Egge was born in Gransherad, Telemark, Norway. He was the son Rasmus Klausen Egge and Rakel Abrahamsdatter Iversen. He graduated from the teacher school at Stord in 1927 and then started at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. He trained under with Arild Sandvold on the organ and with Gustav Lange in harmony. In 1929 he graduated and in the following years he worked as a primary school teacher in Porsgrunn. He continued his musical education with private lessons from Nils Larsen and composition lessons with Fartein Valen. On April 4, 1934, he debuted as a composer at the University of Oslo. In 1937-38, he studied with Walther Gmeindel in Berlin. He taught at the Frogner, Berle and Vestheim Gymnasium until 1945.
Career
Egge's musical development can be separated into three periods. In the first period, folk music was the central source of inspiration. The second period is the period where Egge develops a more universal tonal language. The second period peaks with his development into a metamorphic technique, one where a musical motif undergoes repeated transformations. The third period can be defined as the time Egge explores the twelve-tone technique. The piano works Draumkvæ Sonata and Fantasi i Halling, generally viewed as standards in Norwegian repertoire, are both pieces that represent Egges first compositional period. Following the Second World War, the folk music elements of Egge's compositions gradually become less pronounced, and were succeeded by a more universal tonal language. Egge retains his distinct, clear diatonic passages, frequently contrasted by sharp dissonances. One of the distinct traits of this compositional period is Egge's development of a metamorphosis technique, in which motifs are subjected to repeated transformations. This technique reaches its pinnacle with Egge's 1966 Cello Concerto, first movement entitled Preludio metamorfico. Egge's final compositional period was characterized by his focus on twelve-tone technique. The composers first foray into this field is found in his Symphony No. 4 Sinfonia sopra BACH-EGGE op. 30, commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1967. Tone row techniques are employed by Egge in works such as Symphony No. 5, Piano Concerto and Wind Quintet composed in 1976. Egge's list of major works includes five symphonies, three piano concertos, one violin concerto and a cello concerto. His chamber music works also constitute a major part of his output: a string quartet, a piano trio, two woodwind quintets, a violin sonata and a number of piano works. Egge also focused on vocal compositions and has penned songs and choir works, a capella, with piano, and with orchestral accompaniment. Major Egge choir works include Sveinung Vreim, written for soloists, choir and orchestra, based on the saga of Sveinung Vreim as depicted in the poem Jonsoknatt by Hans Henrik Holm. Egge's works have seen frequent performances at home as well as throughout Europe and the US.
