MusiLLection

Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46 , by Edvard Grieg , was published in 1888 and consists of four orchestral movements selected from the extensive incidental music he composed for Peer Gynt , the dramatic poem by Henrik Ibsen . Although the complete stage music was written earlier (1874–75), Grieg later extracted the most vivid and autonomous numbers, shaping them into two concert suites. Suite No. 1 remains the most frequently performed and has become one of the defining works of musical Romantic nationalism. Movements: I. Morning Mood The opening movement, Morning Mood , depicts Peer Gynt watching the sunrise in the Sahara Desert. Despite the exotic setting, the gentle flute melody—decorated with birdlike trills—evokes a distinctly Nordic dawn rather than an African landscape. The theme soon passes to the oboe, with the two instruments alternating gracefully before the full orchestra enters, led by the strings. A flowing, wave-like texture suggests the shimmering play of sunlight on wa...

Edvard Grieg, a central figure of Norwegian musical nationalism, whose work united folk tradition with Romantic lyricism. A pioneer and master of Norway’s national music school, Edvard Grieg stands as a singular figure in European Romanticism. With neither true forerunners nor direct successors, he forged a personal musical language that fused Norwegian folk traditions and mythic imagery with the refined harmonic vocabulary of Western classical music. Grieg’s works are imbued with lyricism and a deeply romantic sensibility. Melodies of remarkable softness and intimacy—born of his fertile imagination—are often set against the raw, earthy rhythms of Norwegian folk dances. From this contrast emerges a distinctive sonic world: at once tender and rugged, poetic yet grounded in the physicality of dance and landscape. Although Grieg did not devote himself extensively to large-scale forms such as the symphony or opera, his output demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship in both orchestral and...

A moment of rural stillness reflecting the dreamlike calm of Borghild’s Dream from Grieg’s Sigurd Jorsalfar . A devoted Norwegian patriot, Edvard Grieg drew deep inspiration from the cultural, historical, and literary heritage of his homeland. Beyond folk tradition, he admired leading Scandinavian artists and playwrights of his time, among them Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson , whom he met in 1870. Grieg set several of Bjørnson’s texts to music, but his most significant nationalist composition remains Sigurd Jorsalfar , originally written as incidental music for Bjørnson’s drama of the same name. The work evokes the drama, conflict, and emotional intensity of the Viking age, serving as a musical expression of Grieg’s profound attachment to Norway’s heroic past and cultural identity. The complete stage work premiered in Christiania (the former name of Oslo) on March 18, 1872—coinciding with Bjørnson’s seventieth birthday. Two decades later, in 1892, Grieg extracted and revised the music into ...

Edvard Grieg with friends during his student years in Leipzig, where his musical foundations were formed. Edvard Grieg  was born in June 1843 in Bergen, Norway, a city whose landscape and folklore would leave a lasting imprint on his musical imagination. 1843 – Born in Bergen, Norway. 1859 – Begins studies at the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany. 1862 – Makes his first public appearance with Four Pieces for Piano , Op. 1. 1864 – Meets Rikard Nordraak , an encounter that profoundly reshapes his artistic direction and strengthens his commitment to Norwegian national identity in music. 1867 – Marries his cousin Nina Hagerup; helps found the Norwegian Music Academy. 1870 – Meets Franz Liszt in Rome, who encourages and supports Grieg’s compositional voice. 1874 – Henrik Ibsen commissions him to write incidental music for the play Peer Gynt . 1876 – First performance of Peer Gynt . 1888 – First performance of Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 . 1894 – Awarded an...