Finn Mortensen facts for kids

Finn Mortensen (born January 6, 1922 – died May 23, 1983) was a Norwegian composer, music critic, and teacher. He is known for his modern musical style.

Finn Mortensen was born in Oslo, Norway. His father, Ernst Gustav Mortensen, was a publisher, and his mother was Anna Marie Damnæs. Finn grew up around books and publishing. At first, people thought he would join his father's publishing company. However, he chose a different path.

Becoming a Musician

Finn Mortensen studied music at the Oslo Conservatory of Music. He learned to play the piano and double bass. He also studied how to create music, learning about harmony and composition. His teachers included famous composers like Klaus Egge and Niels Viggo Bentzon. He even attended special summer music schools in Darmstadt, Germany, and took classes with the well-known composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

His first piece of music played in public was called Trio for Strings, Op. 3. This happened at a music festival in Oslo in 1950. In 1954, he officially started his career as a composer.

His Work and Influence

Finn Mortensen was very active in the music world. He led a group called Ny Musikk (New Music) twice, from 1961 to 1964 and again from 1966 to 1967. This group helped promote new and modern music in Norway.

He also worked as a music critic for the newspaper Dagbladet for many years. He wrote about music and helped people understand new works. In 1968, when the Norwegian Concert Institute was created, he became its first director. This role meant he helped organize concerts and bring music to more people.

In 1970, Mortensen started teaching at the Oslo Conservatory of Music. In 1973, he became Norway's first professor of composition. This was a big achievement! Many students learned from him, including future composers like Rolf Wallin, Jon Mostad, Lasse Thoresen, Terje Bjørklund, and Synne Skouen.

Mortensen's Music Style

When Finn Mortensen first started composing, his music was influenced by styles called neoclassicism and expressionism. Neoclassicism often looked back to older, clearer musical forms, while expressionism focused on strong emotions.

Later, he began using more modern techniques. He explored twelve-tone music, which uses all twelve notes of the musical scale in a specific order. He also used aleatoric music, where some parts of the music are left to chance or the performer's choice. He called his own mix of these styles "neo-serial."

Even today, Mortensen's music is often played by orchestras in Norway. He is an important part of Norwegian music history.

Selected Works

Here are some of the musical pieces Finn Mortensen created:

Orchestral Works

• Symfoni, op. 5 (1953)
• Pezzo orchestrale (1957)
• Evolution (1961)
• Klangfarger (1962)
• Hedda (1974–75)
• Klaverkonsert (Piano Concerto) (1963)
• Fantasi for klaver og orkester (Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra) (1965–66)
• Fantasi for fiolin og orkester (Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra) (1977)

Chamber Music

• Blåsekvintett (Wind Quintet) (1951)
• Sonata for flute solo op.6 (1953)
• Klaverkvartett (Piano Quartet) (1960)
• Constellations for accordeon, gitar og slagverk (Constellations for Accordion, Guitar, and Percussion) (1971)
• Nyserialisme I, II og III for varierende besetning (New Serialism I, II, and III for various instruments) (1971–73)
• Adagio og fuge for 16 horn (Adagio and Fugue for 16 Horns) (undated)
• Suite for 5 blokkfløyter og strykekvintett (Suite for 5 Recorders and String Quintet) (1978–79)

Piano Works

• Sonatine (1943–48)
• Sonatine (1949–52)
• 2 sonater (2 Sonatas) (1956, 1977)
• Fantasi og fuge (Fantasy and Fugue) (1957–58)
• Sonate for 2 klaver (Sonata for 2 Pianos) (1964)
• Impressions (1971)