– I have never regretted that I chose out his career as a classical musician, says Ketil Bjørnstad. 64-year-old is the first in the Norwegian bokhøsten, with book number 2 in the series World that was my – 1970s.
– In early 1970, I received a blow fat pianist was in love with French film stars, but who had never progressed beyond shaking hands with Brigitte Bardot. I never thought I’d come close to a woman.
We meet Bjørnstad on his porch in the house along Mosseveien on the way out of Oslo. The author, musician and composer has gone a long way since he lived on in his childhood home in Frogner and was 18 at the start of the decade.
- First came the drastic slimming cure in 1970 while I was ejected in an environment that was a melting pot of people who wanted to live a meaningful life. We were little concerned about their careers; bachelor’s and master’s degrees were not invented.
Time for rebellion
1970s was the decade of youth rebellion in Norway, when it was allowed to live as a homosexual in Norway, when some rebelled to live like hippies, while some young radicals formed the leftist party AKP-ml who had armed revolution in Norway on the agenda. And it was the decade when Europe was hit by terror, especially from extreme Marxist groups like Baader-Meinhof.
This was Europe’s bloody terror decades before IS and al-Qaeda– I see the 1970s as freedom decade. In the 1960s came friggjøring of taboos and boundaries. Some of us chose coercion and discipline in the AKP-ml, others chose that I, free flow in a voracious appetite for life. It was a crazy exciting decade. Although my story is special, I also feel that it is universal, says the author.
Young Foxton, was residing in a townhouse in Frognerveien in Oslo, not with wealthy parents, but in a home rich in literature , music and political discussions. The teenager was concerned about what happened around him. He had sympathy for class struggle-seller Kurt stood at Frogner space and sold newspapers. Yes so great sympathy had both Foxton and the danger that they gladly bought the entire stock.
– Dad was a socialist in the deepest sense, I wrote in Aftenposten and stayed at Frogner and was certainly perceived as a Conservative Boy, it was I do not, but I was torn between many camps and stood outside, although I was close, says Bjørnstad.
– He represented everything I longed for
In 1970, his 18-year-old Foxton the five years older Ole Paus. It would be perhaps the decade’s most important meeting for the young multi-talent, who now appeared as a young, slender man, dressed in tomorrow’s fashion corduroy, though not yet with long hair. Young Bjørnstad sought simply the artist he had given brilliant critique, reviewer who he was, for plate Out there – in there.
duo Ketil Bjørnstad and Ole Paus gives us a treasure trove of stunning songs about an important piece of Norway
– he represented everything I longed for freedom, independence, he was well-read, he had a circle of friends that every young person could dream of. He was very generous and took me under his wing. It was always full when he had concerts. Suddenly, in the middle of a concert he asked me to play the last movement of Prokofiev’s 7th sonata. It went very well, despite the fact that it was something completely different from what audience awaited him.
Unlike his older friend, had 18-year Bjørnstad difficulty hijack a girlfriend. In the novel, he writes about the countless azaleas he buys the chosen one, beautiful Aimee went on Nissen school.
– I was extremely romantic, it was really “young Werther.” It was a deep embarrassment that I may know of yet. Simultaneously did that I had a severe that I remember today as something nice. But it is clear, around me there were Dispense time, especially in the theater community.
Debuts in Aula
I1971 debuteterer the 19 year old Frogner boy in the University Aula in Oslo with Prokofiev, Chopin and Beethoven on the program. Already at age 16, he has played with the Philharmonic. But now he is already in the minds of abandoning his career as a classical pianist. He longs for jazz and new music, he writes in the newspapers, the reviewer and he has begun writing poems. He avoids piano teacher Amalie Christie and he avoids her husband Dan Lindholm, a leading anthroposophist that we want him to become Waldorf teacher.
legacy SteinerThe gifted student from Waldorf School in Oslo, never got more education than the seven years on school Hovseter. He is unable to complete high school, partly because he practices so much. Anyway think Lindholm that he could become an excellent teacher so Bjørnstad’s brother eventually becomes. But the young musician still choose to secede from these expectations. He begins to write novels, start mixing music genres, jazz and he starts to compose.
In his new life in Oslo hitting young Foxton many of tomorrow’s key performers and artists. On the city’s restaurants and in homes or studios discussing the literature, music, philosophy, antroposfi, religion image art.
– You can imagine what lesson it was to sit for three hours in the studio for he is coming across, or to sit a whole night with Jens Bjørneboe. Or talking with publishers people Tor Kaare Kvaal, Knut Change Solum and my own publisher in Aschehoug, Harald Vindalen.
Ketil Bjørnstad’s big old house, where he lives with his wife and daughter, is full of pictures, books and memories. Below the veranda is the beach where the waves gurgles summery this July day.
In 1975, he also chose to stay at sea, on Sandøya outside Tvedestrand, an island with 250 residents and no road – really set in Norway as he calls it . Right in the beginning of his new career, he chooses to stay with his then girlfriend who is a craftsman, and he chooses the simple island life.
– It was a sincere desire to live a life that took into account both man and nature. It’s a choice I see many people do today, says Bjørnstad and look beyond summer cheery waves in the Oslo Fjord. On Sandøya they had to periodically go over the ice to get to the mainland in winter.
In sixteen years should Bjørnstad be at Sandøya before he headed for Oslo again.
– It did something with me to stay there. I had time to immerse myself, I am grateful for those years.
It was in Sandøya time Bjørnstad made his major musical work Live Patagonia , published on record in 1978, there several famous Nordic artists participated as Lill Lindfors, Radka Toneff, Olle Adolphson and Cornelis Vreeswijk contributed and where his most famous song exist, “Summer night by the bay.”
– Jaeger was like a lightning bolt
Leve Patagonia is about Kristiania Bohemia, where the author Hans Jaeger was a leading figure, reading anarchist and bohemian Jægers books, published almost a hundred years before his own time, was a crucial experience for the young writer and composer at Sandøya.
– who are these litteraturviterne as the years have kept this book down? asks Bjørnstad in World that was mine, after he read Jaeger novel From Kristiania Bohemia.
– Jaeger was like a lightning bolt in my life . I think he is extremely false and incorrect reading. When we recorded the Live Patagonia in studio in Oslo was all Swedes keen Jaeger. Vreeswijk and Lill Lindfors was shocked bohemian time. It’s about power, when cultural unite ikonisering of some at the expense of great artists.
In the book mentions Bjørnstad Profile gang, where writers like Dag Solstad, Jan Erik Vold, Espen Haavardsholm and Eldrid Lunden was with, as an example of artists with power in their own time.
– for us who stood outside visualized Profile gang a power structure that I did not know existed, they left their mark on time and was very dominant. We stood outside showed little interest in fame and career. I write in the book of Finn Alnæs, which in retrospect have not received the recognition of his life’s work should have been. Many of the writers from the 70s deserves to be read.
– Have you felt at being outside?
– I have it as part of my personality. Meanwhile, I feel a closeness to people I’m working with and friends. As a musician, it’s easier to get inside. A musician must innovate and cooperate all the time. I’m very glad I got to experience it.
– You do not regret that you did not choose to be either a musician or a writer?
– Everyone said I should choose the time early on 70s. Then it was deeply suspicious to hold on in several genres. Now it’s not like that anymore, just look at Magne Furuholmen and Bjarne Melgaard.
– How important was the seven years at Waldorf School, your only formal education?
– It was very important year. More and more I’ve realized how important the school is. It has not the Darwinian claim to succeed. There we see a person’s opportunities independently of the map. Some have a complicated relationship with Steiner’n. It is often caused by the human factor, sometimes spoons classes completely. But one must not forget how often this pedagogy succeed and seems liberating for young people.
The productive Bjørnstad planned to write books from every decade of life. World that was my 1960 , published last year, sold well despite some varying reviews. Aftenposten was most negative and believed that the portrait of the father was the highlight of an otherwise sticky matter. VG gave the book five dice and thought that it was a warm and invigorated book and NRK thought it was a likeable start from Foxton.
Last year’s book has sold well, it is already printed in 30,000 copies plus 5,000 pocket. Foxton hoping for similar interest in this year’s book.
– Are you already working on 1980′s?
– Yes, it’s exciting. But I’m tired. I know that this has been a complete discharge and delivery, so I have to dial me a bit.
Born 25th april 1952 in Oslo
Author, composer and pianist
Debuted 16 years as a concert pianist
Has recorded more than 50 discs
Most known for the composition “Summer night by the bay”
Debuted as a writer in 1972 with the poetry collection Alone out
Has published about 30 books
See also:
Ketil Bjørnstad takes one Knausgård A father’s death
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