Kjerulf, Halfdan

Kjerulf, Halfdan 

Born Sept. 17, 1815, in Christiania (now Oslo); died Aug. 11, 1868, in Grefsen, near Christiania. Norwegian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.

Kjerulf studied with K. Arnold in Christiania and with E. F. E. Richter at the Leipzig Conservatory. He conducted the Student’s Choral Society from 1845 to 1849 and the symphony orchestra in Christiania from 1857 to 1859. Kjerulf was a renowned piano teacher; his students included A. Backer-Grondahl and E. Lie-Nissen. He published his first compositions in 1841.

Kjerulf, who helped to create a national style of music, was the greatest of E. Grieg’s predecessors. With L. Linneman and O. Bull, he opened up Norwegian classical music to folk influences. Kjerulf, who is considered the creator of the Norwegian art song, composed more than 200 choral works and art songs and 45 works for the piano; he is the author of approximately 75 arrangements of folk melodies. Kjerulf s music is distinguished by its national romantic color, ardent lyricism, and melodic beauty.

REFERENCES

Grieg, E. “Khal’fdan Kh’erul’f.” In his collection Izbr. stat’i i pis’ma. Compiled by, and with commentary and an introductory article by, O. E. Levasheva. Moscow, 1966.
Leites, R. “Khal’fdan Kh’erul’f i ego pesni.” Sovetskaia muzyka, 1966, no.4.
Nyblom, K. Halfdan Kjerulf. Stockholm, 1926.

RE. LEITES