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My favorite things Norwegian
1. Film: The 1989 Pathfinder is one of the best "unknown" movies, why is there no DVD reissue?
2. Classical music. My favorite Grieg recording is Lyric Pieces, by Emil Gilels. Mostly the composer bores me, but if you get the piano concerto try Dinu Lipatti. Peer Gynt reminds me of a bad coffee commercial, which in fact it once was. For contemporary composers, Arne Nordheim is consistently interesting.
3. Jazz: Norway is now a world leader in this field; start with the Tord Gustavsen Trio, Changing Places. Here are more resources. That said, Jan Garbarek has never thrilled me.
4. Playwright: Almost everything by Ibsen is superb, and yes it does repay a rereading. Too many smart people had A Doll's House forced on them in high school and then take him for granted. His fantasy piece Peer Gynt is one of the most imaginative literary creations, period.
5. Novels: Knut Hamsun was a fascist, still Hunger holds the reader's attention. My favorite is Sigrid Undset; Kristin Lavransdatter is long but a must-read. Ole Rolvaag's tales of the American frontier often have interesting property rights themes.
6. Pianist: Leif Ove Andsnes is remarkably consistent and tasteful. Håkon Austbø is a strong and underrated runner-up, I love his Messiaen on Naxos.
7. Soprano: Kirsten Flagstad, anything by Wagner.
8. Economist: You've got Trygve Haavelmo and Finn Kydland, both Nobel Laureates, plus Ragnar Frisch; the overall slant here is technical. I also enjoy the social science books of Jon Elster, a political scientist by training but a polymath by nature.
The bottom line: In almost every category the top offerings of Norway are underrated or at least underexplored.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on May 24, 2007 at 05:33 AM in The Arts | Permalink
Comments
Not to forget:
- Popmusic: Melody AM by Royksopp, and who can forget A-Ha
- Death(?) Metal: A flourishing scene with bands like Satyricon and Dimmur Borgir
- The ravishing Norwegian blondes
- The lovely fjords
- Sports commentary: The English still seems to remember radio commentator Bjorge Lilleliens rant after Norway beat England in qualification for the 1982 FIFA World Cup 'Maggie Thatcher can you hear me ... your boys took one hell of a beating...'
Posted by: Morten at May 24, 2007 6:54:03 AM
Which Jan Garbarek have you tried? His new age stuff is sort of weird.. early 70s stuff like Witchi Tai To is classic though
Posted by: anon at May 24, 2007 7:07:35 AM
the best norwegian band is of course kaizers!
http://www.kaizers.no/
(and don't forget to check out madrugada, motorpsycho, anne brun, thomas dybdahl)
PS i have no troubles forgetting aha
Posted by: ed at May 24, 2007 7:10:38 AM
As to literature, how about Agnar Mykle?
Posted by: Robert Speirs at May 24, 2007 7:52:59 AM
Most things Norge are underappreciated because most people Norge are too self-effacing to successfully market themselves.
Posted by: Russ Nelson at May 24, 2007 9:12:37 AM
Popular Music: Sondre Lerche
Posted by: JDA at May 24, 2007 9:15:20 AM
That Gilels disc of the Grieg Lyric Pieces is a snoozer. Not sure why you selected ity.
Posted by: jult52 at May 24, 2007 10:46:06 AM
Let's not forget Xploding Plastix, the fantastic electronic/jazz group: http://xplodingplastix.com/
Posted by: Urstoff at May 24, 2007 12:14:35 PM
I agree about Andsnes -- to much piano composition is lewd. But on economists, the other Trygve (Hoff)
deserves at least honorable mention.
Posted by: Person at May 24, 2007 12:18:56 PM
The Norse firm VihtaVuori Oy also exports the finest smokeless powder (gunpowder, that is) in the world.
Posted by: Noah Yetter at May 24, 2007 12:26:42 PM
Jah, no wonder I want to immigrate backwards to the land of my ancestors and leave the militarism and inequality and rotten healthcare and job churn and ??? of the USA.
Posted by: dissent at May 24, 2007 1:11:49 PM
Ragnar Frisch shared the first Nobel in economics with the Dutchman, Jan Tinbergen.
The Tord Gustavsen Trio is excellent.
As for Grieg, well, he is one my daughter's three favorite composers (along with Beethoven
and Schubert), and she will be a music composition major starting at George Mason in the fall.
Posted by: Barkley Rosser at May 24, 2007 2:54:46 PM
Agreed on Norway's offerings being underappreciated/underexplored.
You must get out of Oslo and head up to Bergen. And bring home laks!
Posted by: fustercluck at May 24, 2007 4:28:55 PM
Knut Hamsun was a towering genius. At the very end of a very long life he was a fascist. And this defines him?
Posted by: ricpic at May 24, 2007 4:33:59 PM
"-Death(?) Metal: A flourishing scene with bands like Satyricon and Dimmur Borgir"
That would be «Black Metal», actually. Both bands are tremendously successful (not when compared to Beyoncé, but not actually singing - apart from DB's bassist - and praising Satan are huge handicaps) in the U.S., but they were somewhat late comers to the whole Norsk Black Metal scene - though quite influential to some extent.
Someone mentioned Xploding Plastix, which are truly excellent, and I'd also recommend the newer stuff by Ulver (a very caustic black metal band in their early days), Jaga Jazzist, Shining, Anja Garbarek (Jan's daughter), Anders Aarum and, well, countless others.
The extreme metal scene is as burgeoning as in the early 90s, as far as I'm concerned, though with a lighter emphasis on black metal.
Posted by: Pedro Serôdio at May 24, 2007 5:48:22 PM
>Knut Hamsun was a towering genius. At the very end of a very long life he was a fascist. And this defines him?
It's not even clear that Hamsun _was_ a fascist. Certainly a Germanophile, an Anglophobe and a curmudgeonly old contrarian. And most definitely a genius. "Pan" & "Mysteries" are better than "Hunger".
Posted by: ricardo at May 24, 2007 9:42:18 PM
Great post, Tyler. I had forgotten "Pathfinder," a superb film. I saw it when it first came out, I was living in Alaska at the time, and of course the winter scenery really resonated. this film clearly should be re-issued.
Posted by: John Cunningham at May 25, 2007 12:15:02 AM
Grieg [Greig] was Scots-Norwegian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grieg#Biography
;-)
Posted by: Theresa at May 25, 2007 2:56:50 AM
I find Undset boring (and overrated), and Hamsun can be quite a piece, too (Hunger is good, but read it before "Crime and Punishment" or Sartre's "Age of Reason" which explore similar themes. As for other authors, try Erik Fosnes Hansen's "Psalm at Journey's End", something by Ingvar Ambjørnsen (the movie "Elling", nominated to an Oscar a few years ago, is based on his books and deserves mention in the film category). Or perhaps something by Jan Kjærstad?
Posted by: Espen at May 25, 2007 4:07:00 AM
Anybody care for Hamsun's Growth of the Soil? (Not me.)
Posted by: Surabaya Johnny at May 25, 2007 4:17:00 AM
Knut Hamsun was not, however, a "fascist". He thought that cooperating with the Regime would be the best way to save the Norwegian people, he hated Hitler. For a better view I highly recommend his autobiographical novel, "On Overgrown Paths".
Posted by: MF at May 25, 2007 7:10:36 AM
Pathfinder was certainlyy a great movie, but doesn't it count as Sammi (aka Lapp),
the language it is delivered in, rather than Norwegian?
It may soon be better known as it is being remade in America, as a Vikings vs
American Indians slaughterfest. It looks hideous.
Posted by: M. Peachbush at May 26, 2007 3:30:29 PM
So, I would add a few things:
Lasso rundt fru Luna is a fantastic novel.
Kings of Convenience - great music.
Sværmere is my favorite Hamsun novel.
Flåklyppa Grand Prix - classic movie
Posted by: Clay at Jun 25, 2007 8:21:33 AM
Also Peter Wessel Zapffe - one of the greatest, and certainly one of the most underrated and underexplored, existential philosophers of the 20th century. See:
http://www.philosophynow.org/issue45/45tangenes.htm
Posted by: Benjamin at Jun 30, 2007 8:58:53 PM
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Posted by: 謝文豪 at Apr 2, 2008 4:09:28 AM
