Traditional music and dance
Broadly speaking, there are two main families of musical tradition in Norway: that of the Germanic peoples and that of the Sami. Among the latter, the most important musical expression is unquestionably the joik. This monotonous poetic song, similar to a long, haunting, haunting lament, was originally part of the animist Saami religion. Sometimes compared to the songs of the Amerindians, joik is not a song in the sense we understand it - they have few or no words, do not rhyme and have no defined structure - but more an attempt to express the essence of a subject in a very personal and spiritual way. While joik slowly fell out of favor with the public during the 20th century, in recent years it has found renewed interest in the hands of some of Norway's younger generation of artists, such as Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen and her electro-joik group ISAK, and the band Adjágas. Among the great Norwegian names in joik, Frode Fjellheim is one of its greatest ambassadors. His composition Eatnemen Vuelie became internationally famous when it featured in the opening of The Snow Queen (yes, there's joik in a Disney film). And let's not forget Mari Boine, arguably the most famous Saami singer with her minimalist folk-rock bursting with joik. Off-stage, it's common to hear joik during Easter festivals in Karasjok and Kautokeino.
Norwegian vocal music stemming from the North Germanic tradition includes kveding, a kind of " spoken song " with ornamentation and free intonation. There are also ballads and short folk songs, called stev, with variations such as gamlestev, which is danced, or nystev, which is more melancholy and rural, or slåttestev, a text linked to a violin tune.
Epic folk songs are one of the most important forms of vocal folk music in Norway. Transmitted since the Middle Ages, they were first transcribed in the 19th century. These ballads generally describe historical events, usually in a dramatic or tragic tone.
The iconic instrument of Norwegian folklore is the Hardanger (or hardingfele) fiddle. Although similar to a standard violin, it differs in many respects, not least in that its strings are lined with "sympathetic strings" - i.e. strings on which no action is exerted, but which vibrate by resonance or "sympathy" with notes played at the same frequency. In this way, the notes played are enriched by a drone. Hardingfele maestro Annbjørg Lien has been widely acclaimed (and criticized) for her fusion of traditional, rock and jazz sounds, while violinist Tuva Syvertsen has taken the instrument into many new territories, collaborating with rock bands such as Dum Dum Boys. In addition to the hardingfele, Norwegian folklore includes a plethora of instruments, including the bukkehorn (goat's horn),harpeleik (zither), langeleik (boxed dulcimer), lur (trumpet-like), seljefløyte (willow flute) and tungehorn (clarinet).
Some of these instruments can be heard in the work of artists such as Kirsten Bråten Berg, a seminal figure in Norwegian folk music, which she helped reinvent, or more recently, local sales phenomenon Odd Nordstoga, who is working to make folk music more accessible. More niche but very popular, bands like Gåte and Lumsk fuse folk music and metal.
Norwegian folk dances are generally couple dances, although there are also a number of solo dances, such as halling, famous for its acrobatics and frenetic rhythm. The latter is part of a wider family of rural dances known as bygdedans, comprising the country's oldest and most emblematic folk dances.
The basic forms of bygdedans are the gangar, a walking dance, and the springar, a running dance, both divided into three sequences. Over time, many regional variations have developed. In the western part of the country, for example, the gangar and its traditional tunes have been replaced by the waltz-like rull. Bygdedans are still widely practiced and, for the most part, are still closely linked to important events such as weddings or festivities like Christmas.
Two events where you can see traditional Norwegian music and dance are Rørosmartnan, a major winter festival held every year since 1854, which combines traditional crafts and dances and is a national event attracting up to 75,000 visitors, and Bergenfest, the Bergen International Music Festival, Norway's biggest, with classical and modern concerts, theater, opera, ballet, folk music and dance.
Classical music
Norway may not immediately spring to mind as a great classical music nation, but it has a rich history in the field. A history dating back to the 18th century, when its first remarkable composers such as Georg von Bertouch, Johan Daniel Berlin and Johan Henrik Berlin appeared. They were contemporaries of the famous violinist Ole Bull (1810-1880), Norway's first great musician. He became world-famous from the 1830s onwards, performing not only in Norway but also in other parts of Europe and the USA, preceded by a reputation as the "Nordic Paganini". A prodigy on his instrument, he also gave his credentials to the hardingfele and was one of the first to perform folk tunes for urban audiences. A move in tune with the times, since it was at this time that traditional Norwegian music began to take center stage.
A number of important figures came to prominence, such as Halfdan Kjerulf, the first notable collector of folk music and an admirer of Beethoven, himself admired by a certain Edvard Grieg. It was also the time of the first Norwegian opera, Fredkulla, composed by Martin Andreas Udbye, and of the Norwegian national anthem Ja, vi elsker dette landet, composed by Rikard Nordraak. It was Nordraak who, in the 1860s, advised his compatriot Edvard Grieg to draw inspiration from folklore when composing his own music. A key figure in classical music, Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) focused his work on the search for an authentically Norwegian musical style, driven by a strong sense of nationalism at a time when Norway was in personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden. At the age of 25, he composed his famous Piano Concerto in A minor, in which typically Norwegian elements blend with more European harmonies. Later, at Ibsen's request, the musician composed the incidental music for Peer Gynt, which includes two of Grieg's best-known arias: Le Matin and Chanson de Solveig. In recent years, scores long considered secondary have been rediscovered and rehabilitated. This is particularly noticeable in the interest shown by the Bergen festival (Festspillene) in lesser-known Grieg, offering a place to his incidental music, chamber music, songs and so on.
At the end of the 19th century, Norway experienced economic growth driven by industrialization and increasing urbanization. More music was being played in the cities, and opera performances and symphony concerts were gaining in quality. The era was still one of Romanticism, which gave rise to eminent national composers such as Johan Svendsen and Christian Sinding (the other great Norwegian composer along with Grieg), who continued to combine European traditions with Norwegian tonalities.
After independence in 1905, Norwegian musical nationalism gained further momentum, and folk themes flourished in the works of composers such as David Monrad Johansen, Eivind Groven and Geirr Tveitt. The use of folk music faded after the Second World War, when international avant-garde movements began to intrude on local creation. This was particularly true of composers such as Knut Nystedt, Finn Mortensen and Arne Nordheim. The latter is considered the country's most important post-war composer, notably for his work on electro-acoustics. Contemporary composers include Olav Anton Thommessen, Glenn Erik Haugland, Ketil Hvoslef and, above all, Marcus Paus, one of Norway's most widely performed contemporary classical composers.
Norway has two national orchestras. Founded in 1765, the Bergen Philharmonic is the country's oldest. It was once conducted by Grieg (between 1880 and 1882) and since 2015 has been in the hands of English conductor Edward Gardner (who also conducts the National Opera). The most prestigious orchestra is undoubtedly the Oslo Philharmonic. Founded in 1919, the ensemble has made a major contribution to Norwegian musical life, not least thanks to the impact of Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons in the 1980s. The latter succeeded in completely changing Norwegians' idea of symphonic music, while at the same time bringing it international recognition. After the Latvian, successive directors - André Previn, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Vasily Petrenko - brilliantly maintained the institution's prestige. The Finnish prodigy Klaus Mäkelä (he conducted the Orchestre de Paris, aged just 24) is now its principal conductor. The orchestra resides and performs at the Oslo Konserthus, an impressive building sometimes criticized for its acoustics (they are even said to be the cause of Jansons' resignation). Less well known and less prestigious, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra nevertheless offers concerts of the highest quality.
For classical music lovers, there's no shortage of dedicated events. In the capital, the most interesting is the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, founded by none other than Norwegian violin giant Arve Tellefsen, who has played with all the world's great orchestras and directors and takes advantage of his reputation to invite the cream of classical music to perform here. Elsewhere in the country, music lovers love the Nordland Music Week in Bodø and the International Chamber Music Festival in Stavanger, some of whose concerts take place in the cathedral.
Jazz
Northern countries are traditionally breeding grounds for excellent jazz musicians, and Norway is no exception. The country is even one of the most dynamic in the genre. And one of the particularities of the local scene is that the violin plays an important role. The virtuosity of Ola Kvernberg and the fine discography of Erlend Apneseth, a young Hardanger master whose every release is showered with praise, bear witness to this.
But of course, the pioneer among Norwegian jazz pioneers is Jan Garbarek. Labeled free in his early days, Garbarek has over time become synonymous with ethereal, slow, ambient jazz that is curious to embrace other aesthetics. He is one of the pillars of the ultra-respected German label ECM Records, and has opened the door to many other Norwegian jazzmen. Among them, the fabulous pianist Christian Wallumrod (and his ensemble) and the spellbinding accordionist Frode Haltli are major examples of contemporary Norwegian jazz. They are also signed to the Hubro label, which specializes in exploratory, boundary-blurring jazz.
Other contemporary Norwegian jazz stars include the group Supersilent, drummer Jon Christensen (one of Scandinavia's greatest), pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and trumpeter Mathias Eick (many of these artists also record for ECM). And let's not forget to mention trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer and the experimental group Jaga Jazzist, who have each in their own way taken jazz in the direction of electronic music.
When it comes to jazz in Norway, there's never a dull moment. Throughout the year, you can choose between the Oslo Jazz Festival, the Trondheim Jazz Festival, the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, the second-largest jazz event after the Vadso Jazz Festival, set in a small fairytale town near the North Cape, or Sildajazz and Moldejazz, both nestled in the middle of the fjords.
Current music
Apart from A-Ha in the 1980s, Norway has a buzzing contemporary music scene. Pop stars include Kings of Convenience, led by the chic Erlend Øye, Anna of the North, full of promise, and the more experimental Jenny Hval. In electronic music, the trio of producers Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas and Todd Terje, are the figureheads of " cosmic disco ", the slow, suave and uplifting disco that is typically Scandinavian. The duo Röyksopp, meanwhile, hail from Tromsø. They are known for their downtempo compositions mixed with trip hop. And let's not forget tropical house DJ and producer Kygo, whose international reputation is a source of pride for Norwegians.
Less danceable is Biosphere, a big name in ambient. On the rock scene, the Kaizers Orchestra, Kakkmaddafakka and the DumDum Boys have repeatedly made Norway the talk of the world.
Let's talk a little more about Kaizers Orchestra: Norway has one of the most original bands on today's rock scene, yet France hardly knows them! Founded in 2000, the band from the Bryne region is one of the first Norwegian groups to sing in its own language and to be known and popular outside its borders. Thanks to the success of their3rd album, Maestro, they quickly became known for their special sounds and original use of musical instruments. Thanks to their popularity, particularly in Denmark and Germany, they embarked on a highly successful European tour in 2005. In 2008, they released Maskineri, followed by Våre demoner in 2009 and Violeta Volume 1 in 2011, an album whose follow-up we can't wait to hear! In an alternative rock style with Balkan influences, their music is highly rhythmic, with lyrics that are often committed and touch on fairly hard themes (madness, war, mafia). Very good on stage, they have won several awards for their live performances.
Finally, Susanne Sundfør's powerful voice is very popular here. Her latest album, Music for People in Trouble, is signed to Bella Union, a Scottish independent label.
On the hip-hop front, the duo Karpe have Norwegians on the edge of their seats with their rap committed to the cause of asylum seekers, and Ivan Ave, an Oslo MC signed to Berlin's Jakarta Records label. He has also collaborated with Brazilian and Norwegian jazz singer Charlotte Dos Santos.
More recently, it's singer Okay Kaya who's been making waves with her lo-fi folk. Born in New Jersey, she grew up in the Oslo region. She also played in Joachim Trier's harrowing Thelma..
