Norwegian Opera Overtures

Works by Hjalmar Borgstrøm, Catharinus Elling, Ole Olsen, Arne Eggen, Waldemar Thrane, Martin Udbye, Johannes Haarklou and Sigwardt Aspestrand.

Norwegian Opera Overtures. Conductor Heine Bergby.

The Norwegian opera literature is a well concealed and all too little known gem in our national cultural heri­tage. There is general agreement that it begins with the Waldemar Thrane/Henrik Bjerregaard Singspiel Fjeld-eventyret (The Mountain Story) from 1824. And through­out the nineteenth century there were a number of Norwe­gian composers who wrote operas, most of them now long forgotten.

With this release we wish to make the music accessible to listeners in the hope of generating new interest in and discussion about why this part of our cultural heritage has been left to lie untouched. The recording would never have seen the light of day without retired conductor Terje Boye Hansen's untiring efforts on behalf of Norway's mu­sical heritage and Norwegian opera literature.