Anne-Marie Ørbeck facts for kids
Anne-Marie Ørbeck (born April 1, 1911 – died June 5, 1996) was a talented Norwegian pianist and composer. She wrote many different kinds of music, from pieces for orchestras to songs.
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About Anne-Marie Ørbeck
Anne-Marie Ørbeck was born in Oslo, Norway, in 1911. Her father was Anton Ørbeck and her mother was Inga Louise Larsen. She had a brother named Gunnar, who was also a musician and played the violin.
Early Music Studies
Anne-Marie started learning piano in Oslo. She also studied in Berlin with a famous teacher named Sandra Drouker. She loved music so much that she kept studying it, learning about composing from many different teachers. Some of her teachers included Gustav Fredrik Lange and Darius Milhaud.
In 1933, Anne-Marie showed off her piano skills for the first time in Oslo. She played with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, which is a very important orchestra in Norway.
Life and Career
In 1939, Anne-Marie married an engineer named Helge Smitt. Her music career faced a challenge during World War II, which affected many people's lives. However, her song collection called "Vonir i blømetid" (which means "Hope at Blossom-Time") won an award in 1942. This showed her talent even during difficult times.
After the war, in the 1950s, she went back to studying composition. She learned from another famous teacher, Nadia Boulanger, in Paris. Later, she studied with Hanns Jelinek in Vienna.
A big moment in her career happened in 1954. Her Symphony in D Major was played for the first time in Bergen. This was a huge achievement because it made her the first female Norwegian composer to have a symphony performed! Anne-Marie Ørbeck passed away in Bergen in 1996.
Anne-Marie Ørbeck's Music
Anne-Marie Ørbeck wrote music for many different groups of instruments. She composed pieces for full orchestras, smaller groups of instruments (called chamber ensembles), and even for solo instruments. She was especially good at writing music for voices, including songs, choir pieces, and even psalms.
Here are some of her well-known musical works:
Orchestra Music
- Concertino for Piano and Orchestra, written in 1938. A concertino is like a small concerto, usually for a solo instrument and orchestra.
- Symphony in D major, written in 1944. This was the important piece that made her the first female Norwegian symphonic composer.
- Pastorale and Allegro for Flute and Strings, written in 1959. This piece features the flute with string instruments.
Piano and Chamber Music
- Sonatina, written in 1967. A sonatina is a short, simple sonata, usually for piano.
- Valse piccante, written in 1971. A "valse" is a waltz.
- Marcia indomabile, written in 1973. A "marcia" is a march.
- Norwegian springar for violin and piano, written in 1928. A springar is a traditional Norwegian folk dance.
Songs and Choral Works
- Vonir in blømetid (Hope at Blossom-Time), a collection of 7 songs from 1942.
- So they rowed fjordan (text by A. Vaa), written in 1954.
- Wild-Guri (text by T. Jonsson), written in 1955.
- Snow (text by A. Overland), written in 1959.
- Star Song (text by I. Krokann), written in 1964.
- Our country (text by A. Overland), a choir piece from 1954.
