Sophie Dedekam (1 April 18201 June 1894) was a Norwegian composer and diarist, one of the most significant Norwegian women composers of the 19th century, and principally remembered today for a hymn included in the Church of Norway Hymn Book and for her published recollections of a visit to Paris.
Dedekam was born in the Norwegian coastal town of Arendal, the daughter of the town's mayor. She became active in the social and cultural life of the city at an early age, where she sang and played the piano. She traveled to Paris when she was 25 for a visit of several weeks, recording her experiences in letters and in a diary that were published after she died. Dedekam did some public concertizing as a singer and collaborative pianist early in her life, but most of her performing was limited to amateur venues in the Arendal area or at home with her family and friends.
Dedekam also composed songs from an early age, again mostly for local consumption. Many of her pieces were eventually published by Wilhelm Hansen Music Publishers (known today as Edition Wilhelm Hansen) in Copenhagen. A number of her songs became quite well known in Norway as a result, but Sophie rarely received recognition as their composer, nor did she seek it. Two of her songs were also published by Theodora Cormontan, another Norwegian woman composer from Arendal.
As an unmarried woman in 19th century Norway, Sophie Dedekam's economic vitality diminished after her father's death. She spent the remainder of her life staying with various friends and relatives, by all accounts a happy person who brought joy to those around her. She died at the farm of her sister and her sister's husband in 1894.
Early life
Sophie Hedvig Dedekam was born in a southern Norwegian coastal town whose strong sea-related industries inspired a cosmopolitan environment, with organizations like the Dramatic Society and the Musical Society to help cultivate her talents. Her father, Morten Smith Dedekam (1793–1861), attended a private school in Copenhagen and studied business in England before returning to Arendal to work as a merchant. He entered local politics in 1823 and became the town's first mayor in 1837, a position he held until his death. Interested in history, Dedekam helped found the Arendal Museum in 1831 and served as its first director. Also passionate for the theater, as an amateur actor he appeared in over 160 roles.
In 1819 Morton Dedekam married his 17-year-old cousin, Margrethe Sophie Ebbel (1802–1854). The couple had five daughters and one son who lived to adulthood. An accomplished amateur pianist, Margrethe offered music lessons to her daughter, constituting the extent of Sophie's musical training. Sophie's autobiographic almanacs record the early manifestation of this training through singing and playing the piano at various society events to which she had access through her parents’ social and economic position. Her almanacs also note early efforts at composition, where Sophie described melodies coming to her intact, ready to be immediately written down. School records describe Sophie as an intelligent, lively, and engaged student. One of her teachers wrote "Sophie’s diligence, attention, and thoughtfulness always please me."
Writing from Paris
At the age of 25, Sophie Dedekam traveled to Paris for a month's visit. She faithfully recorded in letters and in her diary her impressions of the music, theater, and art she encountered there. After hearing Meyerbeer’s "Robert le diable" she wrote "I could feel the blood rush from my cheeks . . . My God and Father, it was delightful! Yes, everything was glorious beyond measure; there are no words to describe one’s feelings when hearing such music." Upon visiting the Louvre, she penned "No one can blame an Arendal girl for getting carried away." Described by Cecilie Dahm as "an extraordinary writer," Dedekam's reflections present a unique image of mid-19th century Paris as seen through the eyes of a young Norwegian woman. Dedekam never dreamed that her writings would be published, but her grandnephew Henrik Harboe edited her letters and diary and published them in 1929 under the title "Dagbog of brev fra en reise til Paris i 1845." Oslo Solum republished the book in 2000.