Halfdan Kjerulf facts for kids
Halfdan Kjerulf (born September 17, 1815 – died August 11, 1868) was an important Norwegian composer. He is best known for his beautiful songs and piano music.
Halfdan Kjerulf's Early Life and Studies
Halfdan Kjerulf was born in Christiania, which is now Oslo, Norway. His father was a high-ranking government official. Halfdan first studied at Christiania University to become a lawyer. However, he became ill in 1839, and his studies ended. The next year, he spent some time in Paris.
Soon after he returned home, his father and two of his siblings passed away. Halfdan then started working as a journalist. He wrote for a main newspaper in Oslo called Den Constitutionelle. He worked there until 1845.
Becoming a Composer
Halfdan Kjerulf began his music journey as a teacher and wrote songs. He did this even before he had seriously studied music himself! It took about ten years for people to really notice his talent. He was part of a movement called the Modern Breakthrough in Scandinavia. This movement brought new ideas to literature, painting, and music, moving away from older styles. Kjerulf was known for setting poems by Johan Sebastian Welhaven to music.
In 1848, he started studying with the German musician Carl Arnold. Later, he studied with Niels Gade in Copenhagen. The Norwegian government even paid for him to study for a year in Leipzig in 1850. There, he learned from Ernst Richter.
After returning to Norway, Kjerulf tried hard to start regular classical concerts. He wanted to share great music with the public. He also worked with writers like Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson to create lyrical songs. He did manage to put on some concerts. At these events, he introduced the Norwegian public to famous pieces, like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which many people in Norway had not heard before. He received some official recognition for his work in the 1860s. Halfdan Kjerulf passed away in Grefsen, near Christiania, in 1868. He was only 52 years old.
His Musical Legacy
Halfdan Kjerulf is mostly remembered for his lovely and strong national songs, both for choirs and solo singers. His piano music is also very charming. The famous composer Edvard Grieg greatly admired Kjerulf's music. Kjerulf's style definitely influenced Grieg when he wrote his own Lyric Pieces. All of Kjerulf's piano music was recorded in 2001 by Einar Steen-Nøkleberg.
Some of Halfdan Kjerulf's piano students became famous musicians themselves. These included Agathe Backer-Grøndahl and Erika Nissen.
