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1-50 of 813
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lorene Yarnell Jansson was born on 21 March 1944 in Inglewood, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Spaceballs (1987), The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) and Bye Bye Birdie (1963). She was married to Bjorn Jansson, Robert Shields and John R. Hartmann. She died on 29 July 2010 in Sandefjord, Norway.- Julie Ege was born on 12 November 1943 in Sandnes, Norway. She was an actress, known for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), The Final Programme (1973) and Not Now Darling (1973). She was married to Alf Kruger-Monsen and Erland Skatten. She died on 29 April 2008 in Oslo, Norway.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
The daughter of a fur wholesaler in Norway, Sonja Henie received her first pair of ice skates when she was six. At 14 she was the Norwegian Skating Champion. At 15 she would win the Olympic gold medal in Skating, a feat she would repeat in 1932 and 1936. In 1936 she would turn professional and tour with her own ice show. She was signed by 20th Century-Fox and debuted in One in a Million (1936), in which she played an ice skater. The picture was very successful, Sonja continued to make a series of light comedies throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. More a testament to her skating skills and physical appearance than her acting prowess, the films were nevertheless profitable and her popularity soared. Her films' success garnered financial success for the Hollywood Ice Revues that she produced and starred every year. Her movie career wound down during the mid-'40s, but she continued skating until she retired in 1960. An astute businesswoman and due to marrying shipping magnate Niels Onstad ("the Onassis of Norway") in 1956, Sonja was one of the ten wealthiest women in the world when she died of leukemia in 1969.- Sari Price was born on 9 May 1933 in Denison, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for Orions belte (1985), Turnaround (1987) and The Fall Guy (1981). She was married to Mike Elliot. She died on 14 October 2003 in Oslo, Norway.
- Anna-Lisa was born on 30 March 1933 in Oslo, Norway. She was an actress, known for Black Saddle (1959), The Search for the Evil One (1967) and Ben Casey (1961). She died on 21 March 2018 in Oslo, Norway.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Geir Vegar Hoel was born on 15 November 1973 in Stord, Norway. He was an actor and director, known for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014), Dead Snow (2009) and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013). He died on 8 November 2021 in Stavanger, Norway.- Keiko, a Genus Orca whale, was born in 1976 and captured off the coast of Iceland in 1979. He was sold to the marine park industry, and in 1985 he arrived to Reino Aventura in Mexico City where and lived a normal life for a captive whale until 1993. In that year, he was cast as "Willy" in the movie "Free Willy," capturing the hearts of millions of children and adults worldwide. Afterwards, Life magazine made an article where it showed of the horrible conditions in in which he lived in Reino Aventura so an international pledge was started, and enough money was raised to have him sent to the Oregon Coast Aquarium; before being airlifted back to Iceland in 1998 to prepare him for a return to the wild.
He was trained to survive in the wild and released in July of 2002, but he longed for human contact. He swam 870 miles; eventually ending up in Helsa, Norway in September of 2002, where local residents played with him often; so much so that animal protection authorities banned anyone from approaching him. He was looked after by whale keepers for the last year of life, suddenly coming down with pneumonia on December 10, 2003. He died a day later. - Music Department
- Composer
- Writer
Edvard Hagerup Grieg (Greig) was born on on June 15, 1843, in Bergen, Norway. His father, named Alexander Greig (originally McGregor), was English consul of Scottish origin. His mother, named Gesine Hagerup, was an educated pianist. Grieg grew up among three sisters and an elder brother. He began piano studies with his mother at the age of six. His mother's brother-in-law, a famous violinist Ole Bull, recommended Grieg to study at the Leipzig Conservatory. From 1858-1862 he studied music in Leipzig under the tutelage of Ignaz Moscheles and graduated with honors. From 1863-1866 Grieg lived in Copenhagen, where he continued his music studies with 'Niels W. Gade'. He made progress towards Scandinavian folk music while being an apprentice of Rikard Nordraak. Soon Grieg emancipated himself from the German romantic tradition and grew towards the development of his original style. Grieg's harmonies became unorthodox, rich, and challenging for a public conditioned to classic compositions of Mozart and Haydn. During the winter of 1865-1866 he was in Rome, where he performed his music and earned a European reputation.
His love of the Norwegian folk culture and traditional melodies became evident in his compositions written after 1866, the year Grieg returned to Norway. He settled in Christiania (Oslo) and established himself as a music teacher and concert performer. At the same time Grieg became the founder of a concert society "Eutherpe" with a choir and a symphony orchestra. His collection of "Lyrical Pieces" for piano made him a fine reputation among musicians. Grieg was called the "Chopin of the North" by Hans Bulow. In 1867 Grieg married his cousin Nina Hagerup, and their only child died being only one year old. His famous Piano Concerto in A minor was completed in 1868 and performed in Copenhagen. With a letter of recommendation from Franz Liszt, Grieg received a state stipend for his studies in Italy and spent a winter of 1869-1870 in Rome. There Grieg performed his music and had meetings with Franz Liszt and other European musicians. His collaboration with Norwegian writer Bjornson also began in Rome. During the 1870's Grieg and Bjornson made several dramatic compositions together. In 1876 Grieg was asked by Henrik Ibsen to write the incidental music to "Peer Gynt", a play about the Norwegian folk hero. Later Grieg made two "Peer Gynt" Suites for concert performances, which scored international success.
In 1872 Grieg was made a member of the Royal Music Society in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1874 Grieg was awarded the state annual grant of 1600 kronen from the Norwegian Storthing. He quit teaching and returned to his hometown of Bergen. There he chose a natural environment for his work. Grieg composed much of his music among the picturesque landscape of forest, mountains, and sea at the Hardanger fjord. There he had a cottage with a Steinway baby grand piano. Grieg's admiration with serenity and beauty of the Norwegian landscapes was the essential part of his music. Grieg wrote music of a distinguished lyrical quality and emotional depth, which he expressed through refined melody lines and sophisticated harmonic changes. His symphonic "Norwegian dances" and "Norwegian peasant dances" allude to Scandinavian folk melodies. The "Peer Gynt" suites and such pieces as "Solvejg's Song" and "Ein Schwan" are characterized with power for creating pictures in the listener's mind, which made them suitable for many film scores.
From 1878-1880 Grieg and his wife Nina, a professional singer, went on a two-year journey. Grieg performed in many cities of Europe. He was giving performances of his Piano Concerto in London during the 1880s and 1890s. Grieg died on September 4, 1907, in Bergen, Norway, and was laid to rest in a mountain cave at his countryside estate in Troldhaugen, Norway. His wife Nina lived to the age of 90 and made Grieg's villa in Troldhaugen into a museum. A concert hall was built nearby to house the annual festivals of Grieg's music.- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Ivo Caprino was born on 17 February 1920 in Oslo, Norway. He was a director and writer, known for Owls in the Marsh (1959), The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975) and The Ashlad and the Hungry Troll (1967). He was married to Liv Bredal. He died on 8 February 2001 in Snarøya, Oslo, Norway.- Writer
- Soundtrack
Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20th in Stockmannsgerden in Skien. His mother was Marichen and his father was Knud, a merchant. On 1835 his father gave up his business and the family moved to Venstop, a farm in Gjerpen. In 1843 he confirmed in Gjerpen church and left home in order to apprentice to Jens Aarup Reinmann, chemist. Three years later his first son was born by Else Sophie Jesdatter. On 1849 he wrote Catiline which was published a year later. On September 26, 1850 the first Ibsen staging in history took place; the one-act The Burial Mound was performed at Cristiania Theater. Two years later he started directing productions at Det norske Theater in Bergen. From 1853 to 1877 he wrote the plays St. John's night, Lady Inger, The feast at Solhoug, Olaf Liliekrans, The Vikings at Helgeland, Love's comedy, The pretenders, Brand, Peer Gynt, The League of Youth, Emperor and Galilean and Pillars of Society and the poems Life on the Upland, Terje Vigen and Balloon letter to a Swedish lady. Meanwhile he married Suzannah Thoresen in 1858 and his second son Sigurg was born a year later. In 1878 he moved to Rome where he lived for seven years. There he started writing the circle of his 11 last plays that made him classic; A Doll's House (1879), Ghosts (1881), An Enemy of the people (1882), The Wild Duck (1884), Rosmersholm (1886), The Lady from the Sea (1888), Hedda Gabler (1890), The Master Builder (1892), Little Ejolf (1894) John Gabriel Borkman (1896) and his last one When We Dead Awaken (1898). The same year large-scale celebrations took place in Christiania, Copenhagen and Stockholm for his 70th birthday. Two years later he had his first stroke. On May 23rd 1906 he died.- Actor
- Casting Department
- Additional Crew
Tommy Karlsen was born on 9 June 1975 in Baerum, Norway. He was an actor, known for Death at Oslo Central (1990), Lilyhammer (2012) and De blå ulvene (1993). He was married to Birte Nordahl. He died on 6 February 2024 in Oslo, Norway.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Rolv Wesenlund was born on 17 September 1936 in Horten, Norway. He was an actor and writer, known for Fleksnes fataliteter (1972), Den siste Fleksnes (1974) and Bør Børson Jr. (1974). He was married to Ruth. He died on 18 August 2013 in Norway.- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Paul Gégauff was born on 10 August 1922 in Blotzheim, Haut-Rhin, France. He was a writer and actor, known for Purple Noon (1960), Frankenstein 90 (1984) and This Man Must Die (1969). He was married to Danièle Gégauff. He died on 24 December 1983 in Gjovik, Norway.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Jon Skolmen was born on 1 November 1940 in Oslo, Norway. He was an actor and writer, known for Den ofrivillige golfaren (1991), Sällskapsresan eller Finns det svenskt kaffe på grisfesten (1980) and Fortuna (1993). He was married to Kirsti Elisabeth Halvorsen. He died on 28 March 2019 in Oslo, Norway.- Eva was born in New York, USA, with a Norwegian father and a Swedish mother, Ragni. They divorced when Eva was 6 years old and Ragni remarried the actor Uno Henning.
Eva was accepted to the Royal Dramatic Theater's acting school in 1938. She had some minor roles both on the stage and in a few movies before she got a major breakthrough with Elvira Madigan (1943). When she met Hasse Ekman in 1944 it was the start of a reciprocally useful relationship, both artistically and personally. She was slim and beatiful but he gave her roles that demanded more than just a pretty face, perhaps most of all in Banketten (1948), where she is a subjugated wife of a sadistic husband who is in complete control of her. She had other memorable roles, notably the young actress Pia in _Vandring med månen (1945)_ or as Dagmar Brink in Girl with Hyacinths (1950).
After their divorce in 1953 she married the Norwegian actor Toralv Maurstad and did a lot of work at theaters in Norway. - Actress
- Writer
Kjersti Holmen was born on 8 February 1956 in Norway. She was an actress and writer, known for Blodsbånd (1998), Max Manus: Man of War (2008) and People in the Sun (2011). She was married to Reidar Sørensen. She died on 26 September 2021 in Oslo, Norway.- Marianne Ihlen was born on 18 May 1935 in Larkollen, Norway. She was married to Jan Stang and Axel Jensen. She died on 29 July 2016 in Oslo, Norway.
- Cinematographer
Joachim Rønneberg was born on 30 August 1919 in Alesund, Norway. He was a cinematographer, known for Secret War (2012), Les combattants de l'ombre - Des résistants européens contre le nazisme (2011) and Norge Rundt (1976). He was married to Liv Foldal. He died on 21 October 2018 in Alesund, Norway.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Arve Opsahl was born on 14 May 1921 in Oslo, Norway. He was an actor, known for Olsen-banden og Dynamitt-Harry går amok (1973), The Smugglers (1968) and Olsen-banden (1969). He was married to Mary Opsahl and Liv Wiise. He died on 29 April 2007 in Oslo, Norway.- Actress
- Producer
- Production Manager
Aud Egede-Nissen was born on 30 May 1893 in Bergen, Norway. She was an actress and producer, known for Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922), Das Phantom der Oper (1916) and Deception (1920). She was married to Paul Richter and Georg Alexander. She died on 6 November 1974 in Oslo, Norway.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Hans Erik Dyvik Husby, also known as Hank von Helvete, Hertugen (The Duke) and Hertis, most famous for being the lead vocalist of the Norwegian death-punk band Turbonegro.
Husby went through detox while living at the Moskenes island in Lofoten, Norway. Here he worked at Norsk Fiskeværsmuseum in Å, as well as working as a presenter at Moskenesradioen, a local radio station.
One of Husby's favorite singers is David Bowie. He is a supporter of FC St. Pauli, a German football-club.
According to Norwegian press, Husby was married to Heidi Riise in 2004, but they separated in 2007.
Husby is married to model Gro Skaustein (28). The couple has a daughter together, who was born on December 22, 2008.- Norwegian novelist Knut Hamsun was born to a poor family and sent to live with an uncle, a commercial fisherman. He grew up without any formal schooling. Hamsun left Norway for the U.S. twice: once in 1882, and again in 1886. Each time he stayed in the U.S. for two years, holding various jobs including farmhand and Chicago streetcar conductor. He was often poverty-stricken. His first novel "Hunger" is autobiographical and about poverty, alienation, and desperation, and, innovatively: consciousness and intense inner states. He returned to Norway and wrote several more novels, all well-received, original, and successful. He won the Nobel Prize in 1920 for "Growth of the Soil," but gradually became reclusive due to his need to write combined with and his cranky temperament. Norwegians were dismayed when in the 1930's he expressed his support for Hitler. Although he claimed his sentiments were more anti-British than pro-German, he spoke in favor of National Socialism and was vilified in Norway. His rocky relations with his children and second wife are the subject of Hamsun (1996). In 1948, he was briefly imprisoned, and his assets were seized by the state. He died penniless in 1952. Hamsun was rehabilitated posthumously, and is again considered one of the great modern Scandinavian novelists.
- Actor
- Editorial Department
Jørgen Langhelle was born on 18 August 1965 in Sandnes, Norway. He was an actor, known for The Thing (2011), I Am Dina (2002) and Arn: The Knight Templar (2007). He died on 3 August 2021 in Nesodden, Norway.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Espen Skjønberg was born on 7 April 1924 in Asker, Norway. He was an actor, known for Secondløitnanten (1993), Codename: Kyril (1988) and O'Horten (2007). He was married to Mona Hofland. He died on 26 August 2022 in Norway.- Ari Behn was born on 30 September 1972 in Århus, Denmark. He was married to Prinsesse Märtha Louise. He died on 25 December 2019 in Lommedalen, Norway.
- Rustam Louis Foss was an actor, known for Essential Killing (2010), Lilyhammer (2012) and Skyggene av byen - Pilot (2015). He died on 9 November 2021 in Norway.
- Bjørge Lillelien studied journalism in the USA. After that he worked in newspapers in Chicago and New York, before returning home. In 1957 he was employed by NRK (the Norwegian State Broadcasting Corporation). From 1967 he started work at their news and sports desk, and through the years gained an increasing reputation as Norway's best sports commentator on both radio and television, specializing on ski-sports and football (soccer). Through the years Lillelien delivered several memorable outbursts of joy when commenting for Norwegian radio-listeners and TV-viewers. In 1985 he published a successful autobiography, but sadly he died only two years later.
- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Forrestal was born on 13 May 1948 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK. He was an actor and assistant director, known for Lifeforce (1985), Titanic (1997) and Brazil (1985). He died on 10 June 2000 in Lysefjord, Norway.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Per Ohlin was born on 16 January 1969 in Sweden. He was an actor, known for Lords of Chaos (2018) and Candlemass: Bewitched (1988). He died on 8 April 1991 in Norway.- Alf Blütecher was born on 7 February 1880 in Lårdal, Norway. He was an actor, known for A Trip to Mars (1918), The End of the World (1916) and Manden med de ni Fingre II (1915). He died on 5 March 1959 in Oslo, Norway.
- This diminutive actress is without a doubt one of Norway's most beloved entertainer. A gripping dramatic actress as well as a world class comedienne, you wouldn't know it by looking at her. After debuting on stage just after the German occupation of Norway ended in 1945 she went on to became one of the countries most versatile performers. Her starring role as Mrs Piper (aka Lily Hansen) in the farce "Busybody" ("Skulle det dukke opp flere lik er det bare å ringe") is legendary. The part won her the Norwegian Critic's Award in 1969 and resulted in a Norwegian film version in 1970. The movie was seen by roughly 15% of the Norwegian public. On screen she was also memorable as Valborg, the wife of criminal Kjell, in 14 crime-comedies about "Olsenbanden" from 1968 to 1999. On TV she will be fondly remembered as Modern (Mom) in "Fleksnes fataliteter" (1973), the most popular sitcom in Scandinavian history. She re-teamed with "Fleksnes"-writer/director Bo Hermansson to star in two other popular sitcoms, "Fredrikssons fabrikk" in 1990 and "Nr 13" in 1999.
- Director
- Producer
- Actor
José Bohr was born on 3 September 1901 in Bonn, Germany. He was a director and producer, known for Luponini de Chicago (1935), Dreams of Love (1935) and Por mis pistolas (1938). He was married to Eva Limiñana. He died on 29 May 1994 in Oslo, Norway.- Soundtrack
Euronymous was born on 22 March 1968 in Norway. He died on 10 August 1993 in Oslo, Norway.- Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling was born in 1887. An army officer, he served as military attaché in Petrograd from 1918-19 and in Helsinki from 1919-21, later assisting Fridtjof Nansen in relief work in Russia. He was Norwegian minister of defense from 1931 to 1933. He then left the Agrarian party to found the fascist Nasjonal Samling [National Unity] party. In 1940 he secretly aided Germany in its invasion and conquest of Norway, and as a reward was installed by the Germans as head of the collaborationist Norwegian government. Almost universally despised in Norway, and not particularly popular with his German masters, he nevertheless remained in power until May of 1945, when he was arrested after the Germans in Norway surrendered. He was tried by the post-occupation Norwegian government for high treason, convicted, sentenced to death and executed by firing squad. From his last name has come the commonly accepted epithet for one who turns traitor and collaborates with the enemy: "quisling".
- Actress
- Writer
Wenche Foss was born on 5 December 1917 in Oslo, Norway. She was an actress and writer, known for Vildanden (1963), Flåklypa Grand Prix (2000) and I Am Dina (2002). She was married to Thomas Stang and Alf Scott-Hansen, Jr.. She died on 28 March 2011 in Oslo, Norway.- Actress
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Minken Fosheim was born on 20 March 1956 in Oslo, Norway. She was an actress and writer, known for Karl & Co (1998), Fortuna (1993) and Tusenårsfesten (1999). She was married to André Wienskol. She died on 7 June 2018 in Oslo, Norway.- Arne Lie was born on 25 September 1921 in Norway. He was an actor, known for Vårnatt (1976), Stompa forelsker seg (1965) and Stompa & Co (1962). He was married to Irene Thomsen Lie. He died on 22 January 1982 in Norway.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
The popular actress Kirsten Heiberg belonged to a small club of Norwegian actresses who became famous in foreign films. She had a fine film career in Germany in the thirties and forties, in musicals, crime, and spy films, often seen as a foreign "femme fatal". Her stage debut came in Bergen in 1929, later she worked in several small theaters in Oslo. Made her first film appearance in 1934, than she acted in both Norwegian and Swedish films until she settled in Germany, marrying composer Franz Grothe in 1938. Among her best known films are: Napoleon ist an allem schuld (1938) and Liebespremiere (1943) After the war she returned to Norway and worked at the theater in Trondheim from 1952 to 1960. Last film-part in a film by Nils R. Müller in 1966. "Die Heiberg", as she was called in Germany, died on March the second 1976, near the age of 69.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Arne Skouen was born on 18 October 1913 in Oslo, Norway. He was a writer and director, known for Nine Lives (1957), Fire in the Night (1955) and Cirkus Fandango (1954). He died on 24 May 2003 in Oslo, Norway.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Harald Heide-Steen Jr. was born on 18 August 1939 in Oslo, Norway. He was an actor and director, known for Fortuna (1993), Flåklypa Grand Prix (2000) and Sommer i byen (1962). He died on 3 July 2008 in Oslo, Norway.- Helge Reiss was born on 27 February 1928 in Norway. He was an actor and writer, known for Greven av Monte Christo (1965), Flåklypa Grand Prix (2000) and The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975). He died on 11 November 2009 in Norway.
- Ole-Jørgen Nilsen was born on 28 February 1936 in Halden, Norway. He was an actor, known for Blindpassasjer (1978), Hotel Cæsar (1998) and Et dukkehjem (1973). He was married to Kari Rasmussen. He died on 15 June 2008 in Strømmen, Akershus, Norway.
- Celebrated Norwegian comedian with a special talent for dialects. On stage from 1938, when he became an actor at the Komedia Theater in his hometown Bergen. Later he was engaged at Chat Noir in Oslo,and made many touring around Norway with different company's, including Book-Jenssen, and later with The Norwegian Travelling Theater.
In film and television he had many small, but effective parts in comedies, often seen as a guard, clerk or watchman.
For Norwegian children he became an idol as the character "Bodø" in the Radio plays about "Stompa" (based on Anthony Buckeridge's "Jennings at School"). - Elsa Lystad was born on 9 July 1930 in Oslo, Norway. She was an actress, known for Fredrikssons fabrikk - The movie (1994), Fredrikssons fabrikk (1990) and Sweetwater (1988). She was married to Arpad Robert Istvan Szemes . She died on 26 December 2023 in Oslo, Norway.
- Gunnar Tolnæs was a trained actor with an extensive career on the stage, including Nationalteatret in Oslo. Made his film debut in Swedish films working with Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöström. Came to Denmark in 1915 and worked exclusively for Nordisk Film, where he soon became their biggest attraction after Valdemar Psilander left the studio in 1916. A favorite with the ladies the tall, stately Norwegian with the slumbering eyes thrilled audiences playing men of authority especially maharajahs in a string of dramas. However, having made a fortune and growing tired of 'sheik films',as he called them, he retired early.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Charismatic and very popular Norwegian stage and screen actor, also a gifted fiddler. Educated at a military academy in Bergen, his only connection with theater was as an extra at the local stage: Den Nationale Scene. But with a growing interest for the art of theater, he got an engagement at The Norwegian Theater in 1920 and, from 1931, he was engaged at The National Theater, both in Oslo.
He became one of Norway's finest character actors, at his best, as "Peer Gynt", (Henrik Ibsen) and as "James Tyrone" (Eugene O'Neill).
In Norway, he became a big movie star with his leading roles in films like: Fant (1937), Gjest Baardsen (1939), Tørres Snørtevold (1940) and Trysil-Knut (1942), among others.
As an individual, he was an ordinary and likeable fellow, often visiting his homewards in Bryggja, Nordfjord, where he was a true local hero!- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in Stranstuen, Hamar, Norway, Norwegian soprano Kisten Flagstad's father was a conductor, and her mother was a singing coach and pianist as well as her first teacher. Flagstad continued her studies in Oslo with Ellen Schyte-Jacobsen and in Stockholm with Dr. Gillis Bratt. While still a student, she made her début at the National Theater in Oslo in 1913 as Nuri in D'Albert's Tiefland. For the next 18 years she sang exclusively in Scandinavia, performing in opera, operetta and musical comedy. Flagstad's first Isolde in Oslo in 1932 led to Bayreuth engagements in minor parts in 1933 and to roles as Sieglinde and Gutrune in 1934. Later in 1934, Flagstad turned her sights on North America and auditioned at the Metropolitan Opera to succeed the reigning Wagnerian soprano Frida Leider. Her unheralded Met début as Sieglinde, broadcast nationwide on February 2, 1935, created a sensation. Four days later, she sang Isolde, and later that month, performed Brünhilde in Die Walküre and Die Götterdämmerung for the first time. Almost overnight she was regarded as the pre-eminent Wagnerian soprano of her generation. Later that season, Flagstad also sang Elsa, Elisabeth, and her first Kundry. Fidelio (1936) was her only non-Wagnerian role at the Met before the war. She sang the same repertory in San Francisco in 1935-38 and in Chicago in 1937.
In 1936 and 1937 she performed the roles of Isolde, Brünhilde and Senta at Covent Garden under Sir Thomas Beecham, Fritz Reiner and Wilhelm Furtwängler, arousing as much enthusiasm there as in New York. In 1941 Flagstad returned to Nazi-occupied Norway to join her second husband, whose collaboration with the Nazis led to his arrest after World War II. Although her own wartime record was free from controversy, her return to Norway during the war and a certain political naïvété in her nature created much ill-feeling towards her, particularly in the USA.
During four consecutive Covent Garden seasons, from 1948 to 1951, Flagstad repeated all her regular Wagnerian roles, including Kundry and Sieglinde. She returned to San Francisco in 1948 but was not invited back to the Metropolitan Opera until Sir Rudolph Bing became manager. In the 1950-1951 season, although she was well into her 50s, she showed herself still in remarkable form as Isolde, Brünnhilde and Fidelio. Flagstad's final role at the Metropolitan Opera was as Alceste in Gluck's opera. Her final operatic performances were as Purcell's Dido at the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1953. Flagstad continued to record and sing concerts, and was director of the Norwegian National Opera from 1958-1960.
The enduring purity, beauty and power of Flagstad's tone probably owed much, not only to natural gifts and sound training, but to the enforced repose of the war years and the fact that she had undertaken no heavy roles until middle life. She was regarded as an impeccable musician in matters of rhythm and intonation. While she was not the most dramatic or magnetic of Wagnerian heroines, no one within living memory surpassed her sheer beauty and consistency of line and tone. Of her many records, the complete Tristan und Isolde with Furtwängler undoubtedly offers the finest memorial to her interpretive art in its maturity. Her pre-war recordings, however, showcase her voice in its freshest brilliance and clarity.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Stein Winge was born on 10 November 1940 in Oslo, Norway. He was an actor and director, known for Norwegian Cozy (2011), Death at Oslo Central (1990) and The Heavy Water War: Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb (2015). He was married to Kari Onstad Winge. He died on 26 February 2024 in Norway.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Henki Kolstad was born on 3 February 1915 in Oslo, Norway. He was an actor and director, known for Kampen om tungtvannet (1948), Vildanden (1963) and Det kunne vært deg (1952). He was married to Else Kolstad. He died on 14 July 2008 in Oslo, Norway.- Lars Andreas Larssen was born on 27 March 1935 in Melbu, Norway. He was an actor and writer, known for Borgen skole (1989), Nine Lives (1957) and Kirsebærhaven (1973). He was married to Sonja Lid, Monna Tandberg and Thrine Naumann. He died on 29 January 2014 in Norway.