Johan Halvorsen

[swanekj]

Has anyone heard any of the larger scale works of Halvorsen?  Amazon has 3 symphonies and lots of suites in several CDs, but not one review for any of them.

[Alan Howe]

The symphonies (on 2 Simax CDs) are colourful, melodic and very enjoyable - just not particularly distinctive. Great fun, though - and well worth trying if you're into late-Romantic stuff with something of nationalistic feel.

[swanekj]

The symphonies (on 2 Simax CDs) are colourful, melodic and very enjoyable - just not particularly distinctive. Great fun, though - and well worth trying if you're into late-Romantic stuff with something of nationalistic feel.

Does he sound like anyone else?  Brahms?  Grieg?  Wagner?  Thanks.

[Alan Howe]

Well, a bit like Grieg, I suppose. But not as interesting!

[Syrelius]

Swanekj,

if you like late 19th century music with a nationalist touch and you don't expect to uncover a hidden masterpiece, then the Halvorsen symphonies are worth investigating. In my opinion they are uneven, but parts of them are really good.

[Hovite]

Does he sound like anyone else?  Brahms?  Grieg?  Wagner?  Thanks.

"He works in the tradition of classical romanticism, and like his two great models, Grieg and Svendsen, he was influenced by Norwegian folk music" (NKFCD 50014-2).

His Symphony No. 2 "Fate" is a good place to start.

[JollyRoger]

If you are a melodist and not seeking the spectacular, you will enjoy Halvorsen's simple and accessable music.
Nothing rapturous, just enjoyable relaxed listening..I'd rate him as 7.5 to 8 on a 10 point scale.
Nordic, and cool. but not cold.

[mariusberg]

Being a violinist and conductor (like Svendsen), Halvorsen also made better use of the orchestra than Grieg who don't always seem at home in the orchestra soundscape. So if you want a touch of Grieg, perhaps not as inventive, but rather well written for orchestra, there's Halvorsen! Definitely, as JollyRoger said, nordic and cool, but not cold.

[tpaloj]

Now that summer is here and many countries around the world are suffering from heatwaves, it's a perfect time to cool off with a little visit to the arctic regions. Here is the opening music to "Mot Nordpolen!" (To the North Pole) by Johan Halvorsen.

Described either as an Operette or a Burlesk Songspiel in three Acts, its text was written by the Norwegian author Vilhelm Dybwad. It's a satirical take on the polar exploration hubbub that was happening around early 1900s. According to critics the flimsy libretto was faltering especially towards its 3rd act, but nevertheless managed to be thoroughly humorous with many good jokes and comedic jabs at its subject matter. Halvorsen's music received acclaim as well. The production's 1911 premiere run at Oslo Nationaltheatret (13 performances) was a smash success, but after this unfortunately "Mot Nordpolen" was placed in the drawer and never seen again...

Halvorsen destroyed the full score for reasons unknown, and most of the soloist song parts are lost as well. What is preserved are a full set of instrument parts, choral parts, a soloist part for 1 aria and Eskimo songs for the 2nd act. I also haven't found the libretto, and given the text was never published, it's anyone's guess whether any copies have survived or not...


Anyway, this was a fun reconstruction project. Halvorsen was a good composer (just listen to his Symphonies!) and he was especially productive in the realm of incidental music, producing a huge amount of scores for various plays.

YOUTUBE: Mot Nordpolen

[adriano]

The great Chandos 4CD box with Halvorsen's orchestral works has become difficult to find:
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2010834

[Ilja]

Now that summer is here and many countries around the world are suffering from heatwaves, it's a perfect time to cool off with a little visit to the arctic regions. Here is the opening music to "Mot Nordpolen!" (To the North Pole) by Johan Halvorsen.

fun little piece! And somehow reminiscent of Reznicek's Benzin!, also a balloon-powered operetta.