Johan Svendsen

Born 30 September, 1840 in Christiania (now Oslo), Johan Severin Svendsen grew up in a musical environment as his father was a military bandmaster and music teacher. Certainly by age nine he already had shown some talent, having learned the violin well enough to be playing in local orchestras, and he joined a military band at fifteen. By the time he finished his schooling he was touring as an orchestral violinist. It was during this time that he met a merchant who was impressed enough to get him into the Liebzig Conervatory, where he studied from 1863 to 1867. during this time he learned composition under Carl Reinecke. Graduating in 1867, he received first prize in composition. During this period, he had a son, Johann Richard Rudolph.

over time he turned his attention more to conducting, working in Paris, Kristiana and New York. Later still he married one Sarah Schmidt in New York before moving to Copenhagen in 1883, to conduct. he lived there until his death.

His music and legacy

Unlike his more famous contemporary and close friend, Edvard Grieg, Svendsen was famous for his skill of orchestration rather than that of harmonic value. While Grieg composed mostly for small instrumentation, Svendsen composed primarily for orchestras and large ensembles. His most famous work is his Romance for violin and orchestra, Op. 26. He was very popular in Denmark and Norway during his lifetime, both as a composer and a conductor, winning many national awards and honors, though Norwegians were not a fan of his living in COpenhagen for so long. This popularity did not translate into acceptance into the international repertory of classical music and he's little known today. He died in Copenhagen, aged 70.

This morning on the radio he was described as "Norway's second best-known composer", and is probably the only other Norwegian composer i knew, and then only through his 'Swedish Folk Melodies". He isn't a household name, but his orchestral works are quite thrilling and worth looking out for. H is probably best known nowadays for his Entry March of the Boyars. And of course, today is his birthday, so look up a work on YouTube!

I include a list of his catalogued works, with the years of composition, and the premiere place and date:

Orchestral

    Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 4 (1865–67; Christiania, 12 October 1867)
    Violin Concerto, Op. 6 (1868–70; Leipzig, 6 February 1872)
    Cello Concerto, Op. 7 (1870; Leipzig, 16 March 1871)
    Sigurd Slembe, Symphonic Prelude, Op. 8 (1871; Leipzig, 12 December 1871)
    Carnival in Paris, Episode, Op. 9 (1872; Christiania, 26 October 1872)
    Funeral March, On the Death of King Carl XV, Op. 10 (1872; 26 October 1872)
    Zorahayda, Legend, Op. 11 (1874, rev. 1879; Christiania, 3 October 1874, rev. 11 May 1880)
    Festival Polonaise, Op. 12 (1873; Christiana, 6 August 1873)
    Coronation March (for the Coronation of King Oscar II), Op. 13 (1873; Trondheim, 18 July 1873)
    Norwegian Artists' Carnival, Op. 14 (1874; Christiania, 17 March 1874)
    Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 15 (1874; Christiania, 14 October 1876)
    Entry March of the Boyars (1883)     Norwegian Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 17 (1876; Kristiania, 25 September 1877)
    Romeo and Juliet, Fantasia, Op. 18 (1876; Christiania, 14 October 1876)
    Norwegian Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 19 (1876; ??)
    Norwegian Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 21 (1876; Paris, January ??, 1879)
    Norwegian Rhapsody No. 4, Op. 22 (1877; Paris, 1 February 1879)
    Violin Romance, Op. 26 (1881; Kristiania, 30 October 1881; the soloist was Stanisław Barcewicz)
    Polonaise, Op. 28 (1882)
    Andante Funebre (1895)

String Orchestra

    2 Swedish Folk Melodies, Op. 27 (1876, 1878)
    2 Icelandic Melodies, Op. 30 (1874)
    Ifjol gjætt' e gjeitinn (Last year I was tending the goats), Op. 31 (1874)

Chamber

    String Quartet, Op. 1 (1865)
    String Octet, Op. 3 (1866)
    String Quintet, Op. 5 (1867)
    Humorous March, Op. 16 (1874)

Vocal

    2 Songs (Male Chorus), Op. 2 (1865)
    5 Songs (Voice and Piano), Op. 23 (1879)
    4 Songs (Voice and Piano), Op. 24 (1879)
    2 Songs (Voice and Piano), Op. 25 (1878, 1880)
    Wedding Cantata (for Prince Oscar Gustav Adolph and Prince

Ballet

     Foraaret kommer (The Arrival of Spring), Op. 33 (1892; Copenhagen, May 26, 1892)

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