Olav Anton Thommessen (born 16 May 1946) is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

contemporary composer who has been one of the foremost

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

composers in Norway since the 1970s. His main compositions include ''Et glassperlespill'' and ''Gjennom Prisme''. He was a professor of composition at the

Norwegian Academy of Music The Norwegian Academy of Music (Norwegian: ''Norges musikkhøgskole'', NMH) is a university-level music conservatory located in Oslo, Norway, in the neighbourhood of Majorstuen, Frogner. It is the largest music academy in Norway and offers the ...

until retiring in 2014, and has also been an influential figure in music education and music organisations in Norway. Thommessen has played a significant role in aesthetic discourse in Norway and is known for his

and

atonal Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on a ...

stance. In later life he has become known for engaging in a critical public dialogue with his former student

Marcus Paus Marcus Nicolay Paus (; born 14 October 1979) is a Norwegian composer and one of the most performed contemporary Scandinavian composers. As a classical contemporary composer he is noted as a representative of a reorientation toward tradition, tonal ...

about the future of

art music Art music (alternatively called classical music, cultivated music, serious music, and canonic music) is music considered to be of high phonoaesthetic value. It typically implies advanced structural and theoretical considerationsJacques Siron, ...

, that has resulted in the opera monologue '' The Teacher Who Was Not To Be'' with a libretto by Thommessen; a 2015 debate between the two was described as "the biggest public debate about art music" in Norway since the 1970s.

Background

He is a son of the diplomat Knut Thommessen (né Knut Saenger), a grandson of the German gynecologist Hans Saenger and a great-grandson of the gynecologist

Max Saenger Max Saenger (german: Max Sänger) (14 March 1853, Bayreuth – 12 January 1903, Prague) was a German obstetrician and gynecologist who was a native of Bayreuth. He studied medicine at the University of Leipzig, then continued with graduate stud ...

(also spelled Sänger). He trained in the United States, earning degrees from

Westminster Choir College , mottoeng = Let us be judged by our deeds , established = 1926 , type = Private , president = Gregory G. Dell'Omo , dean = Marshall Onofrio , city = Dayton, OH (1926–1929), Ithaca, NY (1929–1932), Princeton, NJ (1932–2020), Lawrenc ...

and

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

. He is a former professor of composition at the

, where he was employed in 1972. He retired in 2014.

Thommessen in aesthetic discourse

Thommessen has also been active in stylistic and aesthetic discourse and is regarded as a critic of non-modernist and tonal music. In addition to public debate, his stance on this matter has also led to compositional output by third parties: a 2006 letter he wrote to the then-26 year old composer

was years later utilized as the libretto for Paus' opera monologue '' The Teacher Who Was Not To Be'', which premiered at the concert "Paus & Paus" (with works by Marcus Paus and

Ole Paus Ole Paus (born 9 February 1947; full name ''Ole Christian Paus'') is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, poet and author, who is widely regarded as the foremost troubadour of the contemporary Norwegian ballad tradition ( no, visebølgen). During th ...

) in the Atrium of the University of Oslo as part of Oslo Opera Festival in 2013. Thommessen was later identified by Paus as the previously anonymous librettist. The opera monologue was included on the album ''Requiem/Trisyn/Læreren som ikke ble'' (2022) alongside the work '' Requiem'' by Marcus and

. It was also featured in the first episode of the podcast series ''Paus og Castle blir kloke på musikklivet'' (Paus and Castle Figure Out Music Life) in 2021. In the letter/libretto, Thommessen wrote: In 2015 Thommessen initiated a lengthy debate in the music journal ''Ballade'' over Paus' '' Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra'' and the merits of the contemporary use of tonal music; Arild Pedersen,
Annengangs?
" ''Ballade'', 24 March 2015 it was described as "the biggest public debate about art music" in Norway since the 1970s.

Production

Selected works

* '' Some Sound'' for choir and orchestra, op. 8, 1971 * ''Et Konsert-Kammer'', for amplified soprano and antiphonally arranged instrumental groups, 1971 * “Down-Up/Sunpiece” for orchestra, op. 13, 1972–73 * “Mutually” for two voices and instruments, op. 14, 1973 * ''Stabsarabesk'' for wind instruments, op. 15, 1974 * '' The Hermaphrodite '', a ballet opera, op. 18, 1970–80 * ''Stabat mater speciosa'' for choir, op. 28, 1977 * ''Banners for Music'' for choir and orchestra'', op. 32, 1978 * ''Melologer og monodramaer. En ordløs kammeropera'', op. 32, no. 2, 1979/82 * ''The Second Creation. An orchestral drama for trumpets'', op. 32 nr. 4, 1988 * ''A Glass Bead Game'' op. 34 nr. 2, 1979–82 * ''Ekko av et ekko'' op. 36 nr. 2, 1980 * '' Macrofantasy On Grieg's, 'Piano Concerto in a Minor, op. 39 nr. 1, 1980 * ''Beyond Neon. Post-commercial Sound Sculptures'' for horn and symphony orchestra, op. 41 1980 * ''Through a Prism'' A Double Concerto for cello, organ and orchestra, op. 44 nr. 1, 1982–83 * ''EingeBACHt. InnBACHt parafrase over Toccata in G-major, first movement for piano'', op. 47 nr. 1, 1984 * ''L'éclat approchant'' for synthesizer and chamber orchestra, op. 52 nr. 1, 1986 * '' The Duchess Dies'', op. 56 nr. 1, 1987 * ''The Phantom of Light. A Miniature Concerto'' for cello and two wind quintets, op. 62 nr. 1, 1990 * ''Edda-Da. Monodrama'' op. 63a, 1991 * Near the Comet Head, op. 64 nr. 4, 1993–94 * ''Kassandra'' op. 69, 1996 * ''Music for Vandals'', op. 76, 1998 * ''Corelli Machine'' op. 82, 2002 * ''Veslemøy synsk – en GRIEGsk musi-collage over Arne Garborgs HAUGTUSSA'' for mezzosopran og klaver, 2007 * ''Motett over Wergeland'' (2008) * ''Smykke eller saga'' (2009) * ''Kristi Brud'' (2012) * ''Tuba Mirum'' (2012) * '' The Teacher Who Was Not To Be'' (2013), librettist (music by

) * ''Felix Remix, strykekvartett nr. 4'' (2014) * ''A symphonic scherzo for strings and orchestra'' (2015) * ''Purpose'': For symphonic wind orchestra (2015)

Discography

* ''Requiem/Trisyn/Læreren som ikke ble'' (2022), with '' The Teacher Who Was Not To Be'' by

/Thommessen and '' Requiem'' by Marcus and

* Bjørn Sagstad, Ila Brass Band, ''Klang (!)'' (2012) * Ernst Simon Glaser, ''Zvezdochka in orbit'' (2012) *

Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces The Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvarets stabsmusikkorps, FSMK) is the foremost of the military bands of the Norwegian Armed Forces and Norway's largest professional wind band, employing 39 full-time musicians. The band is bas ...

, ''A Tribute to the Northern Winds'' (2011) * ''Veslemøy synsk'' (2011) * The

Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic (Oslo-Filharmonien) is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Oslo, Norway. The orchestra traces its roots to the Philharmonic Society founded in 1847 and the Christiania Musical Association co-founded by Edvard Grieg in 18 ...

, Peter Herresthal, ''Bull's Eye ; Please accept my ears ; Cantabile'' (2006) * ''Corelli Machine'' (2006) * Einar Henning Smebye, Guri Egge, ''Songs from the Last Century'' (2006) * Christian Eggen, Oslo Sinfonietta, ''Norges Musikkhistorie - Bind 5'' (2001) * Kyberia, ''Navigations'' (2000) * Peter Herresthal, ''Partita für Paul 1. sats'' (1998) * Peter Herresthal, ''Please Accept my Ears! '' (1998) * ''Jeg er flerspors'' - variasjoner over Olav Anton Thommessen'' (1998) * Håkon Austbø, Juni Dahr, ''Edda-Da'' (1995) * ''Oslo Sinfonietta'' (1993) * Gaute Vikdal, ''Skygger'' (1992) * ''Frode Thorsen'' (1991) * ''Ensemble K 4 Live at Henie-onstad Art Center'' (1990) * Frantisek Veselka, ''New Norwegian Violin Music, Vol.II'' (1990) * Frantisek Veselka, ''New Norwegian Violin Music, Vol.I'' (1990) * The

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra The Oslo Philharmonic (Oslo-Filharmonien) is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Oslo, Norway. The orchestra traces its roots to the Philharmonic Society founded in 1847 and the Christiania Musical Association co-founded by Edvard Grieg in 187 ...

, ''A Glass bead from above'' (1990) * Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra, ''Scandinavian Tour 1988 '' (1988) * Geir Henning Braaten, ''Norwegian Pianorama'' (1984)

References

External links

Olav Anton Thommessen page
from Music Information Centre Norway site
Olav Anton Thommessen biography
from Music Information Centre Norway site
List of Works supplied by the National Library of Norway
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thommessen, Olav Anton 1946 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Norwegian classical composers Norwegian opera composers Westminster Choir College alumni Indiana University alumni Norwegian expatriates in the United States Academic staff of the Norwegian Academy of Music Norwegian male classical composers Librettists Norwegian people of German descent 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians