Ole Bull
Encyclopedia
Ole Bornemann Bull was a Norwegian violin
ist and composer.
. He was the eldest of ten children of Johan Storm Bull (1787–1838) and Anna Dorothea Borse Geelmuyden (1789–1875). His brother, Georg Andreas Bull
became a noted Norwegian architect. He was also the uncle of Edvard Hagerup Bull, Norwegian judge and politician.
His father wished for him to become a minister, but he desired a musical career. At the age of four or five, he could play all of the songs he had heard his mother play on the violin. At age nine, he played first violin in the orchestra of Bergen's theatre and was a soloist with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
.
At eighteen, he was sent to the University of Christiania
, but failed his examinations. He joined the Musical Lyceum, a musical society, and after its director Waldemar Thane took ill, Bull became the director of Musical Lyceum and the Theater Orchestra in 1828. He also became friends with Henrik Wergeland
, who later wrote a biography of Bull.
, who introduced Bull to the style of Paganini
. He was eventually successful in becoming a high-level virtuoso, giving thousands of concerts. In England alone these included 274 in 1837, during which visit he also travelled to some of the more remote parts of Britain. Bull became very famous and made a huge fortune. He is believed to have composed more than 70 works, but only about 10 are known today. Best known is Sæterjentens søndag (The dairymaid's Sunday). He also was a clever luthier, after studies in Paris with Vuillaume. He collected many beautiful violins and violas of Amati
, Gasparo da Salò
, Guarneri
, Stradivari and others. He was the owner of one of the finest violins of the world, made by Gasparo da Salò about 1574 for Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
. He played a Guarneri del Gesù. The violin, a gift of his widow to Bull's birthplace, is now in the Bergen Vestlandske Kustindustrimuseum. A commercial signature line of Ole Bull violins was manufactured in Germany.
Bull was caught up in the rising tide of Norwegian romantic nationalism
and acclaimed the idea of Norway as a sovereign state, separate from Sweden
, an idea which would become reality in 1905. In 1850, he co-founded the first theater in which the actors spoke the Norwegian language, rather than Danish, namely Det Norske Theater in Bergen, which later became Den Nationale Scene
.
In the summer of 1858, Bull met the 15-year-old Edvard Grieg
. Bull was a friend of the Grieg family, since Ole Bull's brother was married to the sister of Grieg's mother. Bull noticed Edvard's talent and persuaded his parents to send him to further develop his talents at the Leipzig Conservatory.
Robert Schumann
once wrote that Bull was among "the greatest of all," and that he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Bull was also a friend of Franz Liszt
and played with him on several occasions.
several times and was met with great success. In 1852, he obtained a large tract of land in Pennsylvania
and founded a colony, which was called New Norway but which is commonly referred to as Ole Bull Colony. On 24 May 1852, he formally purchased 11144 acres (45 km²) for $10,388. The land consisted of four communities: New Bergen, now known as Carter Camp; Oleana, named after him and his mother, six miles (10 km) south of New Bergen; New Norway, one mile south of New Bergen; and Valhalla.
Bull called the highest point in Valhalla, Nordjenskald, which became the location of his unfinished castle. This venture was soon given up, as there was scarcely any land to till, and Bull went back to giving concerts.
In 1868 Bull met Sara Chapman Thorp (1850–1911), the daughter of a prosperous lumber merchant, after a concert in Madison
, Wisconsin
. On a return visit in 1870 (and despite their age difference; he was 60, she was 20), Bull began a courtship, and the couple was secretly married in Norway in June 1870, with a formal wedding in Madison later that year. They had one daughter, Olea (1871–1913).
In 1871, he bought a summer home on a rise in West Lebanon, Maine
. Extolling the purity and health benefits of its well water, he named the property Ironwell.
Sara traveled with Bull for the remainder of his career, sometimes accompanying him on the piano. After Bull's death, the family lived in Cambridge
, Massachusetts
, where Sara became a figure in local intellectual life. She translated two of the works of Jonas Lie
into English. In 1883 she published a memoir of Bull's life. In her later life she became interested in Indian religious thought
and helped sponsor early visits to the United States by gurus.
in Os
, south of Bergen, in 1872. He hired architect Conrad Fredrik von der Lippe to design a residence on the island. Bull died from cancer in his home on Lysøen on 17 August 1880. He had held his last concert in Chicago the same year, despite his illness. A testament to his fame was his funeral procession, perhaps the most spectacular in Norway's history. The ship transporting his body was guided by 15 steamers and a large number of smaller vessels.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and composer.
Background
Bull was born in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. He was the eldest of ten children of Johan Storm Bull (1787–1838) and Anna Dorothea Borse Geelmuyden (1789–1875). His brother, Georg Andreas Bull
Georg Andreas Bull
Georg Andreas Bull was a Norwegian architect and chief building inspector in Christiania for forty years. He was among the leading architects in the country, and left his mark on Norwegian building history both as a creative architect, and through his measurement studies and archeological...
became a noted Norwegian architect. He was also the uncle of Edvard Hagerup Bull, Norwegian judge and politician.
His father wished for him to become a minister, but he desired a musical career. At the age of four or five, he could play all of the songs he had heard his mother play on the violin. At age nine, he played first violin in the orchestra of Bergen's theatre and was a soloist with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions. It performs some 110 concerts a year, and is based at the 1,500-seat Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway.-History:...
.
At eighteen, he was sent to the University of Christiania
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, but failed his examinations. He joined the Musical Lyceum, a musical society, and after its director Waldemar Thane took ill, Bull became the director of Musical Lyceum and the Theater Orchestra in 1828. He also became friends with Henrik Wergeland
Henrik Wergeland
Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist...
, who later wrote a biography of Bull.
Career
After living for a while in Germany, where he pretended to study law, he went to Paris but fared badly for a year or two. In 1832 in Paris he shared rooms with the Moravian violin virtuoso Heinrich Wilhelm ErnstHeinrich Wilhelm Ernst
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst was a Moravian-Jewish violinist, violist and composer. Ernst was widely seen as the outstanding violinist of his time and one of Paganini's greatest successors....
, who introduced Bull to the style of Paganini
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
. He was eventually successful in becoming a high-level virtuoso, giving thousands of concerts. In England alone these included 274 in 1837, during which visit he also travelled to some of the more remote parts of Britain. Bull became very famous and made a huge fortune. He is believed to have composed more than 70 works, but only about 10 are known today. Best known is Sæterjentens søndag (The dairymaid's Sunday). He also was a clever luthier, after studies in Paris with Vuillaume. He collected many beautiful violins and violas of Amati
Amati
Amati is the name of a family of Italian violin makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1549 to 1740.-Andrea Amati:Andrea Amati was not the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today...
, Gasparo da Salò
Gasparo da Salò
Gasparo da Salò is the name given to Gasparo di Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and expert double bass player of which many and very detailed historical records exist.He was born in Salò on Lake Garda, in a family with legal, artistic, musical and craft interests...
, Guarneri
Guarneri
The Guarneri is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families...
, Stradivari and others. He was the owner of one of the finest violins of the world, made by Gasparo da Salò about 1574 for Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria was ruler of Further Austria including Tirol.-Life account:...
. He played a Guarneri del Gesù. The violin, a gift of his widow to Bull's birthplace, is now in the Bergen Vestlandske Kustindustrimuseum. A commercial signature line of Ole Bull violins was manufactured in Germany.
Bull was caught up in the rising tide of Norwegian romantic nationalism
Norwegian romantic nationalism
Norwegian romantic nationalism was a movement in Norway between 1840 and 1867 in art, literature, and popular culture that emphasized the aesthetics of Norwegian nature and the uniqueness of the Norwegian national identity...
and acclaimed the idea of Norway as a sovereign state, separate from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, an idea which would become reality in 1905. In 1850, he co-founded the first theater in which the actors spoke the Norwegian language, rather than Danish, namely Det Norske Theater in Bergen, which later became Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...
.
In the summer of 1858, Bull met the 15-year-old Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
. Bull was a friend of the Grieg family, since Ole Bull's brother was married to the sister of Grieg's mother. Bull noticed Edvard's talent and persuaded his parents to send him to further develop his talents at the Leipzig Conservatory.
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
once wrote that Bull was among "the greatest of all," and that he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Bull was also a friend of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
and played with him on several occasions.
Ole Bull Colony
Bull visited the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
several times and was met with great success. In 1852, he obtained a large tract of land in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and founded a colony, which was called New Norway but which is commonly referred to as Ole Bull Colony. On 24 May 1852, he formally purchased 11144 acres (45 km²) for $10,388. The land consisted of four communities: New Bergen, now known as Carter Camp; Oleana, named after him and his mother, six miles (10 km) south of New Bergen; New Norway, one mile south of New Bergen; and Valhalla.
Bull called the highest point in Valhalla, Nordjenskald, which became the location of his unfinished castle. This venture was soon given up, as there was scarcely any land to till, and Bull went back to giving concerts.
Family life
In 1836 Bull married Alexandrine Félicie Villeminot. They had six children, only two of whom survived him. Alexandrine died in 1862. Their children were:- Ole Storm Felix Bull (1837-9)
- Alexander Ole Felix Etienne Bull (1839–1914)
- Thorvald Bull (1841–1862)
- Eleonore Felicie Bull (1843–1923)
- Ernst Bornemann Bull (1844; lived only 5 days)
- Lucie Edvardine Bull (1846–1868)
In 1868 Bull met Sara Chapman Thorp (1850–1911), the daughter of a prosperous lumber merchant, after a concert in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. On a return visit in 1870 (and despite their age difference; he was 60, she was 20), Bull began a courtship, and the couple was secretly married in Norway in June 1870, with a formal wedding in Madison later that year. They had one daughter, Olea (1871–1913).
In 1871, he bought a summer home on a rise in West Lebanon, Maine
Lebanon, Maine
Lebanon is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,083 at the 2000 census. Lebanon includes the villages of Center Lebanon, West Lebanon, North Lebanon, South Lebanon and East Lebanon. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan...
. Extolling the purity and health benefits of its well water, he named the property Ironwell.
Sara traveled with Bull for the remainder of his career, sometimes accompanying him on the piano. After Bull's death, the family lived in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where Sara became a figure in local intellectual life. She translated two of the works of Jonas Lie
Jonas Lie
Jonas Lauritz Idemil Lie was a Norwegian novelist, poet, and playwright who is considered to have been one of the Four Greats of 19th century Norwegian literature, together with Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Alexander Kielland.-Background:Jonas Lie was born at Hokksund in Øvre Eiker, in...
into English. In 1883 she published a memoir of Bull's life. In her later life she became interested in Indian religious thought
Religion in India
Indian religions is a classification for religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent; namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. These religions are also classified as Eastern religions...
and helped sponsor early visits to the United States by gurus.
Later years
Ole Bull bought the island of LysøenLysøen
Lysøen is an island in the municipality of Os, Hordaland, Norway.Lysøen is also the site of Villa Lysøen , the home of Norwegian violin-virtuoso and composer Ole Bull until his death in 1880.-Villa Lysøen:...
in Os
Os, Hordaland
Os is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Due to its proximity to Bergen, Os is experiencing strong population growth. -History:...
, south of Bergen, in 1872. He hired architect Conrad Fredrik von der Lippe to design a residence on the island. Bull died from cancer in his home on Lysøen on 17 August 1880. He had held his last concert in Chicago the same year, despite his illness. A testament to his fame was his funeral procession, perhaps the most spectacular in Norway's history. The ship transporting his body was guided by 15 steamers and a large number of smaller vessels.
Legacy
- Ole Bull's villa on the island of Lysøen was donated to the Association of Norwegian Ancient Monuments Conservation. Museet Lysøen consists of violinist Ole Bull's Villa, an old farm from the 17th century.
- Oleona, in Potter CountyPotter County, PennsylvaniaPotter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
, Pennsylvania, is situated in the mountains of northern Pennsylvania at the intersection of Pennsylvania routes 44 and 144 (Ole Bull Road).
- Ole Bull State ParkOle Bull State ParkOle Bull State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Stewardson Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is located on Pennsylvania Route 144, north of Renovo and south of Galeton. Ole Bull State Park is in the Kettle Creek Valley, and is surrounded by Susquehannock...
in the Susquehannock State ForestSusquehannock State ForestSusquehannock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #15. The main office is located in Coudersport in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
is on the original site chosen for Bull's colony. The unfinished Ole Bull Castle is maintained by the park and can be visited by hikers. A monument to honor Ole Bull was placed in the park on the 150th anniversary of New Norway in 2002.
- Mammoth Cave in KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
has a room called Ole Bull's Concert Hall where he once gave performances.
- Loring ParkLoring ParkLoring Park is the largest park in the Central Community of Minneapolis, Minnesota on the southwest corner of downtown Minneapolis. It also lends its name to the surrounding neighborhood.- Park :...
in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
is the site of a bronze statue memorializing Ole Bull.
- Ole Bull Cottage, originally purchased to be a school for music by Ole Bull and his wife, is at Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, MaineEliot, MaineEliot is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,204 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
. Erected in 1896, the Ole Bull Cottage currently serves as the school library building.
- Ole Bull Academy (Ole Bull Akademiet) in Voss, Norway is a music education institution founded in 1977.
- Ole Bull Scene is a stage for cabaret, music and theater at the Ole Bull Plass in Bergen, Norway.
- Ole Bull - Gasparo da SalòGasparo da SalòGasparo da Salò is the name given to Gasparo di Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and expert double bass player of which many and very detailed historical records exist.He was born in Salò on Lake Garda, in a family with legal, artistic, musical and craft interests...
violin, a wonderful decorated masterpiece of the famous italian maker that the virtuoso used for 40 years of world tournee. Now is in the Vestlandske Kustindustrimuseum in Bergen.
- In 2006, director Aslak Aarhus released a motion picture titled Ole Bull—The Titan, the story of Bull's exploits and the impact it had on his French wife and children, who remained neglected in Bergen.
- In 2010 the Norwegian record label 2L released world premiere recordings of Ole Bull's violin concertos and his Spanish fantasy La Verbena de San Juan and a previously unknown version for violin and strings of A Sæterbesøg. The performers on the disc are Annar FollesøAnnar FollesøAnnar Follesø is a Norwegian violinist.Follesø studied with Soon-Mi Chung and Stephan Barratt-Due at the Barratt Due Music Institute, and with Mauricio Fuks at Indiana University...
, violin, and the Norwegian Radio OrchestraNorwegian Radio OrchestraThe Norwegian Radio Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra affiliated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . Its principal base is the Store Studio at the NRK headquarters in Oslo....
conducted by Ole Kristian RuudOle Kristian RuudOle Kristian Ruud is a Norwegian conductor.He studied clarinet with Richard Kjelstrup at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy and made his debut in Oslo with the National theater...
.
Media
Further reading
- Bull, Sara C. (1883) Ole Bull: a memoir by Sara C. Bull; with Ole Bull's "Violin notes," and Dr. A. B. Crosby's Anatomy of the violinist (Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1886 ed. reissued by Da Capo Press, New York, 1981) ISBN 0306761203
- Other editions: London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1886 / Boston: Longwood Press, 1978 / Ole Bull, der Geigerkönig. Ein Künstlerleben (German version by L. Ottman. Stuttgart, 1886)
- Indahl, Trond Ole Bull’s Villa (Bodoni forlag. 2010)
- Linge, Ola Ole Bull : livshistoria, mannen, kunstnaren (1953)
- Hendriksen, Knut: Ole Bull (2000)
- Bjørnstad, Ketil: Flammeslukeren Ole Bull - en livshistorie (dokumentarroman, 2005)
External links
- Ole Bull statue
- Google Earth placemark of Lysoen
- Lysoen Museum located in Lysefjorden, outside Bergen
- Ole Bull pictures on flickr commons by Bergen Public Library
- Official Ole Bull 200 year anniversary page
- List of compositions by Ole Bull
- Ole Bull's melodie La mélancolie arranged for violin and piano by Hurstinen Score from Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
- Family Genealogy (vestraat.net)