Art and music can leave an indelible mark on a society. Long after the artist is gone, his work lives on in the public soul. Thorbjørn Egner is such a Norwegian common property. At the same time, his children manage all rights to the artistic legacy. – We try to the best of our ability to make the choices that father would have made himself, says Bjørn Egner.
/ 04/04/2019 / Kristian Dugstad
Thorbjørn Egner was a multi-talented artist. Author, composer, visual artist, theater and radio personality. He has left behind a rich legacy that helps shape children's upbringing, as much today as when he was alive.
Some of his most famous works are "Karius and Bactus", "Klatremus and the other animals in Hakkebakkeskogen" and "Folk and robbers in Kardemomme by". Stories and music with warmth and morals.
– He had a temper, but his form was kindness, tolerance and respect for children. Much of his work was aimed precisely at children, says Bjørn Egner, son of Thorbjørn Egner.
The repertoire consists of around a hundred song lyrics and melodies, and Thorbjørn Egner became a member of TONO on December 31, 1952. Together with his three siblings, Bjørn Egner manages the economic and moral rights to his father's artistic legacy.
Egner worked with text and music from a young age. As a small boy in Kampen in Oslo, he played theater and music with the neighborhood children. After finishing school, he worked for a number of years as an advertising man during the day and a poet in the evenings. However, it was NRK that would become the arena where several of his most iconic works were created.
– After World War II, he began working on the radio. One of the first programs he created was Maleklubben, where he introduced drawing and painting to young listeners. It is quite unique to introduce visual art on the radio, says Bjørn Egner.
Radio listeners were given thematic painting assignments and could submit the results to the national broadcaster. As inspiration for the children, Egner wrote songs. He created immortal songs such as "Bamsen's Birthday" and "Animals in Africa" to give radio listeners motives for their drawings.
– After submitting one drawing, they became apprentice painters, after five they became journeymen painters and after ten: Master painters. This became so popular that NRK had to hire someone to keep order. They eventually gave up on the whole project. It got too overwhelming!
But Egners continued to create well-known and beloved stories and songs for NRK. He continued his projects in Barnetimen for the youngest, and it was here that the stories about Hakkebakkeskogen and Kardemomme By were created, as musical radio plays.
– He collaborated closely with composer Christian Hartmann, who composed the melodies for the stories about Winnie the Pooh and Doctor Animal in the children's class for the little ones, and many of the melodies for "Animals in Hakkebakkeskogen". However, it was father himself who composed the music for "People and Robbers in Kardemomme Town."
30 years after Thorbjørn Egner's death, his texts, images and, not least, his music are still far ahead in the consciousness of Norwegians. It is now almost 70 years since several of his greatest works were published. Bjørn Egner says that he and his siblings have an active relationship with the management of his legacy.
– We try our best to make the right judgments about what people should and shouldn't be allowed to change. My father always worked at home, so growing up we followed the process and the work. We believe we have a certain basis for making the decisions he would have made.
It is no secret that the Egner family is very protective of their father's artistic work. Those who want to use works by Thorbjørn Egner must therefore stick closely to the originals, and there is little room for changes. As a result, the family has also said no to exploiting the financial potential.
– It is clear that we have received many inquiries. There are many who would have liked to have used Karius and Baktus in advertisements for toothpaste and toothbrushes. But we have not wanted to think commercially.
The copyright term is 70 years after the author's death. This means that Thorbjørn Egner's material is protected until 2060. In addition to the work the Egner family does themselves, theater, book and music publishers contribute to the administration. Unni Boretti is the Publishing Director of Norsk Musikforlag, which protects Egner's music.
– We create arrangements and editions of the music Egner composed, often together with Hartmann. Sheet music for piano and choir, and songbooks. This is how we help to spread this cultural treasure, she says.
The publishers are actively working to make the material accessible to as many people as possible and to limit illegal use. They want to safeguard the artists' vision and financial interests.
– As a publisher, you don't just work with the living, but often with composers and lyricists who have passed away. Many don't actually receive recognition until after their death, and it's important that descendants get their share.
The interest in, and love for, Klatremus, Mikkel Rev, Police Chief Bastian and Karius and Baktus does not seem to be waning. As recently as 2016, the animated film "Dyrene i Hakkebakkeskogen" was released, with a very recognizable script, music and appearance. The reviews included "Evigaraktuelle Egner" (VG), "Mer enn et nostalgisk pliktløp" (NRK) and "Et mesterverk" (DB).
– I see no reason why Egner should not continue to be great. If it were to fade away, it should have happened already. These works are so imprinted through generations that I believe they will remain relevant for many years to come. He is a monument, says Unni Boretti at Norsk Musikforlag.
The Egner family wants to preserve their father's attention to detail for as long as possible. Mikkel Rev will keep his striped sweater, and Aunt Sofie's straw hat. Recognition has its own value, says Bjørn Egner.
– I think it's right that it should be preserved as it is, so that others can create new stories. Every time a performance is put on, there is a theater critic on the scene. They may have seen the play three, four, five times before. Then they sigh that nothing new is being made, or changed. But these performances are for children, and they are supposed to reach new children. They are not for the critics.
Thorbjørn Egner's artistic legacy lives on, including through the animated film "Animals in Hakkebakkeskogen".