Arne Nordheim

Composers / Arne Nordheim / Routes

Trasa Oslo II

This route around Arne Nordheim’s Oslo begins at the cathedral, where the composer was a frequent guest at the organ concerts regularly organised by the cantor Arild Sandvold. Here, many of his own works were performed. It was also here that the whole country, including the Norwegian royal family, bade farewell to him forever after his death, on 5 June 2010. From here, the route leads to the new building of the Norwegian Theatre. This was the venue for a performance of Nordheim’s oratorio Draumkvedet, one of the pinnacles of his compositional work. Next to this, on the grand Karl Johan Street, we find the old buildings of Oslo University. During his studies and later as a music critic, Nordheim often visited the university’s concert hall. Many of his own works were also performed here.

On the opposite side of Karl Johans gate stands the National Theatre, where Nordheim first displayed his skills as a composer of stage music. On the other side of the theatre, on Stortingsgata, we find the theatre cafe, which Nordheim periodically frequented, meeting a great range of artists. On this same street also stands a building where the Norwegian Theatre was housed for many years and where Nordheim’s music was also played. Nearby is the capital’s city hall, with which many events in the composer’s life are associated. The most important feature, however, is the carillon in the tower, which he used many times.

During the 60s, Nordheim campaigned for a separate building for the Oslo Philharmonic. And he ultimately won. Many of his works have been performed in the Oslo Konserthus, and the gong that he made still resounds after the intermission during concerts today.

Our trail in Nordheim’s footsteps next leads across the square by the royal palace. Situated on the other side of the palace park, on Wergelandsveien, is the Grotto, the honorary state residence where the composer lived for the last thirty years of his life. The Artists’ House on the other side of Wergelandsveien was also the venue for performances of Nordheim’s works. The next stop on this route is the National Observatory and Library, where as a student Nordheim would borrow scores; today, the music collection includes many of his own works.

From here, we can take a tram to Majorstuen and the Norwegian College of Music, where in 2006 the composer was awarded an honorary doctorate and where the Arne Nordheim Centre can now be found.

A little farther in the direction of Blindern stands the headquarters of Norwegian Radio and Television (NRK). Here, Nordheim presented radio programmes on music, first experimented with electronic music and composed music for many radio plays. Radio and television in general were crucial media for the dissemination of his music.

Notam (the Norwegian Centre for Technology in Music and Art) possesses a Nordheim Studio, and some of the composer’s electronic works were prepared here.

The last stop on this route is the Henie-Onstad Art Centre in Bærum, which during the 70s had its own electronic music studio, where many of Nordheim’s musical projects were realised. (jc)

Arne Nordheim before the „Grotto” in October 1992. Phot. Ines Gellrich, The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Arne Nordheim caricature. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Arne Nordheim in his study in the “Grotto” in 1998. On the piano – Three Stnazasfor double bass. Phot. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Arne Nordheim in the “Grotto” in 2004, after being awarded the distinction of the Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav. Phot. Jon Eeg/Scanpix/FORUM.
Arne Nordheim in the “Grotto” in 2004, after being awarded the distinction of the Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav. Phot. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Arne Norheim (1963). Phot. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Arne Norheim and a radio engineerr, Viktor Sandal, create electroacoustic path to Katharsis in a studio NRK in 1962. Phot. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Arne Norheim in University Aula (1969). Phot. Henrik Laurvik/Scanpix/FORUM.
Art Centre Henie Onstad and the sea side. Phot. Bjoertvedt.
Artist House at Wergelandsveien. Phot. Hans-Petter Fjeld.
Carillon in the tower of City Hall in Oslo.
Composer Finn Mortensen z with composer and sound engineer Harold Clarkiem, who founded Norwegian Studio of Electronic Music (NSEM) on Høvikodden. Phot. Høvikodden, 1975.
From world premier ”Partita for Paul” on Høvikodden in 1985. Violinist Ole Bøhn and Arne Nordheim and son of Paul Klee, present at the opening of the individual exhibition of paintings by his father. Phot. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Interior of Oslo domkirke. Phot. Hans A. Rosbach (creative commons).
John Poul II and arne Nordheim. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
National Library. (creative commons)
National Theatre in Oslo. Phot. Mahlum. (creative commons)
Norwegian Academy of Music. Phot. Hans A. Rosback (creative commons).
Norwegian Theatre in new building on Kristian IVs gate 8.
NRK. Phot. Mahlum. (creative commons)
Observatory, Peter Frederik Wergmanns illustration. Oslo Museum. (creative commons)
Official website of NOTAM (www.notam02.no).
Oslo Cathedral Church (altar). Phot. Anne-Sophie Ofrim (creative commons).
Oslo Cathedral Church. Phot. Daderot (creative commons).
Oslo Philharmonic. Phot. Bengt Oberger. (creative commons)
Pipe organ in Oslo Cathedral (Oslo Domkirke). Built by Lambert Daniel Kastens and finished in 1727. Phot. Anne-Sophie Ofrim (creative commons).
Portrait of Arne Nordheim by Gösta Hammarlund was hanged in the Theatre Cafe in 1981. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Portrait of Arne Nordheim in 1992, phot. Ines Gellrich. Phot. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
.: Rannveig and Arne Nordheim moved in to the „Grotto” in 1982. Phot. Stig Rune Pedersen.
Recording music for Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Sigurd Slembe in University Hall, spring 1960. The Arne Nordheim Centre.
Stortingsgata 16. Phot. Mahlum. (creative commons)
Theatre Café in the Continental Hotel, 1973. Phot. Leif Krohn Ørnelund. (creative commons)
Theatre Café in the Continental Hotel. Phot. Mahlum. (creative commons)
University Aula with Edvard Munch paintings.
University in Oslo.
Z retrospektywnej wystawy „Arne Nordheim. Dziękuję, jak dla mnie, żadnych –izmów!”. Kurator Lars Mørch Finborud przygotował w 2013 roku wystawę, na której pokazał nowatorską pracę Arnego Nordheima w dziedzinie sztuki telewizyjnej, rzeźb dźwiękowych, baletu, teatru, multimediów i instalacji przestrzennych oraz jego wpływ na sztuki plastyczne i odwrotnie. Fotografia przedstawia tę część wystawy, gdzie znajdują się portrety Arnego Nordheima, stworzone przez różnych artystów, Phot. Harald Herresthal, 2013
Z retrospektywnej wystawy „Arne Nordheim. Dziękuję, jak dla mnie, żadnych –izmów!”. Kurator Lars Mørch Finborud przygotował w 2013 roku wystawę, na której pokazał nowatorską pracę Arnego Nordheima w dziedzinie sztuki telewizyjnej, rzeźb dźwiękowych, baletu, teatru, multimediów i instalacji przestrzennych oraz jego wpływ na sztuki plastyczne i odwrotnie. Fotografia przedstawia tę część wystawy, gdzie znajdują się portrety Arnego Nordheima, stworzone przez różnych artystów. Phot. Harald Herresthal, 2013

Route	Route type
Bergen	Regional
Europe	Regional
Israel	Regional
Japan and USA	Regional
Larvik, Stavern	Local
Oslo I	Local
Oslo II	Local
Stockholm, Copenhagen	Local
Trondheim, Lillehammer, Brekstad, Skjeberg	Regional