by Jan Magnus Dahle
The Norwegian school and community band movement peaked in the early 1980s with about 92,000 players in 2,230 bands. Today the Norwegian Band Federation numbers less than 75,000 players in about 2,000 bands, a significant number for a country with a population of four million. Although the publishing business in Norway is dominated by a few international giants, there are a number of national publishers, and The Norwegian Music Information Centre’s Contemporary Norwegian Band Music catalogue is a useful tool for those seeking new compositions.
Until the 1940s, original compositions for wind band consisted mainly of shorter pieces from minor composers, often military musicians who were historically important in their own right such as Ole Olsen, Oscar Borg, Alfred Evensen, Adolf Hansen and Johannes Hansen. Some of their best works have been made available on CD recordings, using the original instrumentation. For those interested in marches, Oscar Borg composed a number of excellent marches, which may be performed very successfully even for small amateur bands.
The only composition by a major Norwegian composer prior to the middle of the 20th Century is Edvard Grieg’s Funeral March for Richard Nordraak. None of the major composers of the time received commissions from military bands, although Edvard Grieg, Johan Halvorsen and Johann Svendsen were of the greatest importance to the nation's cultural and civic pride. A number of their best works do exist in wind band arrangements. In the 1920s and 1930s, British publishers produced some excellent arrangements of Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite and Svendsen's Carnival in Paris, Norwegian Rhapsody No 1 and Norwegian Carnival which are still available through Studio Music. Halvorsen's Bourré from Suite Ancienne is a charming piece, and the Molenaar edition of Svendsen's Festpolonaise also works quite well.
Edvard Flifaet Braein had a strong, individual style. It is a great loss that he never composed any works for band, but two of his shorter tone poems, June Night and Ut Mot Havet are available in band versions. His wonderful Serenade, op. 5 has also been transcribed for band.
Eivind Groven wrote Hjalar-Ljod Overture in 1953 to celebrate Oslo's 900th anniversary — a wonderful piece and a smashing concert opener.
Fanfare and Chorale by Egil Hovland is a gorgeous work for wind orchestra. It is one of the few original band works that I know that has been transcribed for symphony orchestra. His Festival Overture from 1962 merits close attention as well.
The music of the internationally renowned Arne Nordheim is always exciting and challenging. Recalls and Signals, commissioned by the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, is a powerful piece that boasts an unusual instrumentation, including cannons. It is not for everyday use, I suppose!
Knut Nystedt's Pia Memoria from 1971 is one of my personal favorites — a stunning piece, but a very demanding work for the first horn and first trumpet. Nystedt’s works for symphonic band often incorporate elements of Norwegian folk music, and compositions such as Entrata Festivo, Mountain Scenes, Celebration and The Greater Glory are well suited for amateur bands.
The Military Overture by Øistein Sommerfeldt is an attractive piece, typical of his transparent orchestration and concern for melodic lines. Several of his orchestral pieces, including Eika (The Oak), have been transcribed for band. Eika is a good example of Sommerfeldt's lyric disposition, inspired by nature and folk music and is well worth investigating by those who believe that good tunes still matter. Sommerfeldt’s concert march Torsteinen is also very good.
Geirr Tveitt burst onto the international music scene in 1930 when his first piano concerto was premiered by the Leizig Gewandhausorchester. He quickly established himself as a highly original and individual craftsman. He collected more than 1,0000 folk tunes on the western coast of Norway, and these formed the basis for his five exciting and colorful orchestral suites which make up the cycle One Hundred Tunes from Hardanger. The first suite is now superbly reorchestrated for wind band by Per O. Paulsen. Det Gamle Kvernhuset is a short and very beautiful tone poem, whereas Sinfonia di Sofficatori Nr. 3 and the Sinfonietta di Soffiatori, op. 203 are major statements within the romantic-lyric genre. The luscious Sinfonietta, written in 1970, is in five movements.
John Brakstad is a band conductor and composer. One of his better known works is the Variations for Band from 1993, a chorale with five variations.
One of Norway’s few female composers is Åse Hedstrøm. Her contribution to the wind band repertoire is Sug for percussion quartet and wind band, an unusual work premiered by the Stockholm Symphonic Wind Orchestra in 1990.
In 1983, Ketil Hvoslef wrote Vind (Wind), a concerto for flute, winds and percussion. This work, which was commissioned for the Swedish flautist Manuela Wiesler, is beautiful but difficult.
Those interested in unusual combinations should have a look at Kjell Mørk Karlsen's Concerto for Organ and Symphonic Band and his Psalm Symphony No 2 for Symphonic Band, Mixed Choir and Organ. Well written and efficiently scored, they both merit attention from adventurous conductors. The Psalm Symphony No. 2 needs a good choir; otherwise both works are within reach of competent amateur bands.
Guttorm Kittelsen often combines elements from contemporary music, jazz and rock. His Concert Piece for Symphonic Band and Percussion, written in 1990, won first prize at the XI Concorso Internazionale di Composizione Originale per Banda in Corciano, Italy.
Trygve Madsen is a prolific composer with a particular affinity for wind instruments. His works for symphonic band are Suite, op 46, Introduction and Allegro for Tuba and Symphonic Band, op 50 and Festival Overture, op 53a.
Harstad was written by Kjell Samkopf and premiered in 1991. It has since been played in Stockholm, Oslo and Manchester. Samkopf is assistant professor of percussion at the Norwegian State Academy of Music and one of Norway’s most innovative composers. Harstad is a fascinating score in which the percussion soloist uses a set of eight octobans, a KAT MIDI Controller and an AKAI S-10000 sampler.
Olav Anton Thommessen is professor of composition at the State Academy in Oslo and a colorful personality. His works for band are Stabarabesk and Music for a Futurist Feature. Stabarabesk I personally find quite exciting, mixing as it does elements from Egyptian and funk music.
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