Njål Sparbo
Encyclopedia
Njål Sparbo is a Norwegian
classical bass-baritone
singer.
Njål Sparbo is a merited oratorio
singer with more than 50 major oratorioes on his repertoire, and he has sung leading parts in a number of opera productions. He is an advocate of contemporary music and has sung numerous world premiere performances of Norwegian composers, including 10 contemporary opera productions. His solo engagements include all the major Norwegian choirs and orchestras, The Norwegian National Opera, and venues all over Europe
, including Russia
, U.S.
and Japan
. Sparbo has had more than 150 Lieder recitals together with Norway's leading pianists, and his recordings of "Grieg & Schubert: Songs", and Franz Schubert
’s "Winterreise", have been praised.
(«Exemplary Sparbo, brilliant Schubert: ... I must give him my unreserved congratulations to a recording which leaves you with a sense of loss from the moment it ceases. It is in fact not just the work itself that so strongly spellbinds the listener in me, it is equally Sparbo's interpretation ... Espen Mineur Sætre, Morgenbladet).
Sparbo has released the first recording of a CD-anthology of Norwegian songs: "Norge, mitt Norge!".
He performs regularly at festivals and on television/radio. Among his performances are Mahler’s ”Lieder eines fahrendes Gesellen” with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in London
, Bach
’s ”Christmas Oratorio” with the Drottningholm's Baroque Orchestra in Uppsala
and Rossini
’s ”Petite Messe Sollenelle” in Köln Philharmonie, Kverno's "St. Matthew Passion" in New York
and Manoa
in Handel
's "Samson" at the London Handel Festival.
In 2009, Sparbo received the Grieg Award, which is awarded annually by the Edvard Grieg
museum Troldhaugen
.
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...
classical bass-baritone
Bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
singer.
Njål Sparbo is a merited oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
singer with more than 50 major oratorioes on his repertoire, and he has sung leading parts in a number of opera productions. He is an advocate of contemporary music and has sung numerous world premiere performances of Norwegian composers, including 10 contemporary opera productions. His solo engagements include all the major Norwegian choirs and orchestras, The Norwegian National Opera, and venues all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, including Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Sparbo has had more than 150 Lieder recitals together with Norway's leading pianists, and his recordings of "Grieg & Schubert: Songs", and Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
’s "Winterreise", have been praised.
(«Exemplary Sparbo, brilliant Schubert: ... I must give him my unreserved congratulations to a recording which leaves you with a sense of loss from the moment it ceases. It is in fact not just the work itself that so strongly spellbinds the listener in me, it is equally Sparbo's interpretation ... Espen Mineur Sætre, Morgenbladet).
Sparbo has released the first recording of a CD-anthology of Norwegian songs: "Norge, mitt Norge!".
He performs regularly at festivals and on television/radio. Among his performances are Mahler’s ”Lieder eines fahrendes Gesellen” with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
’s ”Christmas Oratorio” with the Drottningholm's Baroque Orchestra in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
and Rossini
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
’s ”Petite Messe Sollenelle” in Köln Philharmonie, Kverno's "St. Matthew Passion" in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Manoa
Manoa
thumb|240px|right|Vintage shot of University of Hawaii, Manoa240px|thumb|right|Vintage photo of Manoa ValleyMānoa is a valley and a residential neighborhood of Honolulu CDP of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; the community is approximately three miles east and inland from...
in Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's "Samson" at the London Handel Festival.
In 2009, Sparbo received the Grieg Award, which is awarded annually by the 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...
museum Troldhaugen
Troldhaugen
Troldhaugen was the home of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Grieg. Troldhaugen is located in Bergen, Norway and consists of the Edvard Grieg Museum, Grieg’s villa, the hut where he composed music, and his and his wife's gravesite....
.