Edvard grieg

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The work established Grieg as one of the foremost composers of his time and received praise from Liszt and Tchaikovsky.

Peer Gynt Suites

In 1874 Grieg was asked by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen to write some incidental music for his play Peer Gynt, about the Norwegian folk hero.

He disliked the discipline of the conservatory course of study, yet he still achieved very good grades in most areas, the exception being the organ, which was mandatory for piano students at the time. His works influenced later generations of composers and ensured that Norway was firmly placed on the cultural map.

Today, Grieg’s music continues to inspire.

12) to 1901 (Op. He now works as a professional writer on all things Scandinavia.

... Grieg described Lyric Pieces as “an intimate slice of my life” and the series could be regarded as a musical diary.

Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak

Grieg composed his Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak in 1866 on the day he heard that his good friend and fellow Norwegian composer Rikard Nordraak had died at the age of 23.

Grieg is known as a "nationalist" composer and his "nationalist" tendencies are readily apparent in a number of his best know works.

In 1868, Franz Liszt, who up to that time had not met Grieg, wrote a testimonial for him to the Norwegian Ministry of Education, which led to Grieg obtaining a travel grant. Edvard Grieg and his Songs. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2003.

Among Grieg’s best-known pieces are Piano Concerto in A minor, the Holberg Suite, Lyric Pieces, and incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt, which includes the excerpts ‘Morning Mood’ and ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’. His music travelled widely during his lifetime, performed in Europe’s great capitals and admired by luminaries such as Franz Liszt and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

In England, he became especially popular, conducting concerts and winning a devoted following among audiences and critics.

What set him apart was his ability to create music that was both distinctly Norwegian and universally appealing.

By weaving folk melodies and rhythms into classical structures, he helped define a national voice while also enriching the wider Romantic tradition.

His mother, Gesine, became his first piano teacher. He also met his fellow Norwegian composer, Rikard Nordraak (composer of the 'Ja, vi elsker dette landet' or the Norwegian national anthem), who became a good friend and source of great inspiration. But who was the man behind the music?

Edvard Grieg in Context

Grieg came of age during the Romantic era, a time when composers sought to express deep emotion and often turned to folklore and national identity for inspiration.

Across Europe, artists like Chopin in Poland and Sibelius in Finland were drawing on their homelands to create music that felt both personal and patriotic.

Grieg became Norway’s answer to this movement, weaving Norwegian folk tunes and the rhythms of the countryside into classical forms that audiences across the continent instantly embraced.

Though he is often remembered for a handful of famous melodies, his influence ran deeper.

He found inspiration in Norwegian landscapes, folk tales, and traditions, and reimagined them in the lush, lyrical language of Romantic music.

The result was a sound that felt at once local and universal: rooted in Norway, but instantly understood by audiences across the world.

Alongside Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Munch, Grieg stands as one of Norway’s cultural giants.

A musical, Song of Norway, based very loosely on Grieg's life and using his music, was created in 1944, by Robert Wright and the author George Forrest, and filmed in 1970. As he entered his twenties, this began to change, and Grieg was caught up in a national awakening, with artists in every medium seeking a specifically Norwegian cultural identity.

In the summer of 1858, Grieg met the eminent Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, who was a friend of the family, and whose brother was married to Grieg's aunt. Statues honour his memory, while major institutions such as the Grieg Hall, the Grieg Academy, and the professional choir Edvard Grieg Kor carry his name.

Even hotels and cultural festivals draw on his legacy, ensuring that his music remains woven into the fabric of the city.

A Global Legacy Beyond Norway

Grieg’s impact, however, was never confined to Norway.