Conrad Baden

Conrad Baden 1966. Photo: Bergens Tidende

Conrad Baden (born August 31, 1908 in Drammen , † June 11, 1989 in Oslo ) was a Norwegian composer and organist. He had an extensive production of orchestral works, chamber music, vocal works, and church music. He is considered one of the most important Norwegian composers of the 20th century.

Studies

Conrad Baden received his first music lessons from his organist father, who died when Conrad was 17 years old and was about to graduate from business school. He dedicated himself to music and studied piano and organ with the local organist Daniel Hanssen. The young talent soon played before church services and oratorios. At the age of 19 Baden received the position of organist in Strømsgodset Church.

Conrad Baden in Berlin 1931

Instead of studying at the Music Conservatory in Oslo, he passed a private examination as an organist in 1931 with excellent grades. From 1931–32 he studied church music at the Leipzig Conservatory and got strong impressions of the Bach tradition. Fellow students were the upcoming Nidaros cathedral organist Ludvig Nielsen and the composer Geirr Tveitt .

In the study report from the church music institute, the teacher Günter Raphael writes in theory and composition : "His musical and compositional talent is extraordinarily great". His piano teacher CA Martienssen calls him “very talented”, and his organ teacher Karl Hoyer : “Mr. Baden is an excellent organ player”.

When he got home he studied counterpoint with the Palestrina expert Per Steenberg and instrumentation and composition with the composer Bjarne Brustad .

debut

In 1936 he gave his debut concert as an organist in Oslo Cathedral. He eventually became known as an organist and composer of organ works, motets and hymns. There was heated debate in the 1950s about abandoning a late Romantic style in favor of Lutheran and Neo-Baroque styles, and Baden was a strong and radical voice.

In 1943 he changed his position as organist in the old church of his father Strømsø in Drammen. In 1946 he appeared as a professional composer in Oslo with a chamber music program. In 1961 he moved to Oslo with his wife and two sons and worked in Ris Church until 1975. With that he served as organist for 47 years.

Neoclassicism in the 1950s

Baden's earliest works from the 1930s are romantic and impressionistic. At the same time, his church motets are inspired by the Renaissance and in the strict polyphonic Palestrina style that he taught him Per Steenberg. The works of the late 1940s and after a study trip to Paris 1950–51 were influenced by French and German neoclassicism, particularly by Honegger and Hindemith.

He achieved a breakthrough as an orchestral composer in 1955 with the performance of the 1st Symphony. A special neoclassical work is the fairy tale suite for orchestra (1960), which was inspired by traditional Norwegian fairy tales.

modernism

In the 1960s, younger composers such as Egil Hovland and Knut Nystedt developed a more radical tonal language that was inspired by the twelve-tone technique. As early as 1958, Baden had criticized "the gap between church music and concert music ..., a church ideal that has increasingly distanced itself from contemporary musical practice over the years".

Baden itself was influenced by the increasing radicalization of contemporary music. He began to use twelve-tone themes with bolder dissonances. The necessity of a reorientation led to studies in Vienna with Hanns Jelinek , a student of the twelve-tone pioneers Arnold Schönberg and Alban Berg . Although experienced as a "terrible calculator," the visit contributed to permanent stylistic liberation.

Compositions

During his work as an organist, music critic and teacher he composed 146 works in most forms. His 20 orchestral works include solo concertos for clarinet, viola, piano, bassoon and cello. From 1952 to 1980 he composed six symphonies.

The choral works include a mass (1949) with the classical Latin text and 11 cantatas for special occasions in cities and churches. Many Norwegian church choirs have sung some of his 45 motets for worship. Arrangements of Norwegian religious folk tones make up a large part of his numerous songs for choral and solo songs.

His 35 chamber music and piano works include suites and sonatas, also for children. Among his 33 organ works there are 11 variations of folk songs and choirs. In free organ works such as sonatas (the first in 1939) and organ suites, the tonal language moves parallel to the development of contemporary music, from late romanticism to neoclassicism to expressionism. The organ artist Harald Herresthal says of the Suite Pezzi Concertante (1966) as "an expressive and almost volcanically emotional outburst".

The more radical tonal language of the 1960s can be seen in the orchestral work Variazioni (1963). There he tried out the twelve-tone style, which is most strongly expressed in Hymn for Voice and Three Instruments (1966). Such a tonal liberation in combination with classical forms characterized him for the rest of his life in the second half of his sixty years of composition work. He is described as a stylistically diverse composer.

Educator and critic

From 1947 he taught counterpoint, harmony and composition at the Music Conservatory in Oslo. After the transition from the Conservatory in 1973 to the Norwegian Academy of Music, he was associate professor until 1978. It was central to theory teaching for 30 years. His numerous students include Harald Herresthal, Trond Kverno and Ragnar Söderlind. Even students who wanted to compose differently than the traditional classical style, like Arne Nordheim and jazz musicians like Jan Garbarek , had lessons in harmony and counterpoint (also called Conrad Punkt !) With him.

Although he was a serious educator, he was known for his humor. The composition professor Finn Mortensen puts it this way: "Behind the pipe and the serious characteristics hides the ability to create unique punch lines and the ability to hum whimsical with a dry-whitish cut."

He has been a music critic in newspapers and magazines since 1935, and his comments make important statements on Norwegian musical life for fifty years.

Catalog raisonné - selected works

Unpublished compositions are in the National Library

orchestra

• 6 symphonies: no. 1 1952, no. 2 1957, no. 3 Sinfonia piccolo 1959, no. 4 1970, no. 5 Sinfonia voluntatis 1976, no. 6 Sinfonia espressiva 1980
• Divertimento 1951
• Ouvertura Gioia 1953
• Pastorale e fuga 1958
• Fairy tale suite 1960
• Variazioni 1963
• Fantasia breve 1965
• Concerto per orchestra 1968
• Intrada sinfonica 1969
• Pastorale and rondo 1983

Concerts for solo and orchestra

• Concertino for clarinet and strings 1954
• Concerto for viola and orchestra 1973
• Concerto for piano and orchestra 1979
• Concerto for bassoons and strings 1981
• Concerto for cello and orchestra 1986

Choir - larger works

• Mass 1949
• A small Christmas cantata, Puer natus 1965 Norsk Musikforlag
• Passion Cantata 1964 Norsk Musikforlag

Choir with and without accompaniment, also community hymns Mixed choir SATB, unless otherwise stated

• Four motets after Book of Psalms 1935-36. Norsk Musikforlag
• Nine hymns 1940–41 ( Tenk når en gang / Eg veit ei hamn Norwegian Hymnal)
• Ten religous folk tunes for male choir 1947 Lyche musikkforlag
• Five songs for male choir 1942–49 Norsk Notestik, Musikk-Huset og Lyche
• Thirteen choral songs 1940–51 Norsk Musikforlag og Musikk-Huset
• Two arrangements of folk tunes for women's choir and organ 1962. Concordia
• Eight motets 1965 (Ikke enhver som sier. Lyche)
• Two songs and two motets for SAB 1964-67 (Fader jeg vil, Alle de som Faderen Lyche)
• Two choral arrangementes 1963–68 (O Herre Krist, Jeg vil meg Herren) Lyche
• Two Hamsun songs for male choir 1959-60 (Tonen. Lyche )
• Seven motets 1961-69 Østnorsk musikkforlag and Lyche
• Two motets for choir and organ (Psalm 150 and Se, Gud er min frelse) Norsk Musikforlag. Lyche
• Three church song for children's / women's choir 1953–70 (Ave Maria og Sanctus, Lyche )
• Seven Skjæraasensongs for childrens / women's choir 1955-70 Lyche
• Four introitus for choir and organ 1964–70 (Stå opp, Vi er hansverk, I samme stund. Lyche )
• Two motets 1958–70 (Pange Lingua, Trøst mitt folk) Lyche
• Five Setrom-songs for male choir 1942–71 Norsk Musikforlag. Lyche
• To Spring songs for women's choir 1960–71 Tekst Vinje, Sande. Norsk Musikforlag. Lyche
• Four songs 1960–72 ( Yes, Herre, eg høyrer . Norderval. Lunde forlag)
• Six arrangements of religious folk tunes 1958–75 Lyche
• Ten hymns 1979 ( Som spede barnet Norwegian Hymnal)
• Thirteen hymns 1979 ( Vi hilser din gjenkomst Norwegian Hymnal 1985)
• Herre ha takk, from Eight solo songs. Text Trygve Bjerkrheim. 1981
• Seven motets 1981–87 ( Jeg er oppstandelsen, I fred Norsk Musikforlag). Lyche
• Thirteen hymns. Text by Svein Ellingsen 1983-88 ( Døden må vike Norwegian Hymnal)
• Taubeana for mixed choir, baryton and piano . 1979. Potpourri on six songs by Evert Taube

• Sixteen songs 1971–89 ( Lykken / Happiness for children's chorus Skjæraasen. 1971 Wilhelm Hansen / Reimers. God Nat / Good Night Wergeland for children's chorus 1976. Lilja Aslaug Vaa, 1977, for women's chorus. Norsk Musikforlag)

Chamber music

• 4 string vartets ( no. 1 1941, no. 2 1943, no. 3 1961, no. 4 1983)
• Sonata for violin and piano 1941
• Piano Trio 1947
• Alla marcia, from Little suite for piano 1947 , arr. For 11 wind instruments . E. Gamm Musikverlag, Bochum
• Trio for flute, obo and clarinet 1957 Lyche
• Flute sonata (solo) 1957 Norsk Musikforlag
• Elegie for violin and organ 1960 Lyche
• Wind quintet no 1 1963, no 2 1982
• Wind trio no 2 (Divertimento) for flute, obo and clarinet 1964
• Hymnus (Vexilla regis) for alto, flute, oboe and viola 1966 Norsk Musikforlag
• Clarinet quintin 1971
• Fantasi boreale for cello and piano 1974
• Partita folk tune Now the day is over, for brass sextett 1975. Norsk Musikforlag
• Mini-trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon 1977
• Sonata no. 1 for obo and organ 1978
• Sonata for bass clarinet and piano 1978
• Two movements for violin and organ 1983 (with Elegie 1960 Sonata )
• Sonata for flute and piano 1984
• Pezzi sentimento per violincello 1984
• Dialogues for two clarinets 1984
• Sonata no. 2 for obo and keyboard 1985

piano

• Small suite 1947 Preludium.Vals.Fughetta.Vise. Alla marcia
• Scherzo 1957 Pro Piano book 3 Lyche
• 10 small pieces for children . 1963. Lyche
• Three piano pieces 1964. Preludium, Aria, Scherzo
• Ten small pieces for piano. For education 1967. Norsk Musikforlag
• 10 Bagatelles for piano 1971. Norsk Musikforlag
• Choral partita no. 5 for keyboard, folk tune I Himmelen 1975 Norsk Musikforlag
• Suite for piano 1976 Preludio. Tema con variazioni. Intermezzo. Toccata.
• Variazioni libere 1979

organ

• Passacaglia 1930
• Choral partita no 1 Christ was in death bands 1936 Norsk Notestik
• Sonata b-minor 1939. Cantando
• Phantay and fugue St. Olav-song Ljoset yver lands dagna 1939
• Three choral preludes 1946 In collection 28 koralforspill av norske organister. Norsk Musikforlag
• Toccata, choral and fugue St. Olav-song Lux illuxit 1946 Lyche
• Four chorale preludes Våkn op. Kom hit. Gud should always be location. Sørg, o kjære Fader 1949 Lyche
• Prelude, pastorale and chaconne 1951 Nordiska Musikförlaget, in Musica Organi III
• Five organ chorales. Melodies by LMLindeman 1955 Lyche
• Sonatina 1956
• Toccata, choral and fugue religious folk tune Korset vil jeg aldri svike 1957 Lyche
• Choral partita no. 2 Open the door in 1960. Cantando
• Organ book from Strømsø church 56 organ chorales and chorale preludes 1943–60
• Twelve organ chorales on Norwegian folk tunes 1958–61 Lyche
• Two organ works for advent 1958-63 ( Toccata Konge er du visst Cantando)
• Pezzi concertante, suite. Preludio. Pastoral. Tema con variationi. Fugue. 1966. Norsk Musikforlag
• Nuptial intrada no. 1 Kjærlighet er lysets kilde 1969 Vest-Norsk, in Norwegian Processional Music
• Choral partita no. 3 O Lamb of God 1972 Cantando
• Choral partita no. 4 religious folk tune Jeg ser deg O Guds lam 1972. Norsk Musikforlag
• Sonata sacra 1974. For Maria Church, Bergen.
• Choral partita no. 5 for keyboard, folk tune I Himmelen 1975 Norsk Musikforlag
• Organ book from Ris church 1961–75 Approx. 750 organ chorales and choral preludes. Selections in
• Musikkhuset ( 50 Organ chorales ) and Cantando- Permen
• Suite boreal. Introduksjon. Toccata. Interlude. Passacaglia. 1976
• Chorale partita no. 6 Jeg løfter opp til Gud min sang 1976. Noton-Cantando
• Sonata no.1 for obo and organ 1978
• Sonata rigorosa (Organ sonata nr. 3) 1978
• Choral phantasy Great God, we praise you 1980 Cantando
• Sonata al festo (Organ sonata nr. 4) 1984
• Sonata no. 2 for obo and keyboard 1985
• Nuptial intrada no. 2 1984. Cantando in Jubilate no. 2

Songs (selection)

• To Norwegian songs and Lilja. 1942 Text Aslaug Vaa. Lyche
• Four songs 1942 . Text by Henrik Rytter. Lyche
• Four Skjæraasen songs (Sinn, Norsk salme, Sang på elva, Gjenskinn) 1972 Norsk Musikforlag (In 6 songs)
• Two biblical songs for soprano, oboe and organ (Til deg Herre, Jeg vil glede meg) 1975
• Fourteen religious folk tunes 1963–75 (I dag er nådens tid og Gå varlig. Concordia )
• Four solo motets. Gospel of John 1966-76
• God nat (Good night) 1976 . Text Wergeland. Barnesalmeboka Verbum-IKO
• Three songs (Di makt, Bruheim . Fødd i går, HM Vesaas . August, Skjæraasen ) 1979 Norsk Musikforlag (In 6 songs)
• Three solo motets for deep voice (Søk Herren, Drag inn, Fariseeren og tolderen) 1980
• Alte Maria Weise, arrangement 1982. Norsk Musikforlag (In 6 songs)
• Four biblical songs for deep voice, Book of Psalms 1983-85

3 melodies in the 2013 Norwegian Psalm book

• 868 Eg veit ei hamn (Original Tenk når engang) 1941 Text Bjarne Rabben
• 576 Som spede barnet 1979 Text Britt G. Hallqvist
• 209 Døden må vike 1983 Text by Svein Ellingsen

Discography

orchestra

• Concertino for clarinet and strings Philips 1972. Simax 2008 PSC 1802. CD GRONG GMP 2010.
• Pastorale and fuge for chamber orchestra Simax 2008 PSC 1802
• Fairy tale suite Simax 2008 PSC 1802
• Variazioni . Simax 2008 PSC 1802
• Fantasia breve. Philips 1978
• Intrada sinfonica . Philips 1972. Simax 2008 PSC 1802
• Piano concerto . Simax 2008 PSC 1802
• Sinfonia espressiva, no. 6. Norwegian composers 1983 and Norsk musikkproduksjon 1988

Chamber music

• Wind trio no. 1 . Philips 1967. Norwegian composers 1983
• Flute sonata, solo Norsk komponistforening 1986
• Hymn for song and three instruments Kirkelig kulturverksted 1978. Lawo 2020
• Clarinet quintet Philips 1980
• Suite for piano . Norwegian composers 1983
• Sonata no. 1 for oboe and organ. Kirkelig kulturverksted 1978
• Sonata for bass clarinet and piano . Norsk musikkproduksjon 1989/2002
• Variation i libere for piano. Norwegian composers 1983

organ

• Toccata, choral and fuge folk tune Korset vil jeg aldri svike . Philips 1969. Vest-Norsk Plateselskap 2005
• From Twelve organ chorales on folk tunes . Rogalyd / PaVi 2000
• Pezzi concertante . Norwegian Composers 1976
• Chorale partita no. 4on folk tune Jeg ser deg O Guds lam Norwegian Composers 1977 and 2014.
• Chorale partita no. 5 for keyboard, folk tune I heaven. Hamar domkirke 2012
• Chorale partita no . 6 Jeg fan opp til Gud min sang. Varese 1983 VS-84002

Vocal music

• Nuptial Hymn for choir Lu-mi 1975
• Norwegian song, Eg er'kje eismal for solo and piano. Nor disc 1970
• Religious folk tune Mitt hjerte alltid vanker for male choir Eton 1972
• A little Christmas Cantata Puer natus 1965 Norsk Musikforlag. Kirkelig kulturverksted 1978
• Psalm 150. MLLP Nidaros domkirke 1986
• Sanctus for children's choir . HMV-EMI 1970
• Introit for choir and organ . Kirkelig Kulturverksted 1975
• Pange lingua, motet Kirkelig kulturverksted 1978
• Comfort with folk, motet. Kirkelig kulturverksted 1978
• Sus, sunnanvind for male choir. Cantio 1994
• Yes, gentlemen, eg høyrer for choir. Lynor 1975
• Skjæraasen songs for solo and piano. Norwegian Composers 1983.
• Two biblical songs Kirkelig kulturverksted 1978
• Religious folksongs for song and piano / organ. Lu-mi 1973
• Three solomotets Gospel St. John, Hamnes DSH02 2012
• Thres solo songs. Norwegian Composers 1983. Euridice 2008
• Herre ha takk / Thank The Holy Spirit for song and organ Lynor 1984
• Vaarkjenning for women's choir. Varese 1983

literature

• Aurdal, Gunnar Sigve 2007 Paul Hindemiths påverknad på norske etterkrigskomponistar - Finn Mortensen, Egil Hovland, Conrad Baden . Dissertation University of Oslo. www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/27144/Masteroppgave.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
• Baden, Torkil 1977 Conrad Baden . Norske composer, red. Kjell Bækkelund. Tides
• Baden, Torkil 1977 Conrad Baden's composer. Dissertation University of Oslo
• Baden, Torkil 1979 Fantasia breve per orchestra and Conrad Baden's symphonic style. Studia Musicologica. Oslo University Press Annual Book
• Baden, Torkil 1995 Baden: organist-composer. Toner i tusen år - en norsk kirkemusikkhistorie. verb
• Baden, Torkil 2020 Conrad Baden - composer, circus musician, conservatorielærer and critic. Biografi med enclisted. (In Norwegian) https://www.hf.uio.no/imv/forskning/prosjekter/norgesmusikk/musikkhistarkiv/publikasjoner/baden_conrad_biografi_verker.pdf
• Grind; Nils 1981: Conrad Baden , i Norsk musikkhistorie
• Herresthal, Harald 1972 Kirkemusikeren and composers Conrad Baden. Norsk musikktidsskrift 1971 no, 2,3 og 4, 1972 no. 1
• Herresthal, Harald 2008 Orchestral works by Conrad Baden . Liner notes Simax PSC 1802, 2008, in English
• Nesheim, Elef 2009 Conrad Baden, Norsk biografisk leksikon. https://nbl.snl.no/Conrad_Baden

According to Conrad Baden, the Norwegian National Library collected scores, reviews, programs and other documents

Web links

• Listen to Norway - Conrad Baden
• Presto Classical: Conrad Baden - Intrada Sinfonica & Other Orchestral Works

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Elef Nesheim: Conrad Baden. In: Norsk biografisk leksikon . February 13, 2009, accessed November 30, 2018 . 
2. ^ Bull, Edvard Other: Norsk biografisk leksikon . Aschehoug, 1966 ( worldcat.org [accessed June 8, 2020]).
3. ↑ Elef Nesheim (1985) Music History : “The symphonies represent the stylistic development of Baden. He has always stuck to a tonal basis and builds on the classical forms. The sound element has become more and more important in a very expanded tonality. "
4. ↑ Nils Grinde (1981) History of Norwegian Music : «During most of his production there is a strong sense of musically balanced form and a solid structural technique with an emphasis on polyphony. Although he mainly composes in the neoclassical tradition, he experiments occasionally. By and large, solidity is a characteristic that one would like to associate with him. "
5. ↑ Harald Herresthal in Aftenposten. "Here is a summary of a life full of manual and musical experiences in an artful and solidly formed work"
6. ↑ Jarle Søraa in Verdens Gang: "one of the best symphonies in Norwegian contemporary music"