Odd Grüner-Hegge was the son of Christian Thorberg Grüner Hegge (1859–1918) and Olga Christensen (1869–1954).[2] His father was a bank clerk and his mother was a painter and drawing artist. Among his siblings, Thorleif (1889–1979) became a psychologist at the University of Michigan, Rolf became a businessman, and Finn (1895–1962) became a violinist.[3] Grüner-Hegge married Sigrid Elena Feinsilber (1904–1977) in 1929,[4] and then in 1944 Karen Welle (1914–2006), who was the daughter of the priest Ivar Welle.[2] He was the father of the ballet dancer Karen Grüner-Hegge (born 1947).
As a child, Grüner-Hegge had a soprano voice, and he composed his first piece at the age of six.[3] As a seven-year-old, he auditioned for Edvard Grieg, who in a letter to his mother expressed faith in the boy's musical talent, but urged caution and reminded her that the boy had to find time to play with his friends in addition to playing the piano.[3]
Odd Grüner-Hegge went about his task with an energy that eventually took the life of his baton, and it was perhaps fortunate that he was able to discharge part of the Coriolan Overture, with which the concert opened.[5][6]
From 1925 to 1929, he was also connected with Dagbladet as a music critic.[7]
Conductor
Starting in 1931, Grüner-Hegge shared the position of chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic with Olav Kielland. This continued until 1933, when the philharmonic switched to having a single conductor and Kielland received the job.[2] Because Grüner-Hegge had not been informed about this, he voiced his disappointment in the newspapers,[3] although he received a job as conductor at the National Theater and also appeared as a guest conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic.[2] In 1946, Grüner-Hegge was back as the artistic director at the Oslo Philharmonic; he held this position until 1962, when, after a few years as the musical director and acting director in Kirsten Flagstad's absence due to illness, he became the full-time director of Norwegian National Opera, where he served until 1969.[2]
Sonate for fiolin og klaver (Sonata for Violin and Piano, 1914)
Suite for klaver (Suite for Piano, 1917)
Trio for fiolin, cello og klaver (Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano, 1919)
Elegisk melodi for strykere (Elegiac Melody for Strings, 1943)
References
^ abSvendsen, Trond Olav. "Odd Grüner-Hegge". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
^ abcdefghiNesheim, Elef. "Odd Grüner-Hegge". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
^ abcdeVollsnes, Arvid O. (2000). Komponisten Ludvig Irgens-Jensen: europeer og nordmann. Oslo: Aschehoug.
^Mason, Brian Harold (1992). Victor Moritz Goldschmidt: Father of Modern Geochemistry. San Antonio: The Geochemical Society. pp. 95–97.
^Bækkelund, Kjell (1975). Møte i musikk. Oslo: Tiden. Det var i beste forståelse med komponisten den unge dame førte an i denne lek mellem strålende melodier og lystige rytmer, godt understøttet av orkester og dirigent.
^Reitan, Lorentz (1997). Harald Sæverud: mannen, musikken og mytene. Oslo: Forum/Aschehoug.
^ abBækkelund, Kjell (September 21, 1999). "Odd Grüner-Hegge 1899–1999. En stor musiker å takke". Aftenposten.