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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,
tonality Tonality is the arrangement of pitch (music), pitches and / or chord (music), chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived ''relations'', ''stabilities'', ''attractions'', and ''directionality''. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or ...
and
melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...
, and his works have been lauded by critics in Norway and abroad. His work includes
chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...
,
choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
works, solo works, concerts, orchestral works,
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
s,
symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...
and
church music Church music is a genre of Christian music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclesiastical liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. History Early Christian musi ...
, as well as works for theatre, film and television. Paus is regarded as "one of the most celebrated classical composers of Norway" and "the leading Norwegian composer of his generation." Paus has said he considers himself to be a "musical dramatist" or storyteller. Although often tonal and melodically driven, Paus's music employs a wide range of both traditional and
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
techniques, and several of Paus's works have been influenced by
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
and non-Western
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
. Paus has referred to himself as a " melodist," "anarcho-traditionalist" or a humanist composer, and is known for advocating musical pluralism. He has "garnered a reputation as a prolific, versatile, and highly communicative contemporary composer" whose "works revolve around a strong appreciation for the functional use of traditional harmonies and form, combined with his uniquely idiosyncratic contemporary expressive language." He has also been described as a lyrical modernist or a
postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...
composer. In 2022 Paus was commissioned by the
Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces () are the armed forces responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Norwegian Coast Guard, Coast Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air ...
to write a major "identity-building and unifying" work for the armed forces. Marcus Paus has set to music poets and writers such as
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
,
W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...
,
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
,
Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World ...
,
Richard Wilbur Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets, along with his friend Anthony Hecht, of the World War II generation, Wilbur's work, often employing rhyme, and c ...
,
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
,
Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romanticism, romantic, devotional and children's poems, including "Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well k ...
,
Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...
and
Anne Frank Annelies Marie Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – February or March 1945)Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new li ...
, and Norwegians
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
,
Jens Bjørneboe Jens Ingvald Bjørneboe (9 October 1920 – 9 May 1976) was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a Waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society a ...
,
Arne Garborg Arne Garborg (born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg) (25 January 1851 – 14 January 1924) was a Norwegian writer. Garborg championed the use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk, or New Norwegian), as a literary language; he translated the Odyssey into i ...
,
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
,
Johan Falkberget Johan Falkberget, born Johan Petter Lillebakken, (30 September 1879 – 5 April 1967) was a Norwegian author. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Life and career Johan Falkberget was born on the Lillebakken farm in the Ruglda ...
, Harald Sverdrup and
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
. His church music works include ''
O Magnum Mysterium O magnum mysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas. Text The text is drawn from the Matins of Christmas in the Roman Breviary. ; Latin text: : O magnum mysterium, : et admirabile sacramentum, : ut animalia viderent ...
'' and ''
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
''. He is one of the few Norwegian contemporary opera composers and has written several operas for children in cooperation with Ole Paus. He co-hosts the podcast series ''Paus og Castle blir kloke på musikklivet'' (Paus and Castle Figure Out Music Life) with punk and rap musician Kim Morten Mohn.


Background

A member of the
Paus family The Paus family (), also styled ''de Paus'', is a Norwegian family that emerged as a priestly family from Medieval Oslo in the 16th century. For centuries, it belonged to the " aristocracy of officials," especially in the clergy and legal prof ...
, Marcus Paus was born in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
and is a son of one of Norway's best known singer-songwriters
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
and the former pop star
Anne-Karine Strøm Anne-Karine Strøm (born 15 October 1951) is a Norwegian singer, best known for having taken part in the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest selection, Melodi Grand Prix, in six consecutive years between 1971 and 1976, winning on three occasions ( ...
. He grew up in Oslo's
Røa Røa () is a neighbourhood and a former administrative borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In 2004 the borough of Røa was merged with neighbouring Vinderen to become Vestre Aker borough. Røa is a suburb of Oslo, located approximately 7 kilome ...
borough. His grandfather, General Ole (Otto Cicin von) Paus, was head of the army group in the military intelligence service of the exile
Norwegian High Command The Norwegian High Command () was Norway's top military leadership from 1970 to 2003. It was established in Northern Norway in 1940 by General Otto Ruge. It was then re-established by the Norwegian Government-in-exile in London in 1942, lasting unt ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, one of the founders of the
Norwegian Intelligence Service The Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) or () is a Norway, Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence (Norway), Chief of Defence and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence. History Olav Njølstad says tha ...
and later the highest-ranking Norwegian in
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's Command Structure in the 1970s; he was born and raised in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
to the Norwegian Consul-General Thorleif (von) Paus and a Viennese mother, Gabriele (Ella) Stein, whose family had converted from Judaism to Catholicism. Ella's father, the Viennese lawyer August Stein (1852–1890), left the
Jewish Community of Vienna The Jewish Community of Vienna ( or IKG) is the body that represents Vienna's Orthodox Jewish community. Today, the IKG has around 10,000 members. Throughout history, it has represented almost all of Austria's Jews, whose numbers are sufficient ...
in 1877, had his children baptized as Catholics in 1885 and converted to Catholicism himself the following year. The family name was officially spelled "von Paus" (or sometimes "de Paus") in
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, although the family didn't use a particle in Norwegian. The
Paus family The Paus family (), also styled ''de Paus'', is a Norwegian family that emerged as a priestly family from Medieval Oslo in the 16th century. For centuries, it belonged to the " aristocracy of officials," especially in the clergy and legal prof ...
belonged to the regional elite governing
Upper Telemark Upper Telemark () is a traditional district in Telemark county in Norway. The area includes the inland areas of Telemark. More than two-thirds of the total area of Telemark—more than —belong to the traditional region of Upper Telemar ...
from the early 17th century, the " aristocracy of officials" consisting of judges and priests of the state
Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
. He is a descendant of Peter Paus, commemorated in a Latin elegy authored by his son, Paul Paus, both 17th-century priests. His family branch settled as merchants and ship-owners in the port town of
Skien Skien () is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsjø area and Bø. The administrative ...
in the late 18th century and were noted as millionaire steel industrialists in Christiania (Oslo) in the 19th and 20th centuries. The family were the closest relatives of playwright
Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
, who was a first cousin of Marcus Paus's great-great-grandfather, steel industrialist
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
. His grandfather and great-grandfather owned Kvesarum Castle in Sweden until 1951. In 2019 he married the composer and singer
Tirill Mohn Tirill Mohn (; born 22 February 1975), also known mononymously as Tirill, is a Norwegian composer, singer and violinist. She was a member of the art rock band White Willow, and has released several solo albums. Mohn is a descendant of the artis ...
, a former member of the
art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
band
White Willow ''Salix alba'', the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and Central Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook No. 4. .Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain an ...
and a descendant of the artists
Christian Krohg Christian Krohg (13 August 1852 – 16 October 1925) was a Norwegian naturalist painter, illustrator, author and journalist. Krohg was inspired by the realism art movement and often chose motifs from everyday life. He was the director and s ...
and
Oda Krohg Oda Krohg (born Othilia Pauline Christine Lasson; 11 June 1860 – 19 October 1935) was a Norwegian painter, and the wife of her teacher and colleague Christian Krohg. Biography She was the second daughter of public attorney Christian ...
; he and his wife are distantly related as both are descendants of Norway's first attorney-general Bredo Henrik von Munthe af Morgenstierne Sr.


Career

Paus attended Oslo Waldorf School. As a high school student at a musical high school he was profoundly influenced by his teacher, composer Trygve Madsen. He also took two summer courses at the
Musicians Institute Musicians Institute (MI) is a private for-profit music school in Los Angeles, California. MI students can earn Certificates and – with transfer of coursework taken at Los Angeles City College – Associate of Arts Degrees, as well as Bachelor ...
in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
in the mid-1990s. During his teenage years from the early 1990s he was active as a
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
guitarist, and he was recognised in ''
The Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
'' as the world's fastest guitarist in the mid-1990s. Paus left the progressive rock scene around 1997 and was later described as "the last guitar hero." He studied 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 ...
from 1998 to 2002; at the age of 18, he became one of its youngest students ever to be accepted at its composer programme. Among his teachers were Olav Anton Thommessen. Paus made his debut as a composer in 2000 with String Quartet No. 1, based on pictures by Edvard Munch, which won the Oslo Grieg Society's award. After graduating, he left for
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where he studied classical composition at the
Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...
from 2003 to 2005. In New York he was a student of
Richard Danielpour Richard Danielpour (born January 28, 1956) is an American composer and academic, currently affiliated with the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of California, Los Angeles. Early life Danielpour was born in New York City of Persian Jew ...
and spent a semester working as his assistant. Paus's breakthrough as a leading young composer came in 2008, with '' Missa Concertante'', written for the Oslo International Church Music Festival. His first opera, '' The Witches'', with a libretto by Ole Paus, is also from that year. In 2010, he was
artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogu ...
of the Oslo Opera Festival."Marcus Paus, composer," ''Meet the Artist'', 1 November 2017 Paus lived and worked in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
from 2011 to 2016, when he returned to Norway. Paus became a member of the
Norwegian Society of Composers The Norwegian Society of Composers () was founded in 1917. The Society's main objectives are to promote its members' music and secure their rights. As of today the Society counts close to 400 members who meet regularly for discussions and seminars ...
in 2005, and has been one of the four members of its music committee, its expert body in artistic matters, since 2019. He is represented by the management company OnwardTM.


Musical style

Paus is a noted representative of a reorientation toward tradition,
tonality Tonality is the arrangement of pitch (music), pitches and / or chord (music), chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived ''relations'', ''stabilities'', ''attractions'', and ''directionality''. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or ...
and
melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...
. Although often tonal and melodically driven, Paus's music employs a wide range of both
traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...
and
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
techniques, including
aleatoricism Aleatoricism (or aleatorism) is a term for musical compositions and other forms of art resulting from "actions made by chance". The term was first used "in the context of electro-acoustics and information theory" to describe "a course of sound ...
and serial procedures. Paus's
harmonic In physics, acoustics, and telecommunications, a harmonic is a sinusoidal wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'' of a periodic signal. The fundamental frequency is also called the ''1st har ...
writing is typically complex, combining non-traditional structures such as clusters and symmetrical harmonic shapes with triadic
harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...
. Several of Paus's works have been influenced by
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
and non-Western
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
, among them Lasuliansko Horo (2004) for violin and piano (Bulgarian folk music), the flute concertino A Portrait of Zhou (2012) (Chinese music), and Fanitull (Devil's Tune) from Two Lyrical Pieces (2007) for string orchestra (Norwegian folk music). As a teenager, Marcus Paus was active as a
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
guitarist, and this experience is at times reflected in some of Paus's most energetic music, like the Scherzo II from his Cello Sonata (2009) and the 3rd movement, Mosh, from his Three Movements for Solo Cello (2012). Paus is also influenced by
film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
, and has cited
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
as an important influence in the way he embodies dissonance and
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
techniques within a larger tonal framework. He is also inspired by
Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
and
Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded ...
. As a young composer in 2007, he described himself as a "cultural conservative non-modernist" in his musical style. In a 2013 interview, his views were more nuanced and he said that he is not opposed to modernism and that modernism has included important innovations and contributions, but that he supports diversity in musical styles and influences, and a "greater acceptance of a tradition-inspired musical style." Over time Paus has embraced modernist influences to a greater degree, while retaining a tonality and interest in tradition;
NRK The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...
's music critic Trond Erikson wrote in 2015 that "if anyone could be called a lyrical modernist, it would be Marcus Paus" and that "Marcus Paus has shown that creating something new, exciting and beautiful is not reserved for the old masters." In a 2017 interview Paus said he felt ostracized by older atonal modernist composers in the late 1990s, but that "thankfully, the climate is quite different now, and more generous and open-minded." In 2020, Paus described himself as an "anarcho-traditionalist" who felt compelled to rebel against prejudice against traditional musical values in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2022 he also described himself as a humanist composer, and said that although his work is often inspired by tradition, he doesn't feel bound by it. He also said that he has never been an anti-modernist. Guy Rickards has referred to Paus in ''
Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...
'' as "a successful postmodern composer." Paus has referred to himself as a " melodist," stating that "melody is to music what a scent is to the senses: it jogs our memory. It gives face to form, and identity and character to the process and proceedings. It is not only a musical subject, but a manifestation of the musically subjective. It carries and radiates personality with as much clarity and poignancy as harmony and rhythm combined. As such a powerful tool of communication, melody serves not only as protagonist in its own drama, but as messenger from the author to the audience." He considers himself to be a "musical dramatist" or storyteller who uses his music to "empathise with something pre-existing" to convey "something that is human." Paus has said that "words are my passion. If I weren't a composer, I would probably have endeavoured to become a poet or writer. Perhaps my father, with his love for the relation of words and music, had something to do with that (...) I set what I love, and what I cannot resist. Setting poetry is an urge (...) I think of music as subtext and symbolism." Paus is a member of the
Riksmål Society Riksmålsforbundet (; official translation: "The Riksmaal Society - The Society for the Preservation of Traditional Standard Norwegian") is the main organisation for Riksmål, an unofficial variety of the Norwegian language, based on the official ...
and in a 2002 interview he linked his views on music to his views on language. Frances Borowsky notes that Paus "has garnered a reputation as a prolific, versatile, and highly communicative contemporary composer" whose "works revolve around a strong appreciation for the functional use of traditional harmonies and form, combined with his uniquely idiosyncratic contemporary expressive language." Danny Riley notes that Paus is one of the "key musical figures in Norway’s modern compositional landscape" and argues that Paus's compositions might be seen as a reaction against older Norwegian contemporary composers, but that he is not a complete conservative. The musicologist Edward Green writes that Paus's music "is grounded in tradition, is steeped in the value of careful craftsmanship, and yet, at the same time, is passionate, surprising, original, deeply lyrical, and fervently humanist in its social and political orientation." Green describes Paus as "the leading Norwegian composer of his generation." The music journal ''Ballade'' has referred to Paus as omnipresent in Norwegian contemporary classical music.


Work and collaborations

Known for his
virtuosic A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'', or ; Late Latin ''virtuosus''; Latin ''virtus''; 'virtue', 'excellence' or 'skill') is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, m ...
and
idiomatic An idiom (the quality of it being known as idiomaticness or idiomaticity) is a syntactical, grammatical, or phonological structure peculiar to a language that is actually realized, as opposed to possible but unrealized structures that could have ...
writing, Paus has collaborated with some of Norway's finest soloists, including violinists Henning Kraggerud and
Arve Tellefsen Arve Tellefsen () (born 14 December 1936) is a Norwegian violinist who has worked with conductors such as Mariss Jansons, Arvid Jansons, Herbert Blomstedt, Gary Bertini, Evgeny Svetlanov, Bryden Thomson, Neeme Järvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, ...
, saxophonist
Rolf-Erik Nystrøm Rolf-Erik Nystrøm (born 23 April 1975) is a Norwegian saxophonist and composer in the field of contemporary music. Career Nystrøm has a diploma of music from the Norwegian Academy of Music and is now a lecturer in the art of improvisation ba ...
and singer
Tora Augestad Tora Karen Elisabeth Augestad (born 10 December 1979) is a Norwegian mezzosoprano, musical conductor and actor. One of Norway's most established classical singers, she focuses on jazz, musical theater, contemporary music, and cabaret. Her stag ...
. Marcus Paus is also known for his collaborations with other artists, most prominently Swedish painter
Christopher Rådlund Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...
, as well as singer/songwriter and poet
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
(the librettist of several of Paus's operas). Other collaborators have included film director Sara Johnsen, dancer, choreographer and FRIKAR founder Hallgrim Hansegård, and actress
Minken Fosheim Birte Fosheim Wienskol (20 March 1956 – 7 June 2018), better known as Minken Fosheim, was a Norway, Norwegian actress and author, best known for her children's books about famous composers, and her role as Vigdis Reverud in the 1990s sitcom ''Ka ...
. Paus has set to music a number of poets and writers, among them
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
,
W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...
,
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
,
Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World ...
,
Richard Wilbur Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets, along with his friend Anthony Hecht, of the World War II generation, Wilbur's work, often employing rhyme, and c ...
,
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
,
Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romanticism, romantic, devotional and children's poems, including "Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well k ...
,
Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...
and
Anne Frank Annelies Marie Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – February or March 1945)Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new li ...
, and Norwegians
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
,
Jens Bjørneboe Jens Ingvald Bjørneboe (9 October 1920 – 9 May 1976) was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a Waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society a ...
,
Arne Garborg Arne Garborg (born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg) (25 January 1851 – 14 January 1924) was a Norwegian writer. Garborg championed the use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk, or New Norwegian), as a literary language; he translated the Odyssey into i ...
,
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
,
Johan Falkberget Johan Falkberget, born Johan Petter Lillebakken, (30 September 1879 – 5 April 1967) was a Norwegian author. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Life and career Johan Falkberget was born on the Lillebakken farm in the Ruglda ...
, Harald Sverdrup and Ole Paus. All of Paus's four
string quartets The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists, a ...
to date are themed after painters (nos. 1 and 4 on paintings by
Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...
, no. 2 on a painting by Halfdan Egedius, and no. 3 on paintings by Christopher Rådlund). Paus's choral work ''The Stolen Child'' (2009), based on poetry by
William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...
, was one of his early works to receive international critical acclaim. Written for Ensemble 96, it was included on their album ''Kind'' (2010) which presented Nordic choral music, and which was nominated for the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Choral Performance. Stephen Eddins wrote that Paus's work is "sumptuously lyrical and magically wild, and ..beautifully captures the alluring mystery and danger and melancholy" of Yeats. Kirk McElhearn wrote that "it presents a sound-world that is astounding and moving." Paus's '' The Beauty That Still Remains'', based on original text by Anne Frank, was commissioned by the
Government of Norway The Council of State () is a formal body composed of the most senior government minister (government), ministers chosen by the Prime Minister of Norway, Prime Minister, and functions as the collective decision-making organ constituting the Go ...
for the official Norwegian commemoration of the end of the Second World War in 2015; released as a studio album by 2L in 2020, it received critical acclaim. Guy Rickards noted in ''
Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...
'' that the work "takes its title from one of the most famous, defiant, and affecting quotes from ''The Diary of Anne Frank'': 'I do not think about all the misery, but about all the beauty that still remains.' The sentiment of that quote, its focus on the positive in a time of dire peril, is the pillar around which Marcus Paus' extraordinarily beautiful cantata is constructed, encapsulated in the last of its eleven movements, Epilogue, setting those very words in an outpouring of melody that is captivating and heartbreaking in equal measure. (...) This is quite the finest work by Marcus Paus that I have heard." Paus's Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra, written for the 250th anniversary of
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ( Norwegian: Bergen filharmoniske orkester) is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The M ...
, triggered the biggest public debate about art music in Norway since the 1970s with a large number of articles by Norwegian composers in the music journal ''Ballade'' on its aesthetics and the future of contemporary music. Danny Riley argued that "it’s tempting to view its instrumental pyrotechnics as a remnant from Paus's days shredding guitar in prog rock groups as a teenager." In 2017, the album ''Marcus Paus – Odes & Elegies'' was released by Sheva Contemporary, featuring his works ''A Portrait of Zhou'', ''Marble Songs'', ''Shostakovich in Memoriam'', ''Vita'' and ''Love's Last Rites'', performed by Tom Ottar Andreassen, the
Norwegian Radio Orchestra The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, ''Kringkastingsorkestret'', abbreviated as KORK) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (''Norsk rikskringkasting AS'', or NRK). Its principal base is the ''Store Studi ...
, Henning Kraggerud, Oslo Camerata directed by Stephan Barratt-Due and others. The album received critical acclaim. Musicologist Ralph P. Locke wrote that Paus's ''
Hate Songs ''Hate Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra'', or simply ''Hate Songs'', is an operatic song cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Norwegian composer Marcus Paus based on poetry by American poet Dorothy Parker. Paus' ''Hate Songs'' was publ ...
'', based on poetry by Dorothy Parker, "proved to be one of the most engaging works" in recent years; "the cycle expresses Parker's favorite theme: how awful human beings are, especially the male of the species." In 2018, Tora Augestad and the
Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic () 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 1871, and was esta ...
released the album ''Portraying Passion: Works by Weill/Paus/Ives'', with works by
Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...
and
Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, actuary and businessman. Ives was among the earliest renowned American composers to achieve recognition on a global scale. His music was largely ignored d ...
in addition to Paus's ''Hate Songs'', and the album won the 2018
Spellemannprisen The Spellemannprisen (also referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards) is a Norwegian music award ceremony presented by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry#Local associations, IFPI Norge and :no:FONO, FONO. It was first awarded i ...
(Norwegian Grammy Award) for best classical album. Locke highlighted Augestad's recording of ''Hate Songs'' as one of the "best opera and vocal music" works in that year. Albrecht Thiemann, editor of ''
Opernwelt ''Opernwelt'' (''Opera World'') is a monthly German magazine for opera, operetta and ballet. It includes news about current performances, portraits of composers and performers, articles about opera houses, performance spaces, and contemporary and ...
'', called the work "a captivatingly orchestrated, spirit-sparkling opus" and "a coup that provides an immense listening pleasure." His work for children include the children's operas '' The Witches'', based on
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...
, and '' The Ash-Lad – Pål's Story'', both written in collaboration with his father Ole Paus. His children's opera '' Children of Ginko'' premiered in Shanghai in 2020 as part of the Ibsen International project supported by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. His work also includes
church music Church music is a genre of Christian music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclesiastical liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. History Early Christian musi ...
, including the widely performed ''
O Magnum Mysterium O magnum mysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas. Text The text is drawn from the Matins of Christmas in the Roman Breviary. ; Latin text: : O magnum mysterium, : et admirabile sacramentum, : ut animalia viderent ...
'' (2007), '' Missa Concertante'' (2008) and
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
(2014), the latter written with his father Ole Paus. The German music critic Jan Brachmann wrote in the ''
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung The (; ''FAZ''; "Frankfurt General Newspaper") is a German newspaper founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt and is considered a newspaper of record for Germany. Its Sunday edition is the ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung'' ( ...
'' that Paus's ''O Magnum Mysterium'' translates "the harmonious language from soundtracks for mystery thrillers into pious devotion, almost based on the maxim: 'You, Christmas are like a
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...
film, but with a happy ending and no deaths.'" In 2018 Julie Kleive and Joachim Kwetzinsky released the album ''En hellig, alminnelig lek'' (A Sacred, Ordinary Game) with songs by Paus based on poetry by
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
. In 2020 Kleive and Kwetzinsky released the album ''Dypt i forledelsen'' (Deep in Seduction) with songs by Paus based on poetry by
Jens Bjørneboe Jens Ingvald Bjørneboe (9 October 1920 – 9 May 1976) was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a Waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society a ...
. Music critic Maren Ørstavik described the latter as "a solid, modern song cycle" written with "a sense of singable melodies, classical forms and traditional instrumentation" and noted that "it is interesting to compare the two works, which demonstrate that Paus is an original composer despite the conventional forms and instrumentation." In 2020, Paus released the song cycle '' Good Vibes in Bad Times'', written for mezzo-soprano Tora Augestad based on texts by
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
reconceptualized as poems. Paus said that "more than being merely a satirical take on Trump (which, of course, it obviously is), these texts offer a humanizing perspective, allowing us to take pity where reality otherwise leaves little room for it." In a review of Paus's film score for ''
Mortal Mortal may refer to: * Mortal (band), a Christian industrial band * The Mortal, a Japanese band led by Atsushi Sakurai * ''Mortal'' (novel), a science fiction fantasy novel by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee * ''Mortals'' (novel), a 2003 novel by Norma ...
'' (2020), Jonathan Broxton wrote that the work is "likely to be remembered as the breakthrough of a superb ‘new’ talent because if this is any indication of his work, he's going to be massive very soon." Paus was nominated for the 2020 Movie Music UK Awards; Broxton wrote that Paus, "who is already considered a wunderkind in classical circles – blew me away with the score for the super-hero fantasy/horror ''Mortal''." Paus was also nominated for an
Amanda Award The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...
and as the Norwegian nominee for the 2021 Nordic Film Music Days – HARPA Award for the work; the HARPA jury described it as "an impressively mature orchestral work that feels both introvert and extrovert at the same time, painting its fantastical canvas in broad, impressionistic strokes." Daniel Schweiger described ''Mortal'' as "truly thunderstruck in announcing Paus’ symphonically avenging talent to a bigger playing field." In 2020, Paus' work ''Ingenting forsvinner'' (Nothing Disappears), with lyrics by Ole Paus, was first performed by NyNorsk Brass Quintet and Tora Augestad; Paus described the work as "equal parts epitaph, confession, prayer and threat." In 2021, the guitar concerto ''Decameron'' and the violin concerto ''Voyage'' were first performed by the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra with soloists Petter Richter and Miriam Helms Ålien. In 2021, the tuba concerto '' Tuba Mirum'' was first performed by tubist
August Schieldrop August Schieldrop (born 1999) is a Norwegian classical tubist who performs as a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. He has received several of Norway's main music prizes. Career Schieldrop was born in Oslo. He a ...
and the
Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic () 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 1871, and was esta ...
. The double album ''Cabin Fever: Pandemic Works'' (Sheva Contemporary, 2022) contains new works written during the corona pandemic, performed by the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra and various musicians. The album ''Requiem/Trisyn/Læreren som ikke ble'' (2022) notably contains ''Requiem'' by Marcus and Ole Paus and '' The Teacher Who Was Not To Be'' by Paus and Olav Anton Thommessen. In 2022 the
Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces () are the armed forces responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Norwegian Coast Guard, Coast Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air ...
commissioned Paus to write a major work to tell the stories of the recipients of Norway's highest honour, the War Cross. The Armed Forces said the idea is that the work will be a major "identity-building and unifying" work for the armed forces. It was the largest commission in the history of Norwegian military music. During the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
that year, Paus composed the song " Slava Ukraini!," that he described as a song of resistance. Paus said that "the work seems to strike a chord with many people, including those who are in the middle of the battle zone. There is no nobler task for music than to unite and comfort people." Paus has expressed interest in writing an opera based on Ibsen's ''
Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five-Act (drama), act play in verse written in 1867 by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. It is one of Ibsen's best known and most widely performed plays. ''Peer Gynt'' chronicles the journey of its title character fr ...
''.


Other activities

From 2021 Paus co-hosts the podcast ''Paus og Castle blir kloke på musikklivet'' (Paus and Castle Figure Out Music Life) with his brother-in-law, punk and rap musician and music producer Kim Morten Mohn (also known by the stage name Kim Castle). Paus performed an
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...
solo on the 2021 single "Mamman og Pappans Anthem (feat. Marcus Paus)" released by electronic duo detdusa; it was Paus' first appearance as a performer since the 1990s.


Selected works

;Orchestral works * The War Cross (Krigskorset) (2023), written for the
Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces () are the armed forces responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Norwegian Coast Guard, Coast Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air ...
* Tuba Mirum (2021), written for the
Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic () 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 1871, and was esta ...
and tubist
August Schieldrop August Schieldrop (born 1999) is a Norwegian classical tubist who performs as a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. He has received several of Norway's main music prizes. Career Schieldrop was born in Oslo. He a ...
*Decameron: Concerto Rifugio (2020) *Love's Last Rites (2017) * Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra (2015), written for the
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ( Norwegian: Bergen filharmoniske orkester) is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The M ...
* Hate Songs for Mezzo-soprano & Orchestra (2013–14), text:
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
*Music for Orchestra (2012) *A Portrait of Zhou (Concertino for Flute & Orchestra) (2012) *Triple Concerto for Violin, Viola & Orchestra (2011) *Two Lyrical Pieces (2007) *Ave Mozart! (2006) ;Choral works *Litanies (2021), text by
Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World ...
* No Search, No Rescue (2017), text by Palestinian poet Jehan Bseiso *The Day of Wrath Shall Come (2017), text by
Thomas of Celano Thomas of Celano (; c. 1185 – c. 1265) was an Italian friar of the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor) as well as a poet and the author of three hagiographies about Francis of Assisi. Life Thomas was born sometime between 1185 and 1190, in ...
*Free is the Land (2016), text by
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
* The Beauty That Still Remains (2015), libretto by the composer based on ''
The Diary of a Young Girl ''The Diary of a Young Girl'', commonly referred to as ''The Diary of Anne Frank'', is a book of the writings from the Dutch language, Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Neth ...
'' by
Anne Frank Annelies Marie Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – February or March 1945)Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new li ...
*Dies Irae (2014), text by Heidi Køhn *And Now Abide (2012) *The Stolen Child (2009), text:
W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...
* Missa Concertante (2008) *
O magnum mysterium O magnum mysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas. Text The text is drawn from the Matins of Christmas in the Roman Breviary. ; Latin text: : O magnum mysterium, : et admirabile sacramentum, : ut animalia viderent ...
(2007) *The Dome & the River (2006) ;Operas and stage works * Children of Ginko / Frøbarna (2017–18), chamber opera in one act, libretto by Oda Fiskum * Hate Songs for Mezzo-soprano & Orchestra (2013–14), text:
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
*Spelet om Christian Frederik (2014) *Eli Sjursdotter (2013–14), libretto by Ola Jonsmoen * The Teacher Who Was Not To Be (Læreren som ikke ble) (2013), libretto by the teacher who was not to be ( Olav Anton Thommessen) * The Ash-Lad – Pål's Story (Askeladden – Påls versjon) (2010–11),
libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
by
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
, based on the fairy tale character
Askeladden Ashlad (Norwegian "Askeladden" or "Oskeladden", full name "Esben Askelad" or "Espen Askeladd" or "Espen Oskeladd") is a main character in a number of tales collected in Asbjørnsen and Moe's '' Norwegian Folktales''. The character starts out bei ...
*
The Wild Choir ''The Wild Choir'' () is a poetry collection by Nobel laureate in literature Knut Hamsun. It was published in 1904 and is his only poetry collection. The collection contains existentialist, erotic and political poems. One of the best known poems fr ...
(2009), text by
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
* The Witches (Heksene) (2007–08), libretto by
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
, based on the novel of the same name by
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...
;Chamber works *Two Eldritch Songs for Voice (Tenor) & Piano (2021) *Fragments from Sappho (2020) *Sonata for Violin & Piano (2020) *Songs from Shiraz (2020) *The Song and the Catastrophe (2018), text by Ulrik Farestad *Confessions (2018), text by
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
*Never (2017), text by
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
*Everyday Miracle (2017), text by
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
*Room Mates (2017), text by Ulrik Farestad *Late Summer Songs (2017), text by
Jan Erik Vold Jan Erik Vold (born 18 October 1939) is a Norwegian lyric poet, reciter, translator and author. He was a member of the so-called "''Profil'' generation", the circle attached to the literary magazine '' Profil''. Throughout his career, he has con ...
*The Yearning of Things (2017), text by
André Bjerke Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and arti ...
*Love Songs (2016), text by
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
*Music to Hear (Sonnet VIII) (2016), text by
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
*Sonata for Double Bass and Piano (2016) *The Harvesting (2016), text by
Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...
*Afterplay: Eternity's Gaze (2015), text by
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
*Fanfare for Two Violins (2015) *
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
(2014), text by
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
*Screwing Britten (2013) *String Quartet no. 4 ‘Ashes’ (2013) *Sonata for Cello & Piano (2009) *String Quartet no.3 (2006) *Trio for Clarinet, Violin & Piano (2006) *Lasuliansko Horo for Violin & Piano (2004) ;Solo works * Slava Ukraini! (2022; composed during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
) * Good Vibes in Bad Times (2020) *Decameron: Concerto Rifugio (2020) *Intimations (2020) *Cabin Fever (2020) *The Waters of Vinje (Souvenir d'un Voyage) (2019) *Intrada for Solo Oboe (2018) *Kleiberg Variations for Solo Piano (2018) *Mathias' Song for Solo Piano (2018) *Sarabande for Solo Clavichord (2018) *Stetind (2018) *Alone for Solo Cello (2017) *September Lines for Solo Clarinet (2017) *Sonata for Solo Clarinet (2017) *Christiania, 1899 for Solo Piano (2016) *Elegy for Solo Alto Recorder (or Oboe) (2016) *Hauntings for Solo Flute (2016) *Marble Songs (2016) *Prowling (2016) *Sonata for Solo Bassoon (2016) *Three Lines (2016) *Two Idylls (2016) *Two Pieces for Solo Harpsichord (2016) *A Prologue to the Past (2015) *Inventory (2015), text by
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
*Summer Sketches (2015) *Theory (2015), text by
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...
*A Farther Front (2014) *Sur le nom de Bach (2014) *Vita (2014) *Three Shades of Evil (2013) *Trauermusik for Solo Cello (2012) *4 Memento Mori for Solo Piano (2012) *The Ladies on the Bridge for Solo Violin (2010) ;Film scores *Rex Barbaricum (documentary series) *
Mortal Mortal may refer to: * Mortal (band), a Christian industrial band * The Mortal, a Japanese band led by Atsushi Sakurai * ''Mortal'' (novel), a science fiction fantasy novel by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee * ''Mortals'' (novel), a 2003 novel by Norma ...
(2020), directed by
André Øvredal André Øvredal (; born 6 May 1973) is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the films '' Trollhunter'' (2010), '' The Autopsy of Jane Doe'' (2016), '' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'' (2019) and '' The La ...
*UMEÅ4ever (2011), directed by Geir Greni *Upperdog (2009), directed by Sara Johnsen


Selected discography

*Ensemble 96s: ''Kind'' (2L, 2010) (The Stolen Child) *''UMEÅ4ever'' (MTG Music, 2011) * Henning Kraggerud: ''Munch Suite'' (Simax 2013) *Johannes Martens and Joachim Kwetzinsky: ''Marcus Paus'' (Aurora 2013) *
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ( Norwegian: Bergen filharmoniske orkester) is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The M ...
: ''OPUS 250'' (LAWO Classics, 2015) ( Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra) *Tom Ottar Andreassen, the
Norwegian Radio Orchestra The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, ''Kringkastingsorkestret'', abbreviated as KORK) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (''Norsk rikskringkasting AS'', or NRK). Its principal base is the ''Store Studi ...
, Henning Kraggerud, Oslo Camerata directed by Stephan Barratt-Due and others: ''Marcus Paus – Odes & Elegies'' (Sheva Contemporary, 2017) *
Tora Augestad Tora Karen Elisabeth Augestad (born 10 December 1979) is a Norwegian mezzosoprano, musical conductor and actor. One of Norway's most established classical singers, she focuses on jazz, musical theater, contemporary music, and cabaret. Her stag ...
and the
Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic () 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 1871, and was esta ...
: ''Portraying Passion: Works by Weill/Paus/Ives'' (LAWO Classics, 2018) *Julie Kleive and Joachim Kwetzinsky: ''En hellig, alminnelig lek'' Sacred, Ordinary Game(Grappa Musikkforlag, 2018) *Norwegian Girls' Choir: '' The Beauty That Still Remains'' (2L, 2020) *Julie Kleive and Joachim Kwetzinsky: ''Dypt i forledelsen'' eep in Seduction(MTG Music, 2020) *''Mortal'' (MTG Music, 2020) *Zurich Chamber Singers: ''O Nata Lux'' (Berlin Classics, 2020) (O Magnum Mysterium) *'' Good Vibes in Bad Times'' (MTG Music, 2020) *''Sonata for Violin and Piano'' (Sheva Contemporary, 2021) *''Cabin Fever: Pandemic Works'' (Sheva Contemporary, 2022) *''Requiem/Trisyn/Læreren som ikke ble'' (2022), with ''
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
'' by Marcus Paus/
Ole Paus Ole Paus (1947–2023) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet, widely regarded as one of the most innovative Norwegian musical figures of the 20th century and "Norway's most significant troubadour at the time of his death." Emerging during t ...
, and '' The Teacher Who Was Not To Be'' by Marcus Paus/ Olav Anton Thommessen


Awards

* Wessel Prize, 2012 * Composer of the Year Prize (won) of the Norwegian Music Publishers, 2017Dette er vinnerne av Musikkforleggerprisen
Music Norway
*
Amanda Award The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...
for Best Music (nominated), 2020 *Breakthrough Composer of the Year, Movie Music UK Awards (nominated), 2020 *Nordic Film Music Days – HARPA Award (Norwegian nominee), 2021 *Government Grant for Artists, 2021 *Composer of the Year Prize (nominated) of the Norwegian Music Publishers, 2022 *Work of the Year Prize (nominated) of the Norwegian Music Publishers, 2022


References


External links


Official websiteOfficial Spotify
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paus, Marcus 1979 births Living people Norwegian contemporary classical composers Norwegian opera composers Norwegian film score composers 21st-century Norwegian classical composers Norwegian Academy of Music alumni Manhattan School of Music alumni People educated at Oslo Waldorf School Norwegian male classical composers Male opera composers Norwegian male film score composers Modernist composers Postmodern composers Composers for piano Composers for violin Composers for cello Choral composers Norwegian people of Austrian-Jewish descent Norwegian people of Danish descent