Debussy in the Thaulow exhibition

10 June – 21 August
Concerts every Wednesday and Friday in Permanenten
Every Wednesday and Friday
16:00

At the end of the nineteenth century, a new direction in music emerged. Instead of clear forms and a dramatic, goal‑oriented development typical of Romantic music, composers began to prioritise sound itself.

This music focuses on tone colour, atmosphere and fleeting impressions, distancing itself from rhetorical or descriptive expression. It does not aim to depict the sea, but to evoke the sensation of being by the sea.

In this way, it shares affinities with both symbolism and impressionism in poetry and visual art.

This musical direction is particularly associated with the French composer Claude Debussy. He employed whole‑tone scales, church modes and unconventional harmonies, creating music with a sensuous and ambiguous character.

We also find many examples of this approach in Norway. Edvard Grieg wrote works in which sound and harmonic colour take precedence, and similar tendencies appear in the music of Agathe Backer Grøndahl. Later, the impressionist influence can be traced in the works of Alf Hurum, Geirr Tveitt, Pauline Hall and David Monrad Johansen.

The concert lasts 30 minutes.

The pianist of the week performs the concerts throughout the summer season. See the overview below to find out who is playing when.

9.–14. juni 2026 – Kei Solvang

16.–21. juni 2026 – Ellisiv Tandberg

23.–28. juni 2026 – Frode Skag Storheim

30. juni–5. juli 2026 – Fabrice Vestad

7.–12. juli 2026 – Sara Smiseth

14.–19. juli 2026 – Tore Eide Bordal

21.–26. juli 2026 – Stefan Ibsen Zlatanos

28. juli–2. august 2026 – Oda Voltersvik

4.–9. august 2026 – Martha Berit Belt

11.–16. august 2026 – Eirik Haug Stømner

18.–23. august 2026 – Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy

25.–30. august 2026 – Romolo Ludovico Lanza

1.–6. september 2026 – Ingunn Tennøe

8.–13. september 2026 – Olga Jørgensen