Fartein Valen
Encyclopedia
Olav Fartein Valen was a Norwegian
composer
and musical theorist
, notable for his work within atonal polyphonic
music.
, Norway in 1887 into a deeply Christian religious family and maintained his religious beliefs all his life. His parents were missionaries, and he spent five years of his childhood in Madagascar
. In addition to his aptitude for music, he was also a polyglot
, mastering at least nine languages. He earned his examen artium
with the highest grades in all subjects except mathematics. He loved cats, nature and literature, cultivated roses (even developed an award winning hybrid), and after losing them in a devastating freeze took up growing cacti.
(1858 - 1942) at the Oslo conservatory of music, graduating with a degree in organ playing. In 1909 he moved to Berlin
to study composition at the Music Academy with Max Bruch
who subsequently retired. While in Berlin, he worked on exercises in both tonal and atonal counterpoint and began to develop a polyphony similar to Bach
's, but based on motivic working and dissonance
rather than harmonic progression
.
In 1916, he returned to Norway and took up residence at his family estate with his mother and sister in Sunnhordland
where he started the most productive phase of his career, churning out more than 25,000 piano etudes
(though they are not among his official works), while continuing to refine his own dissonant counterpoint. The counterpoint has similarities to that of J.S. Bach and Arnold Schoenberg
, though evidence reveals that they were developed independently.
After his mother's death, Valen travelled to Rome and Paris during the 1920's gaining much inspiration from the wealth of art and architecture there. His work became more controversial among many conservative critics, much to Valen's disappointment. In 1924 he returned to Oslo and from 1927 to 1936 worked as a musical archivist at the University of Oslo
. In 1935 the government gave him a semi-permanent grant for composers. He quit teaching and moved back to Sunnhordland into the care of his sister and began to compose full time.
After 1948, his work began to gain greater recognition, both within Norway and outside. Among others, pianist Glenn Gould
became a great admirer of Valen and said at the recording of Fartein Valen's piano sonata no 2, "For the first time in many years I have found a looming personality in the 20th century's music".
Valen never married. He died in 1952 at Haugesund
.
and Ståle Kleiberg
.
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...
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...
and musical theorist
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
, notable for his work within atonal polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
music.
Background
Valen was born in StavangerStavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Norway in 1887 into a deeply Christian religious family and maintained his religious beliefs all his life. His parents were missionaries, and he spent five years of his childhood in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. In addition to his aptitude for music, he was also a polyglot
Polyglot (person)
A polyglot is someone with a high degree of proficiency in several languages. A bilingual person can speak two languages fluently, whereas a trilingual three; above that the term multilingual may be used.-Hyperpolyglot:...
, mastering at least nine languages. He earned his examen artium
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
with the highest grades in all subjects except mathematics. He loved cats, nature and literature, cultivated roses (even developed an award winning hybrid), and after losing them in a devastating freeze took up growing cacti.
Musical career
In 1906, Valen moved to Oslo to study Norwegian literature and language but also took classes with Catharinus EllingCatharinus Elling
Catharinus Elling was a Norwegian music teacher, organist, folk music collector and composer....
(1858 - 1942) at the Oslo conservatory of music, graduating with a degree in organ playing. In 1909 he moved to 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...
to study composition at the Music Academy with Max Bruch
Max Bruch
Max Christian Friedrich Bruch , also known as Max Karl August Bruch, was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin repertoire.-Life:Bruch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province, where he...
who subsequently retired. While in Berlin, he worked on exercises in both tonal and atonal counterpoint and began to develop a polyphony similar to Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's, but based on motivic working and dissonance
Dissonance
Dissonance has several meanings, all related to conflict or incongruity:*Consonance and dissonance in music are properties of an interval or chord*Cognitive dissonance is a state of mental conflict...
rather than harmonic progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
.
In 1916, he returned to Norway and took up residence at his family estate with his mother and sister in Sunnhordland
Sunnhordland
Sunnhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the southern, coastal regions of the county of Hordaland, from the mouth of the Hardangerfjord and outwards to the Atlantic Ocean...
where he started the most productive phase of his career, churning out more than 25,000 piano etudes
Étude
An étude , is an instrumental musical composition, most commonly of considerable difficulty, usually designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular technical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the piano...
(though they are not among his official works), while continuing to refine his own dissonant counterpoint. The counterpoint has similarities to that of J.S. Bach and Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
, though evidence reveals that they were developed independently.
After his mother's death, Valen travelled to Rome and Paris during the 1920's gaining much inspiration from the wealth of art and architecture there. His work became more controversial among many conservative critics, much to Valen's disappointment. In 1924 he returned to Oslo and from 1927 to 1936 worked as a musical archivist at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. In 1935 the government gave him a semi-permanent grant for composers. He quit teaching and moved back to Sunnhordland into the care of his sister and began to compose full time.
After 1948, his work began to gain greater recognition, both within Norway and outside. Among others, pianist Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould
Glenn Herbert Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach...
became a great admirer of Valen and said at the recording of Fartein Valen's piano sonata no 2, "For the first time in many years I have found a looming personality in the 20th century's music".
Valen never married. He died in 1952 at Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
.
Fartein Valen-pris
Fartein Valen Prize (Fartein Valen-pris) is a Norwegian music award in memory of the composer Fartein Valen. The Fartein Valen Scholarship (Fartein Valen-stipendet) is an associated Norwegian music scholarship. The prize and scholarship were first awarded in respectively 1999 and 2002, and now awarded every two years. Past winner have included Arve TellefsenArve Tellefsen
Arve Tellefsen is a Norwegian violinist.He was born and raised in Trondheim, Norway. When he was 6 years old, he began playing the violin in 'Trondheims musikkskole'...
and Ståle Kleiberg
Ståle Kleiberg
Ståle Kleiberg is a contemporary classical composer and musicologist from Norway. -Biography:Kleiberg was born in Stavanger in 1958. He graduated from the University of Oslo with a degree in musicology and later from the Norwegian Academy of Music with a diploma degree in composition. In addition...
.
Other sources
- Ola Tjørhom: Fartein Valen : vestlandspietist og modernistisk banebryter. Oslo, 2004. Genesis publishers. ISBN 82-476-0312-8
- Bjarne Kortsen: Fartein Valen: life and music 3 Vol. Oslo, 1965. J. G. Tanum. ASIN: B0006BWF24
- Berit Kvinge Tjøme: The Articulation of Sonata Form in Atonal Works of Fartein Valen Unipub 2002. ISBN 82-7477-097-8
Further reading
- Paul RapoportPaul Rapoport (music critic)Paul Rapoport is a musicologist, music critic, and composer a professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario....
: "Opus est : six composers from Northern Europe." New York : Taplinger Pub. Co., 1979, c1978. ISBN 0-8008-5844-1.