Ivar Hallström
Ivar Kristian Hallström (born June 5, 1826 in Stockholm ; † April 11, 1901 there ) was a Swedish composer .
Life
He received his first piano lessons from Professor Passy and the German pianist Stein. In Uppsala he met Prince Gustaf, a son of Oskar I , and performed musical exercises with him, during which Hallström's first composition, a duet for the singspiel Hvita frun på drottningholm (White Woman from Drottningholm) was created. In 1852 he finished his administrative work and devoted himself exclusively to composing and musical instruction. After Prince Gustaf died, Hallström was employed by Prince Oskar as a librarian. He moved back to Stockholm and, in addition to his piano teaching activity, published several singing books that became popular and received favorable reviews from the critics. From 1861 to 1872 he headed a music institute. Hallström worked at the Royal Opera from 1881 to 1885 . He was appointed director of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1861 and was given the title of professor in 1881.
Hallström's musical style, with several pieces in a minor key incorporating folkloric elements, is similar to works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann . He dealt extensively with pieces by Giacomo Meyerbeer and Charles François Gounod, from which he received his greatest inspirations. This resulted in several songs for the piano , an instrument that he had mastered perfectly. He also wrote operettas such as Den förtrollade katten (The Enchanted Cat) in 1869 , Silverringen (The Silver Ring ) in 1884, Jaguarita in 1884 and Aristotle in 1886 , and in 1887 the setting of the legend Per Svinaherde and two operas to libretti by Frans Hedberg .
However, Hallström received the greatest attention for being the first to compose a Swedish national opera. Hertig Magnus och sjöjungfrun (Duke Magnus and the Mermaid) from 1867 not only had a Swedish theme, but was also Swedish in musical style. These elements were expressed even more strongly in his opera Den Bergtagna , which premiered in 1874 . It is also noteworthy that Hallström was the first Swedish composer to devote himself to ballet as an independent art form.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hallstrom, Ivar |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hallström, Ivar Kristian (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swedish composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 5, 1826 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Stockholm |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 11, 1901 |
| Place of death | Stockholm |