Composers / Arne Nordheim / Places catalog

Calmeyergaten Mission House

The Calmeyergaten Mission House was the venue for Protestant gatherings. Erected in 1891, in Neogothic style, it could accommodate over 5000 visitors. Religious meetings took place here, and the hall was also used for concerts. It was one of the few halls in Oslo with sufficient capacity to host Edvard Grieg's performances in the city during the 1890s. In 1905, in an extraordinary speech here, prime minister Christian Michelsen declared the dissolution of Norway’s personal union with Sweden. In the 1920s, a conflict was played out here between followers of liberal theology and defenders of orthodox theology. The building gradually lost its importance and was dismantled in 1972.

On 14 April 1949, the Oslo Symphony Orchestra, Radio Orchestra, soloists and combined municipal choirs performed here Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Resurrection”). Arne Nordheim was present at the concert and later described it as a sort of spiritual epiphany: “The existential depth of this music became lodged in my soul and remained with me for years”. Nordheim immediately decided to become a composer. Mahler’s symphony contained everything he was thinking about. After that contact with Mahler's music, everything else seemed unimportant to him. “It was like a greeting from beyond the grave, like a funeral march, highly disconcerting, the pieces of something… something more than sound, some deep message, religious need, solemnity…”. In a show on Swedish Radio, he said that for many months after this experience he would become catatonic and crave nothing but to write Mahler’s symphony again.

Place Category
13 Øvre Jegerborggate, Larvik Other
3 Olavsgate, Larvik Other
Artists' House Other
Arts Council Norway Other
Bayreuth Appearances
Bekkelaget Sewage Treatment Plant Other
Bergen Festival Appearances
Brekstad in Ørland commune Other
British Broadcasting Corporation Radio / TV
Calmeyergaten Mission House Appearances
City Hall Other
Concertgebouw Appearances
Concert Palace Appearances
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Den Nationale Scene Appearances
Edition Wilhelm Hansen
Publishers / Bookshops
Feliks Nowowiejski Warmia and Masuria Philharmonic Appearances
Festiviteten Other
Grieghallen Appearances
“Grotto” Flats
Håkonshallen Appearances
Henie-Onstad Art Centre in Baerum Education
Hergisheim Flats
International Bach Academy Appearances
Israeli Radio Radio / TV
Israel Music Institute Other
Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance Other
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra Appearances
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Appearances
Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music Education
Larvik church Churches / Places of worship
Lillehammer – Winter Olympic Games Other
Lodge Theatre Performance spaces
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Appearances
National Library Education
National Theatre Performance spaces
Netherlands Dance Theatre
New Music Association
Nidaros Cathedral Churches / Places of worship
Norwegian Academy of Music Education
Norwegian Opera Other
Norwegian Opera at the Folk Theatre Appearances
Norwegian Society of Composers Other
Norwegian Theatre I Other
Norwegian Theatre II Other
Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU Education
NOTAM Education
NRK radio and television Radio / TV
Observatory Other
Old Lodge (Gamle Logen) Appearances
Orchester der Württembergischen Staatsoper Appearances
Osaka Congress Hall (EXPO 70)
Oslo Cathedral Churches / Places of worship
Oslo Conservatory of Music Education
Oslo Philharmonic Appearances
Polish Radio Experimental Studio Radio / TV
Quality Hotel Grand Farris Hotels / Inns
“Rendezvous” for strings Appearances
Rombergata School Education, Other
Royal Norwegian Consulate General, New York Other
Royal Swedish Academy of Music Education
Santori Horu (Suntory Hall) Appearances
Storedal Cultural Centre Other
Swedish Radio Radio / TV
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg Appearances
Teatro La Fenice Performance spaces
Theatre Café Coffeehouses
Town Hall in Gdańsk Other
Trento Other
University Aula Other
Wailing Wall Churches / Places of worship
Warsaw Autumn Performance spaces
Witold Lutosławski Society Other