Hermann De Løvenskiold

Norwegian Composer and Ballet Music Pioneer

Hermann Severin Løvenskiold was a Danish-Norwegian composer, best known for his composition of the music for the ballet "La Sylphide" in 1836. This ballet is one of the oldest surviving Romantic ballets and was choreographed by August Bournonville. The score for "La Sylphide" is Løvenskiold's most famous work and remains a significant piece in the classical ballet repertoire. While Løvenskiold composed other works, including chamber music and piano pieces, it is his contribution to ballet that has endured. His career as a composer is largely defined by this singular success, and he has not been widely recognized for producing albums in the modern sense, as his era predates the recording industry.