Ole A. Sørli
Encyclopedia
Ole A. Sørli was a Norwegian musician
and writer as well as a music industry manager and record producer
.
In 1967 he was employed by Arne Bendiksen to launch the music cassette
in Norway. From 1971 to 1977, he was general manager of the record label Polydor. In 1978 he started Sørli DB Records along with the brothers Paul and Helge Karlsen and produced records by Erik Bye
, Cornelis Vreeswijk
, and the record featuring The Smurfs
in Norwegian. Two years later Sørli founded Notabene Records and produced, among other projects acts such as Knutsen & Ludvigsen
, Linda Martin and Ole I'Dole.
In December 1980 he helped put together the "Norwegian Uff - Independent Producer Association of Phonograph Records", which later changed its name to "Fono". He became the association's first chairman, and in addition to running their companies, he assumed several other offices in the industry, including one as a board member of Fono and the chairman of the Norwegian Grammy Committee.
Sørli influenced record industry development through the 1980s and 1990s. His opinions and views on American music were highly regarded amongst his peers.
One of his greatest achievements was as the managing director of the musical Which Witch
, for which he also co-wrote the book with Piers Haggard
. The music was written by Benedicte Adrian
and Ingrid Bjørnov
. The team behind the musical managed to get the show staged in London
's West End i 1992, where it run for 76 performances, for a total audience of 37,000, before the show had to close in December). Sørli also wrote essays on the history of witchcraft
.
/musical
of an incident from the witch-hunter's handbook, the 15th century Malleus Maleficarum
. Producer
Sørli wrote the original manuscript, and was executive director
of the project.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and writer as well as a music industry manager and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Career
He first gained fame as a musician and leader of the band The Cool Cats (1961 to 1967) and worked throughout the rest of his life producing and managing western music.In 1967 he was employed by Arne Bendiksen to launch the music cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
in Norway. From 1971 to 1977, he was general manager of the record label Polydor. In 1978 he started Sørli DB Records along with the brothers Paul and Helge Karlsen and produced records by Erik Bye
Erik Bye
Erik Erikssønn Bye was a versatile Norwegian journalist,artist, author, film actor, folk singer and radio and television personality...
, Cornelis Vreeswijk
Cornelis Vreeswijk
Cornelis Vreeswijk , was a singer-songwriter, poet and actor born in IJmuiden in the Netherlands.He emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age of twelve. He was educated as a social worker and hoped to become a journalist, but became increasingly involved in music, performing at...
, and the record featuring The Smurfs
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
in Norwegian. Two years later Sørli founded Notabene Records and produced, among other projects acts such as Knutsen & Ludvigsen
Knutsen & Ludvigsen
Knutsen & Ludvigsen was a Norwegian singing duo consisting of Øystein Dolmen and Gustav Lorentzen .Writing and performing various songs mostly aimed at children, they released seven albums, two of which received Spellemannprisen - the Norwegian Grammy. They had several #1 hits, including "Grevling...
, Linda Martin and Ole I'Dole.
In December 1980 he helped put together the "Norwegian Uff - Independent Producer Association of Phonograph Records", which later changed its name to "Fono". He became the association's first chairman, and in addition to running their companies, he assumed several other offices in the industry, including one as a board member of Fono and the chairman of the Norwegian Grammy Committee.
Sørli influenced record industry development through the 1980s and 1990s. His opinions and views on American music were highly regarded amongst his peers.
One of his greatest achievements was as the managing director of the musical Which Witch
Which Witch
Which Witch is a musical written by Norwegian singers/composers Benedicte Adrian and Ingrid Bjørnov.The storyline for Which Witch was derived from the witch finder's manual Malleus Maleficarum, and the original script was written by Adrian and Bjørnov's manager Ole A. Sørli...
, for which he also co-wrote the book with Piers Haggard
Piers Haggard
Piers Inigo Haggard is a British film and television director, although he has worked mostly in the latter medium.He is the great grandnephew of H...
. The music was written by Benedicte Adrian
Benedicte Adrian
Benedicte Christine Adrian Mouton is a Norwegian singer and artist. She has released material on her own, but is best known for her collaboration with Ingrid Bjørnov in the pop duo Dollie de Luxe...
and Ingrid Bjørnov
Ingrid Bjørnov
Ingrid Bjørnov is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, keyboard player, composer and text writer. Her debut album Første Akt from 1980 with the duo Dollie was awarded Spellemannprisen, and the duo represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984. She spent seven years with the musical Which...
. The team behind the musical managed to get the show staged in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's West End i 1992, where it run for 76 performances, for a total audience of 37,000, before the show had to close in December). Sørli also wrote essays on the history of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
.
Which Witch
Which Witch is a free adaptation operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
/musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
of an incident from the witch-hunter's handbook, the 15th century Malleus Maleficarum
Malleus Maleficarum
The Malleus Maleficarum is an infamous treatise on witches, written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer, an Inquisitor of the Catholic Church, and was first published in Germany in 1487...
. Producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Sørli wrote the original manuscript, and was executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the project.
Synopsis
- Maria Vittoria, foster-daughter of an influential Roman family, has fallen in love with her German tutor, Daniel, recently made a bishop of the Catholic Church. After causing a scandal at the Vatican the lovers are obliged to leave Rome and Daniel takes Maria back to his family home in Heidelberg where Daniel mysteriously falls ill on the following day and remains in a deep sleep. Anna Regina, Daniel's older sister, then accuses Maria of having cast a spell on Daniel and the townspeople turn on Maria and she is imprisoned for witchcraft. A few weeks later, Cardinal Gonzaga, the Inquisitor, arrives from Rome to cure the Bishop and prosecute his mistress. Maria manages to escape from jail, but instead of fleeing Heidelberg to save her life, she seeks out Daniel. Reunited in the church they have a brief moment of happiness together. Further conflict ensues.
Criticism
- Which Witch was originally commissioned for the Bergen International Arts Festival in 1987, and got an overwhelming reception from critics and public alike.
- “a brilliant new pop opera; the arrival of a new and vital voice from the frozen north; the most impressive new piece to come out of Scandinavia” (Time Magazine, May 1989)
- "Before this all-consuming project, Adrian and Bjørnov were performing and recording as a pop/rock/opera duo, Dollie de LuxeDollie de LuxeDollie de Luxe were a Norwegian pop duo consisting of Benedicte Adrian and Ingrid Bjørnov. Their debut album Første Akt from 1980 was awarded Spellemannprisen. They participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 with the song "Lenge leve livet"....
. Their records and performances up until 1996 were produced by Sørli, and it is this trio's combination of rock music and classical elements that has created “great melodic beauty and taut rhythmic drive” (Time Magazine).
Legacy
The London success led to a 1993 summer concert tour that was the biggest ever music event in Norway, setting box office records everywhere. Following summer concerts in 1994 of a Norwegian version, Which Witch has only been performed in semi-professional theatre and concert productions. In addition to this, a TV production of the West End final performance has been shown on Danish, Norwegian and Czech television (2002).Production credits
- I Smurfeland (LP) DB Records (3) 1978
- Smurfe-Sangen / Skal Vi Smurfe Gåter? (7") DB Records (3) 1978
- Fiskepudding! Lakrisbåter! (Album) ◄ (2 versions) Notabene Records 1980
- Fiskepudding! Lakrisbåter! (LP) Notabene Records 1980
- Fiskepudding! Lakrisbåter! (Cass, Album) Notabene Records 1980
- Første Akt (LP) DB Records (3) 1980
- Gråt Ikke Mer (7") NotaBene Records 1981
- Hard Valuta (Cass, Album) NotaBene Records 1981
- I Want You / Forever (7") NotaBene Records 1982
- På Gang Igjen (7") NotaBene Records 1982
- Juba Juba (Album) ◄ (3 versions) Notabene Records 1983
- Juba Juba (LP, Album) Notabene Records 1983
- Juba Juba (Cass, Album) Notabene Records 1983
- Juba Juba (CD, Album) Universal Music (Norway) 1999
- Queen Of The Night / Satisfaction (Maxi) ◄ (3 versions) Queen Of The Night / S... Carrere 1984
- Queen Of The Night / Satisfaction (7") Queen Of The Night Carrere Records 1986
- Queen Of The Night / Satisfaction (12", Maxi) Polydor 1984
- Queen Of The Night / Satisfaction (12") Queen Of The Night Notabene Records 1985
- Wanted (Dead Or Alive) (7", Single) Notabene Records 1984
- Sammen, For Livet (LP, Comp) Oh Boy Forente Artister 1985
- Rock Vs. Opera (CD, Album) Notabene Records 1986
- Eternally (7", Single) Notabene Records 1987
- Ludvigsens Hostesaft (LP, Album) Notabene Records 1987
- Cornelis Bästa (2xCD) Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
Music Sweden 2003 - Maskindans - Norsk Synth 1980-1988 (2xCD, Comp, Dig + Box) Space, Action, Sex Og ... Hommage Records 2009
Appears On
- Første Akt (LP) Sov Søtt, Lille Mann,... DB Records (3) 1980
- Musikk På Gang 16 (Cass, Comp) Everybody Loves A Winner VG 1984
- Which Witch, The Operamusical - London Cast Album (2xCD, Album) Notabene Records 1993