Agathe Backer Grøndahl
Encyclopedia
Agathe Backer-Grøndahl was a Norwegian
pianist
and composer
.
She was born in Holmestrand
, but in 1857 moved with her family to Oslo
, where she studied with Otto Winther-Hjelm, Halfdan Kjerulf
and Ludvig Mathias Lindeman
. From 1865 she studied in Berlin
, where she won fame with her interpretation of Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto. Later she studied with Hans von Bülow
in Florence
, and Franz Liszt
in Weimar
in 1873. She married the conductor Olams Andreas Grøndahl in 1875, and was generally known thereafter as Agathe Backer-Grøndahl.
Backer-Grøndahl composed in total some 400 pieces spanning seventy opus numbers, and was a prominent character on the Norwegian musical scene; she was a close friend of Edvard Grieg
. Later in life she became almost completely deaf, and was forced to give up her career as a performing artist.
Agathe Backer-Grøndahl died in Oslo
at the age of 59. She is chiefly remembered for her piano pieces and songs.
Her sister was Harriet Backer
, the famous painter.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
She was born in Holmestrand
Holmestrand
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Holmestrad. The city was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The neighboring rural municipality of Botne was merged into the municipality of Holmestrand on 1 January...
, but in 1857 moved with her family to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, where she studied with Otto Winther-Hjelm, Halfdan Kjerulf
Halfdan Kjerulf
Halfdan Kjerulf was a Norwegian composer.Kjerulf was born in Christiania . He was the son of a high government official. His early education was at Christiania University, for a legal career, but his studies ended in 1839 as a result of illness, and the next year he spent some time in Paris...
and Ludvig Mathias Lindeman
Ludvig Mathias Lindeman
Ludvig Mathias Lindeman was a Norwegian composer and organist. He is most noted for compiling Norwegian folk music in his work Ældre og nyere norske Fjeldmelodier. -Background:...
. From 1865 she studied in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where she won fame with her interpretation of Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto. Later she studied with Hans von Bülow
Hans von Bülow
Hans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, and Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
in Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
in 1873. She married the conductor Olams Andreas Grøndahl in 1875, and was generally known thereafter as Agathe Backer-Grøndahl.
Backer-Grøndahl composed in total some 400 pieces spanning seventy opus numbers, and was a prominent character on the Norwegian musical scene; she was a close friend of Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
. Later in life she became almost completely deaf, and was forced to give up her career as a performing artist.
Agathe Backer-Grøndahl died in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
at the age of 59. She is chiefly remembered for her piano pieces and songs.
Her sister was Harriet Backer
Harriet Backer
Harriet Backer was a Norwegian painter who achieved recognition in her own time and was a pioneer among female artists both in the Nordic countries and in Europe generally...
, the famous painter.
Songs
- 3 Songs, Op. 1, 1868–9
- 5 Songs, Op. 2, 1871
- 5 Songs, Op. 3, 1870–73
- 7 Songs, Op. 4, 1869–74
- 4 Songs, Op. 5, 1871–2
- 6 Songs, Op. 6, 1867–71
- Summer Life, 4 Songs, Op. 7
- 5 Songs, Op. 8, 1871–6
- 6 Songs, Op. 9, 1871–9
- 4 Songs, Op. 10, 1871–5
- 5 Songs, Op. 12, 1879
- 5 Songs, Op. 13, 1881
- 6 deutsche Lieder, Op. 14
- 6 Songs, Op. 16
- Songs at Sea, Op. 17, 1884
- 7 Folkeviser og Romanser, Op. 18
- Serenade, Op. 21, 1888
- 5 Songs, Op. 23, 1888
- 6 Songs, Op. 26, 1890
- 6 Songs, Op. 27 1890
- Chant de Noces: Bryllupsmorgen, Op. 28, 1890
- 10 Songs, Op. 29, 1892
- 10 Songs, Op. 31, 1894
- Norske folkeviser, arrangements, Op. 34, 1894
- The Night is Calm, Old Folks Waltz, Op. 40, 1897
- 5 Songs, Op. 41, 1897
- The Child's Spring Day, song cycle, Op. 42, 1899
- 8 kjaempeviser, Op. 43, 1896–7
- 20 folke- og skjaemteviser, Op. 43, 1896–7
- 5 Songs, Op. 46, 1897–9
- 2 Sange fra havet, Op. 48
- 3 Sange i moll, Op. 49
- Sommer (Jynge), 8 songs, Op. 50, 1899
- 12 folkeviser og melodier fra fremmede lande, Op. 51, 1902
- The Mother Sings, 8 songs, Op. 52, 1900
- Sydover 6 songs, Op. 54, 1900
- Ahasverus, 6 songs, Op. 56, 1900
- 6 deutsche Liebeslieder aus der Jugend, Op. 60, 1869–1900
- Clover Field, Op. 62, 1901
- 4 Songs, Op. 65, 1901–4
- One more Glimpse, Op. 70, 1907
Piano solo
- 6 concert-etuder, Op. 11 (1881)
- 3 morceaux, Op. 15 (1882)
- 4 skizzer, Op. 19 (1886);
- Suite, 5 movts, Op. 20 (1887)
- 3 études, Op. 22 (1888)
- 6 idylles, Op. 24 (1888)
- 3 klaverstykker, Op. 25 (1890)
- Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 30 (1891)
- 3 études de concert, Op. 32 (Copenhagen, 1895)
- Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 33 (1894)
- 3 klaverstykker, Op. 35 (1894)
- Fantasistykker, Op. 36 (1895)
- Serenade, Op. 37 (1896)
- 3 ungarske studier, Op. 38 (1896)
- Fantasistykker, Op. 39 (1896)
- In the Blue Mountain, fairytale suite, 6 pieces, Op. 44 (1897)
- Fantasistykker, Op. 45 (1897)
- Etudes de concert, Op. 47 (Copenhagen, 1901)
- 3 klaverstykker, Op. 53 (1900)
- Smaa fantasistykker, Op. 55 (1902)
- Etudes de concert, Op. 57 (Copenhagen, 1903)
- Concert-études, Op. 58 (Copenhagen, 1903)
- 6 klaverstykker, Op. 59 (1903)
- Prélude, Op.61, No. 1, Grand menuet, Op.61, No. 2 (Copenhagen, 1904)
- Lettere fantasistykker, Op. 63 (Copenhagen, 1904)
- Danse burlesque, Op.64, No. 1, Valse caprice, Op.64, No. 2 (1905)
- Barnlige Billeder [Children Pictures], 6 fantasias, Op. 66 (1905)
- 2 klaverstykker, Op. 68 (1907)
- 3 klaverstykker, Op. 69 (1907)
Discography
- Kirsten Flagstad-Songs (1994)
- Kirsten Flagstad Early Recordings 1914-1941 (1995)
- The Danish Nightingale (1995)
- Polish Frijsh-The Complete Recordings (1995)
- Women Composers (1996)
- Women's Voices: 5 Centuries of Song (1997)
- Norsk Romances (2000)
- Bravourisimo/Wiener Boheme Quartett (2000)
- Agathe Backer Grøndahl (2000)
- Agathe Backer Grøndahl: Piano Music (2001)
- Norwegian Classical Favorites (2004)
- Women's Work: Solo Piano Music (2006)
- Noel (2006)
External links
- The Lied and Art Songs Texts Page created and mantained from Emily Ezust
- Grinde, Nils: "Grondahl, Agathe Backer (Ursula)", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 28 March 2007), http://www.grovemusic.com
- Leonarda Records: http://www.leonarda.com/composers-LE/comp338a.html
- Fantasistykker
- Article on Agathe Backer Grøndahl by Camilla Hambro in the Kapralova Society Journal, vol. 7 no. 1
- Agathe Backer Grøndahl (1847–1907): "A perfectly plain woman? (by Camilla Hambro. The Kapralova Society Journal. 2009) http://www.kapralova.org/journal12.PDF