Brustad, Bjarne

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Brustad, Bjarne

Brustad, Bjarne, Norwegian violinist, violisi, conductor, and composer; b. Christiania, March 4, 1895; d. there (Oslo), May 22, 1978. He studied at the Christiania Cons., then took violin lessons with Flesch in Berlin (1915–16). From 1919 to 1922 he was a violinist in the Oslo Phil, and from 1929 to 1943 he played first viola there. He also conducted orchs. in Oslo; in 1951 he received a government life pension. His music is Romantic in its essence, and traditional in form.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Atlantis (1945). orch.: 4 violin concertos (1922–61); Concertino for Viola and Chamber Orch. (1932); 9 syms. (1948, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973); Clarinet Concerto (1970). chamber: 3 string quartets (1919, 1929, 1959); 3 sonatas for Solo Violin (1935, 1956, 1957); Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Viola (1938); Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Bassoon (1947); Violin Sonata (1950); Divertimento for Flute (1958).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire