Signe Lund-Skabo (also known as Signe Lund) (1868–1950) was a Norwegian female composer and music teacher, who was no stranger to controversy in her life. Born in Christiana (see sheet music cover picture), now known as Oslo, she studied at the Oslo Conservatory of Music, Berlin, Copenhagen and Paris. Her first husband was Jørgen Ørbeck Skabo; later she married French architect George Robards.
 
Around 1900, Lund emigrated to the United States; she lived in the US in New York and Chicago until 1920, lecturing on Norway around the country. In the early 1930s Lund began to take an interest in National Socialism, and in 1935 she became a member of the Norwegian National Socialist party, Nasjonal Samling. Convicted of treason in Norway after the occupation during the Second World War, it resulted in a general ban on her lecturing and publishing or performing her music. She lost her US citizenship and, after returning to Norway, remained sympathetic to Nazi ideology until her death in 1950. Nevertheless, her interesting music survives and her art should not be forgotten.
 
Lund belongs to the German, late romantic tradition and composed many pieces for piano, with her piano concerto (Op. 65 1929, first performed 1931) being one of the best known. Legend from Quatre morceaux (Op. 16 No. 1) is also well known to pianists and was composed early in her life, in 1896. This Fullscore Edition piece, Albumblad, was an even earlier (Op. 8) work than Legend. Between 1896 and 1928 she was a committed socialist and dedicated feminist. During this time she was involved in a number of causes, including an effort to strengthen the rights of Norwegian composers (she was behind the foundation of the Norwegian Composers Association in 1917).
 
Full biography at Store Norske Leksikon site: https://snl.no/Signe_Lund
 
Hear this piece beautifully played as a solo piano piece by Norwegian pianist Rune Alver, from his 2021 album  Impromptu - Works by the young Signe Lund:
https://youtu.be/K9Agy6t2ixE
spotify.com/track/2WY8hTkXRE6x4ja7l37nn3
Rune Alver has recorded two albums of Lund-Skabo's piano works:
Impromptu:  spotify.com/playlist/30vcIBjZmPw8SLoHuTeHgp
Études Poétiques: spotify.com/playlist/0QA0Gj0lgMDrhHQrVCDKsa
 
Fullscore Edition sheet music cover painting:
City of Christiania (Oslo) by John William Edy (1800)
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_of_Christiania_(JW_Edy_plate_49).jpg
 
'This view was taken from a position on the side of a mountain called Egeberg, from whence the city of Christiania, and its noble background of mountains, are seen to the greatest advantage, on which account the spot is the pride of the inhabitants, and the admiration of foreigners. At the bottom of the hill on the right, are some remains of the old city of Opsloe, which was burnt in the year 1624. The buildings on the left, are Opsloe Kirke, and a lunatic hospital. A new road winds on to the right, between some good houses and the ancient palace belonging to the bishops of this see, a high gothic building, with red tiles, seen on the right margin of the picture. This edifice was the residence of the kings and princes of Denmark, in their visits to the city. Across the bay, on the gentle declivity of the hills, is situated the new city, denominated Christiania. Its principal object on the left is the ancient garrison, called Aggerhus, with its fortifications and walls, projected on a rocky peninsula, at the extremity of the city ; to the right are observed the red warehouses, wharfs, and ships in the harbour, up to the custom house ; in succession are seen the hospitable quadrangular mansion, and garden of the Ankers ; the cathedral church, the museum, hospitais, schools, prison and more. Situated on a middle hill, is seen the ancient church called Aggers, and at a greater elevation near the margin, is Ulivold, the seat of John Collett, Esq. Numerous villas are interspersed among the high grounds, as far as Bogstad, which is situated at the feet of the distant hills, nearly over the great church. In the vale below Aggers, is the botanic garden, and not far distant from it, is the site of the new Royal University, now erecting, with residences for nineteen professors, and two lecturers.' Who knew?