Finn Arnestad

Finn Arnestad (23 September 1915 - 30 January 1994) was a Norwegian contemporary composer and musician.

Career

Arnestad studied violin at the Music Conservatory in Oslo, and also studied in France, Germany, Holland and Belgium. In addition to conventional compositional studies, Arnestad also studied African and Oriental music styles.

Arnestad’s compositional output is characterized by strong expressionistic traits with works that feature fragments of neo-classical ideals as well as serialism. His primary compositional focus was acoustics and exploration of harmonic structure and polarity. Studying acoustic theory, Arnestad developed a tonal system based on interference notes. Within this system, tones that are part of an interference-timbre are considered as consonant harmony, and those that are not are viewed as dissonant. The interference-timbre sound serves as structured, solid harmonies, as points of rest and calm in polyphonic development, while the dissonant harmonies are treated as dependent and disquieting.[1]

Orchestral works constitute a considerable portion of Arnestad's compositional output. Arnestad was also active as an orchestrator, and his treatment of timbre in the pivotal work INRI (1952–58) has been characterized as almost brutally expressionistic. One of Arnestad’s most widely recognized orchestral works is Aria Appassionata (1962), a work in which interference-tonality is combined with twelve-tone technique to form an emotionally-charged tonal language. Additional key works in Arnestad’s output includes his violin concerto from 1962, and "Suite i gamle danserytmer" (1966), which is based on "The Blacksmith and the Baker" for baritone and chamber orchestra, with libretto by Johan Herman Wessel. Arnestad has also composed works for chamber orchestra, voice and piano.[2]

Arnestad served as a member of the Norwegian Society of Composers’ advisory board from 1974 to 1979 and was a member of the same organisation’s scholarship committee from 1971 to 1981.[3]

Production

Selected works
  • Konsert for klaver og orkester (1976)
  • Arabesk (1975)
  • Toccata (1972)
  • Musikk for tre treblåsere (1971),
  • Sonate for trombone og piano (1971)
  • Væsletjennet for flute solo and strings (1970)
  • Ritagliata (1967), Ouverture (1970)
  • Klaversonate (1967)
  • Smeden og Bageren (J. H. Wessel, baritone and orchestra, 1966)
  • Cavatina Cambiata (premiered 1965)
  • Dopplersonans (1964)
  • Kvintett for fløyte og strykekvartett (1963)
  • Suite i gamle danserytmer (kammerorkester med fløyte og obo 1963)
  • Aria appassionata (1962)
  • Sekstett for fløyte, klarinett, fagott, klaver, bratsj, cello (1959)
  • Konsert for fiolin og orkester (1956, premiered 1960)
  • Suite nr. 2 (premiered 1964)
  • 2 konsert-suiter fra et symfonisk mysteriespill: Suite nr. 1 (1953)
  • Missa Brevis for kor og orkester (uroppført 1951), I. N. R. I. (1954)
  • Conversation for klaver og orkester (1949, uroppført 1950)
  • Constellation (premiered 1948)
  • Strykekvartett (premiered 1947)
  • Meditation for orchestra (1947)

Discography
  • Christian Eggen, Oslo Sinfonietta, Norges Musikkhistorie - Bind 5 (2001)
  • Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestral Interference / Finn Arnestad (1996)
  • Geir Henning Braaten, Norwegian Pianorama (1984)
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References
  1. "Bio from MIC Music Information Centre Norway". komponist.no. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  2. "Bio from SNL (In Norwegian)". komponist.no. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  3. "Bio from MIC Music Information Centre Norway". komponist.no. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
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