalimaginationinmotion.Ashesaidin1989interviewwiththiswriter:Iliketoblendlanguagesfromdifferent
countries,differentculturesanddifferentages.ThisisthecaseinmyworkWirklicherWald,inwhichIblendtheoldtextfrom
theBookofJob(inHebrew)withtherelativelynewGermantextofRilke.Thetextsbespeakthesameeternaltruth:Lifeis
short.Someofthefirstworks,Icomposedinmyearlyyouth,arewrittenforpoems.Sincethen,Ihavebeendeeplyoccupied
withpoetry.Itisajoyformetoworkwiththehumanvoice.Oddlyenough,mostofthetexts,Iworkwith,arenotfromNorway
acountryotherwisesorichinliterarytradition.IliveandworkinNorwaybutchooseoftenformyworkspoetryfrommany
differentsourceswhichallexpressthesamefundamentalquestionsoflife.
ThreevocalworksareregardedasmilestonesinNordheimsproduction:AftonlandandDoria,twosongcycleswith
orchestraaccompaniment,andEcoforsopranosolo,childrenschoir,mixedchoirandorchestra.Alongwithsuchearly
orchestralworksasEpitaffio,Canzonaperorchestra,FloatingandGreening,theseworkshaveestablishedNordheims
internationalstatus.
MostofNordheimsworkshavephilosophicalandliterarythemes.Hismusiccanthereforealsobeviewedasadirectinheritor
ofEuropeantraditionandideasofthistradition.NordheimthinksquiteoftenintermsofthecontinuationoftheRomantic
music,whichalsopreservesthelinktothepast,whichisofsuchimportancetohim.ItischaracteristicofNordheimthatevenif
heisfarreachinginhisexperimentswithstronglycontrastingsounds,heisneverinterestedinthesoundassuch,inthe
soundforitsownsake.Thesoundisandcontinuestobemeansofexpressionmeanstorediscoveringforgotten
perceptionsandimagesofthesoul.
Nordheimhasneverprofessedtoanycertainideology.Hismusicispersonalandindependentofanyparticularschool.The
composerseekstoexpressideas,whicharenotonlyabstractlymusicalbutalsohumanistic.Hewishestocreatemusicwith
innerintensityandauniversalmeaning.WirklicherWald(1983)oneofNordheimsmostmovingworksmayserveasa
fineintroductiontoNordheimsmusicandworldofideas.Hisproductionembracesnearlyallgenres:purelyinstrumental
workssymphonicpieces,chambermusic(withorwithouttexts),choralworks,aswellaselectronicmusic,filmscores,and
musicforballet,theaterandradioplays.Butitseemsasifhisfavoritedomainistheorchestra.
AmongNordheimsgreatworksthroughthelastdecade,wefindNidarosanallembracingdramaticoratorio,hisstage
musictotheplayDraumkvedet(TheDreamBallad),ViolinConcerto,SuiteforSoloCello,secondstringquartetStages,and
ConfutatisNordheimscontributiontoRequiemderVersohnung(RequiemofReconciliation),acompositionwrittenby
worldfamouscomposersfromvariouscountriestomarkthe50thanniversaryofheendoftheSecondWorldWar.Overthe
years,Nordheimhasreceivedmanyprizesanddistinctions,andamongthemTheNordicCouncilsMusicPrize,The
NorwegianCultureCouncilsprizeofhonour,ThePrixItalia,andtheAndersJahresCulturePrize.Nordeimhasbeen
appointedHonoraryMemberofISCM(InternationalSocietyforContemporaryMusic)in1997.
YisraelDaliot

Clickheretoreceiveregularnews

AboutUs / FAQ / PrivacyPolicy / ContactUs

Copyright2014MusicSalesClassical.PartoftheMusicSalesGroup.

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/longbio/ArneNordheim

2/2