Elling, Catharinus

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Elling, Catharinus

Elling, Catharinus, Norwegian organist, composer, and writer on music; b. Christiania, Sept. 13, 1858;d. there (Oslo), Jan. 8, 1942. He studied in Christiania, Leipzig (1877–78), and with Herzogenberg at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1886–87). Returning to Christiania in 1896, he taught counterpoint and composition at the Cons, until 1908; he was also active as a choral conductor (1897–1901) and as a church organist (1909–26). In 1898 he received a government subvention to study Norwegian folk songs, which resulted in essays and books. He also wrote biographies of Bull, Grieg, Svendsen, and Kjerulf.

Works

Kosakkerne (The Cossacks), opera (1890–94); 2 syms. (1890, 1897); Norwegian Suite for Orch. (1904); Violin Concerto (1919); Den forlorne søn (The Prodigal Son), oratorio (1895–96); incidental music to plays; chamber music; songs.

Bibliography

Ø. Gaukstad, Melodi- og tekstregister til C. E.s opptegnelser av folkemusikk (Oslo, 1963).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire