Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen: Complete Piano Music

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Øyvind Aase
Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen

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Critical Reception

Sparre Olsen's Telemark suites were instantly popular during the German occupation of Norway, with one reviewer calling them 'among the most charming stuff in recent Norwegian piano literature whatsoever'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Sparre Olsen collaborated with prominent Norwegian poets who wrote in nynorsk, a language based on rural dialects, forming a unity with Norwegian nature in his artistic vision.

Composer Biography

As a young man, Sparre Olsen played violin in popular restaurant bands in Oslo, including Willy Johansen's orchestra at the Grand Café, and enjoyed playing jazz.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Sparre Olsen's music is deeply influenced by Norwegian folk-music, often featuring diatonic melodies built on modal scales, characteristic of old Norwegian ballads.

Compositional Technique

Sparre Olsen frequently used parallel fourths and fifths in his compositions, a technique traditionally forbidden in harmony, likely inspired by Icelandic folksong traditions.

Compositional Technique

Sparre Olsen's piano pieces are generally brief and uncomplicated, reflecting his belief that expressing an idea simply and concisely is preferable to 'muddying it with padding'.

Composer Biography

Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen, a Norwegian composer and violinist, was born in Stavanger in 1903 and had family connections to Denmark through his Sparre ancestry.