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Bull

Ole Bull (1810–1880) was a Norwegian violinist of extraordinary popular fame whose self-taught technique, including a near-flat bow that allowed him to draw sound from all four strings simultaneously, made him one of the most talked-about performers in Europe and America. His Norwegian patriotism expressed itself in unexpected ways: he attempted to establish a utopian Norwegian colony called Oleana in Pennsylvania in the 1850s, a venture that collapsed amid land disputes. In Bergen he helped found the Norwegian Theatre, where Ibsen served as an early director; he also recognised and encouraged the young Edvard Grieg, urging him to study in Leipzig.

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