Ole Bull

Ole Bornemann Bull ( born February 5, 1810 in Bergen, † August 17 1880 in Lysøen in Bergen) was a Norwegian violinist and composer.

Life

At the age of nine years played Ole Bull violin solo with the Bergen orchestra Association harmonies. His teachers were Niels Eriksen and Johan Henrich Poulsen, later he was taught by Carl Mathias Lundholm. His parents decided him to study theology, to which he did not pass the entrance exam. Instead, he founded a theater orchestra, which he conducted with the violin in his hand. In 1829 he made ​​appearances in Copenhagen and Kassel. After he had heard in 1831 in Paris Niccolò Paganini, he imitated his style, giving him very fast in spite of what was amateurish engineering helped to success. Away from the international concert scene, he developed continually be technical level. In the years 1836/37 he gave 274 concerts in Ireland and England. The following year, he visited - hoping to draw violinistic benefit - the great German violinist and composer Louis Spohr. In 1840 he played together with Franz Liszt in London Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. In 1850 he founded the Norske Theater in Bergen (Norwegian Theatre), which later became the oldest Norwegian theater, Den Nationale Scene emerged.

Because it but in Europe the artistic breakthrough was denied temporarily, he placed his hopes on five concert tours, which he undertook by the United States. There, he performed popular works, but also his own compositions on American themes. This he gave titles such as: Niagara, loneliness of the prairie, In memory of G. Washington. He was firmly convinced that Norway had to develop its own national art direction. So studied Bulls nephew Edvard Grieg at his instigation at the Leipzig Conservatory.

Many of his smaller works are of sentimental character and assigned names such as

  • A Mother's Prayer,
  • A Almbesuch (Et Sæterbesøg )
  • Senner girl Sunday ( Sæterjentens søndag )
  • A Mountain Vision,
  • In lonely hours (I ensomme hour )
  • Adagio religioso,
  • La Mélancolie,
  • Pollaca guerriera,
  • Recuerdos de Habana

In addition, Bull composed but also in large formats such as two concertos for violin and orchestra or theme and Fantasia on a Theme by Vincenzo Bellini. The violin concertos were rediscovered after the year 2000; In 2008, the world premiere recording was made on sound recordings (SACD and Blu -ray Audio; Annar Follesö (violin), Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Ole Kristian Ruud (conductor) ).

Attracted by the then-emerging ideas of municipal socialism Bull bought in Pennsylvania about 3,000 acres of land, there to realize his ideas. He named the area " Oleana ". Because of his lack of business acumen, this company failed after less than two years. The area is now known as Ole Bull State Park. Henrik Ibsen irony Bulls experiment in his play Peer Gynt, which is based the eponymous hero a short-lived state Gyntiana.

Bull is now ( also because of its social setting) as one of the major national and cosmopolitan personalities Norway. He died in 1880 from cancer at the belonging to him and designed by romantic ideals Lysø island in the municipality of Os (Hordaland ). His house, " the small Alhambra " in the Arabic-Moorish style, combined with the so-called Norwegian Lafting style and perceived Russian domed tower, is now a museum.

His violin, Gasparo da Salò attributed, which is decorated with beautiful inlays and carvings, is now in a showcase of Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum in Bulls hometown Bergen.

1955 Bull Street in Vienna-Favoriten was named after him.

Discography

  • " Arve Tellefsen plays Ole Bull" ( Simax 2004/2009 ): Nocturne for Violin & Orchestra; A Mountain Vision; Mother 's Prayer from " Polacca Guerriera "; Adagio sostenuto from the Violin Concerto in E minor; Gran March from " Agiaco Cubano "; Cantabile dolorose & Rondo Giocoso The herd girl 's Sunday for Violin & String Ensemble; In Moments of Solitude for Violin & String Ensemble Works for Violin & Piano: Andante maestoso from " Agiaco Cubano "; Sigrid 's song from "The Mountain Cottage"; Barcarolle; Scotch Fantasy; Andante cantabile; Cantabile; In Moments of Solitude
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