CULTURE
Norway has preserved a rich folk
culture that retains elements from the Viking age. Norwegians
today have a great interest in preserving folk art and music.
The collecting and recording of folk music is supported by the
government. Modern Norwegian culture has evolved from the great
flowering of the arts that occurred in the 19th century under
the influence of national romanticism. Early expressions of a
truly Norwegian style were produced by painter Johan Christian
Dahl and composer Edvard Grieg. Other important artists include
playwright Henrik Ibsen, writer Knut Hamsun, composer Christian
Sinding, painter Edvard Munch, and sculptor Gustav Vigeland, whose
sculpture park in Oslo has gained international attention.
Located on the outskirts of Europe
and with much of its inland population almost completely isolated
until the 20th century, Norway has been able to preserve much
of its old folk culture. On the other hand, as seafarers and traders
the Norwegians have always received fresh cultural stimuli from
abroad. A number of Norwegians have made important contributions
in return, notably the playwright Henrik Ibsen and the composer
Edvard Grieg. The Norwegian recipients of the Nobel Prize for
Literature are Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Knut Hamsun,
and Sigrid Undset.
Permanent theatres have been established
in several cities, and the state traveling theatre, the Riksteatret,
organizes tours throughout the country, giving as many as 1,200
performances annually. The Norwegian Opera, opened in 1959, requires
state subsidies (as do most other theatres). Films in Norway are
subject to censorship, primarily on grounds of violence and, to
a lesser extent, erotic content. The production of Norwegian-made
feature films is subsidized, but they usually number about 10
each year.
