User:Aqwis/Ole Bull

Ole Bornemann Bull (5 February 1810 – 17 August 1880) was a Norwegian violinist and composer.

Early life
Ole Bornemann Bull was born in Bergen on 5 February 1810. He grew up in the Svaneapoteket pharmacy in Strandgaten. His father, Johan Storm Bull, had inherited the pharmacy from his father, also called Ole Bornemann Bull, in 1810. His mother was Anna Dorothea Borse Geelmuyden, who worked with her husband in the pharmacy. Having married in October 1809, Ole was their first child. He would eventually have 9 siblings, six brothers and three sisters, of which one died in her first year. In addition to the pharmacy, Johan Storm had inherited the farm of Valestrand in Osterøy, where the family spent their summers.

Anna Dorothea's brother, Jens Geelmuyden, was an amateur cellist and member of the musical ensemble "Harmonien". Ole Bull was inspired by his uncle's weekly performances in the pharmacy, and Jens gave Bull his first violin at the age of 5 and taught him musical notation. Bull's first music teacher was Niels Erichsen, a professional musician.

At 18, he was sent to the University of Christiania, but failed his examinations.

After living for a while in Germany where he pretended to study law, he went to Paris and fared badly for a year or two. 1832 in Paris he shared room with the Moravian virtuoso violinist Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst who introduced Bull to the style of Paganini. He was eventually successful in giving concerts, became famous, and made a fortune.

He 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. This was one of the reasons for including variations on folk tunes in his concerts. In 1850, he co-founded the first theatre in which the actors spoke Norwegian, not 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, as 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.

United States


Bull visited the United States several times and played with great success. In 1853, he obtained a large tract of land in Pennsylvania and founded a colony, which was called New Norway. On May 24, 1853, he formally purchased 11144 acre for $10,388. The land consisted of four communities: New Bergen (now known as Carter Camp), Oleana (named for himself and his mother) six miles (10 km) south of New Bergen, New Norway one mile south of New Bergen, and close by, Valhalla. The high point of Valhalla Bull called 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.

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.

Later years and death
Ole Bull bought the island of Lysøen 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 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
The village of Oleona, in Potter County, Pennsylvania, flourishes nestled in the mountains of northern PA at the intersection of PA routes 44 and 144 (Ole Bull Road). Although officially known as "Oleona" today, many maps of the area, and even the official roadside village boundary signs refer to it as "Oleana". Ole Bull State Park in the Susquehannock State Forest is the original site chosen for Bull's colony. What is left of the unfinished Ole Bull Castle is frequently visited by hikers along a trail, on the side of a mountain with a beautiful view, and is maintained by the park.

In Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, there is a room called Ole Bull's Concert Hall, because he actually gave performances there.

In Loring Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, there is a huge bronze statue memorializing Bull.

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.