Edvard Grieg

"Grieg" redirects here. For other uses, seeGrieg (disambiguation).

Edvard Grieg
Born	(1843-06-15)15 June 1843 Bergen,Sweden-Norway
Died	4 September 1907(1907-09-04)(aged 64) Bergen, Norway
Occupations	Composer pianist
Works	List of compositions
Spouse	Nina Grieg ​ (m.1867)​

Edvard Hagerup Grieg(/ɡriːɡ/GREEG,Norwegian:[ˈɛ̀dvɑʈˈhɑ̀ːɡərʉpˈɡrɪɡː];15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegiancomposerandpianist.He is widely considered one of the leadingRomantic eracomposers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use ofNorwegian folk musicin his own compositions brought the music of Norway to fame, as well as helping to develop anational identity,much asJean Sibeliusdid inFinlandandBedřich SmetanainBohemia.

Grieg is the most celebrated person from the city ofBergen,with numerous statues that depict his image and many cultural entities named after him: the city's largest concert building (Grieg Hall), its most advanced music school (Grieg Academy) and its professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor). The Edvard Grieg Museum at Grieg's former home,Troldhaugen,is dedicated to his legacy.

Background

Statue of Grieg byIngebrigt Vikin Bergen

Edvard Grieg (1891), portrait byEilif Peterssen

Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born inBergen,Norway (then part ofSweden–Norway). His parents were Alexander Grieg (1806–1875), a merchant and the British Vice-Consul in Bergen, and Gesine Judithe Hagerup (1814–1875), a music teacher and daughter of solicitor and politicianEdvard Hagerup.The family name, originally spelledGreig,is associated with theScottishClann Ghriogair (Clan Gregor).After theBattle of Cullodenin Scotland in 1746, Grieg's great-grandfather, Alexander Greig (1739-1803),travelled widely before settling in Norway about 1770 and establishing business interests in Bergen. Grieg's paternal great-great-grandparents, John (1702-1774) and Anne (1704-1784),are buried in the abandoned churchyard of the ruinous Church of St Ethernan inRathen, Aberdeenshire,Scotland.

Edvard Grieg was raised in a musical family. His mother was his first piano teacher and taught him to play when he was aged six. He studied in several schools, includingTanks Upper Secondary School.

During the summer of 1858, Grieg met the eminent Norwegian violinistOle Bull,who was a family friend; Bull's brother was married to Grieg's aunt.Bull recognized the 15-year-old boy's talent and persuaded his parents to send him to theLeipzig Conservatory,the piano department of which was directed byIgnaz Moscheles.

Grieg enrolled in theconservatory,concentrating on piano, and enjoyed the many concerts and recitals given inLeipzig.He disliked the discipline of the conservatory course of study. An exception was theorgan,which was mandatory for piano students. About his study in the conservatory, he wrote to his biographer,Aimar Grønvold,in 1881: "I must admit, unlikeSvendsen,that I left Leipzig Conservatory just as stupid as I entered it. Naturally, I did learn something there, but my individuality was still a closed book to me. "

During the spring of 1860, he survived two life-threateninglung diseases,pleurisyandtuberculosis.Throughout his life, Grieg's health was impaired by a destroyed left lung and considerable deformity of his thoracic spine. He suffered from numerous respiratory infections, and ultimately developed combined lung and heart failure. Grieg was admitted many times to spas andsanatoriaboth in Norway and abroad. Several of his doctors became his friends.

Career

During 1861, Grieg made his debut as a concert pianist inKarlshamn,Sweden. In 1862, he finished his studies in Leipzig and had his first concert in his home town,where his program includedBeethoven'sPathétiquesonata.

Grieg andNina Hagerup(Grieg's wife and first cousin) in 1899

In 1863, Grieg went toCopenhagen,Denmark, and stayed there for three years. He met the Danish composersJ. P. E. HartmannandNiels Gade.He also met his fellow Norwegian composerRikard Nordraak(composer of theNorwegian national anthem), who became a good friend and source of inspiration. Nordraak died in 1866, and Grieg composed afuneral marchin his honor.

On 11 June 1867, Grieg married his first cousin,Nina Hagerup(1845–1935), a lyric soprano. The next year, their only child, Alexandra, was born. Alexandra died in 1869 frommeningitis.During the summer of 1868, Grieg wrote hisPiano Concerto in A minorwhile on holiday in Denmark.Edmund Neupertgave the concerto its premiere performance on 3 April 1869 at the Casino Theatre in Copenhagen. Grieg himself was unable to be there due to conducting commitments inChristiania(now Oslo).

During 1868,Franz Liszt,who had not yet met Grieg, wrote a testimonial for him to the Norwegian Ministry of Education, which resulted in Grieg's obtaining a travel grant. The two men met inRomein 1870. During Grieg's first visit, they examined Grieg's Violin Sonata No. 1, which pleased Liszt greatly. On his second visit in April, Grieg brought with him the manuscript of his Piano Concerto, which Liszt proceeded to sightread (including the orchestral arrangement). Liszt's rendition greatly impressed his audience, although Grieg said gently to him that he played the first movement too quickly. Liszt also gave Grieg some advice onorchestration(for example, to give the melody of the second theme in the first movement to a solo trumpet, which Grieg himself chose not to accept).

In the 1870s, he became friends with poetBjørnstjerne Bjørnson,who shared his interests in Norwegian self-government. Grieg set several of his poems to music, includingLandkjenningandSigurd Jorsalfar.Eventually, they decided on an opera based on King Olav Trygvason, but a dispute as to whether the music or lyrics should be created first led to Grieg being diverted to working on incidental music forHenrik Ibsen's playPeer Gynt,which naturally offended Bjørnson. Eventually, their friendship resumed.

Theincidental musiccomposed forPeer Gyntat the request of the author contributed to its success and separately became some of the composer's most familiar music arranged as orchestral suites.

Grieg had close ties with theBergen Philharmonic Orchestra(Harmonien), and later became Music Director of the orchestra from 1880 to 1882. In 1888, Grieg metTchaikovskyin Leipzig. Grieg was impressed by Tchaikovsky,who thought very highly of Grieg's music, praising its beauty, originality and warmth.

On 6 December 1897, Grieg and his wife performed some of his music at aprivate concertatWindsor CastleforQueen Victoriaand her court.

Grieg was awarded two honorary doctorates, first by theUniversity of Cambridgein 1894 and the next from theUniversity of Oxfordin 1906.

Later years

Edvard Grieg Museum in Troldhaugen

The Norwegian government provided Grieg with a pension as he reached retirement age. During the spring of 1903, Grieg made nine 78-rpmgramophone recordingsof his piano music in Paris. All of these discs have been reissued on both LPs and CDs, despite limited fidelity. Grieg recordedplayer pianomusic rolls for the Hupfeld Phonola piano-player system andWelte-Mignonreproducing system, all of which survive and can be heard today. He also worked with theAeolian Companyfor its 'Autograph Metrostyle' piano roll series wherein he indicated the tempo mapping for many of his pieces.

In 1899, Grieg cancelled his concerts in France in protest of theDreyfus affair,anantisemiticscandal that was roiling French politics at the time. Regarding this scandal, Grieg had written that he hoped that the French might, "Soon return to the spirit of 1789, when the French republic declared that it would defend basic human rights." As a result of his statements concerning the affair, he became the target of much Frenchhate mailthat day.

During 1906, he met the composer and pianistPercy Graingerin London. Grainger was a great admirer of Grieg's music and a strong empathy was quickly established. In a 1907 interview, Grieg stated: "I have written Norwegian Peasant Dances that no one in my country can play, and here comes this Australian who plays them as they ought to be played! He is a genius that we Scandinavians cannot do other than love."

Edvard Grieg died at the Municipal Hospital in Bergen, Norway on 4 September 1907 at age 64 fromheart failure.He had suffered a long period of illness. His last words were "Well, if it must be so."

The funeral drew between 30,000 and 40,000 people to the streets of his home town to honor him. Obeying his wish, his ownFuneral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraakwas played with orchestration by his friendJohan Halvorsen,who had married Grieg's niece. In addition, theFuneral Marchmovement fromChopin'sPiano Sonata No. 2was played. Grieg wascrematedin the first Norwegiancrematoriumopened in Bergen just that year, and his ashes were entombed in a mountain crypt near his house, Troldhaugen. After the death of his wife, her ashes were placed alongside his.

Edvard Grieg and his wife wereUnitariansand Nina attended the Unitarian church in Copenhagen after his death.

A century after his death, Grieg's legacy extends beyond the field of music. There is alarge sculptureof Grieg inSeattle,while one of the largest hotels in Bergen (his hometown) is named Quality Hotel Edvard Grieg and a large crater on the planetMercuryis named after Grieg.

Music

Some of Grieg's early works include asymphony(which he later suppressed) and apiano sonata.He wrote threeviolin sonatasand acello sonata.

Grieg composed theincidental musicforHenrik Ibsen's playPeer Gynt,which includes the excerpts "In the Hall of the Mountain King"and"Morning Mood."In an 1874 letter to his friendFrants Beyer,Grieg expressed his unhappiness with "Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter," one of the movements in thePeer Gyntincidental music, writing "I have also written something for the scene in the hall of the mountain King – something that I literally can't bear listening to because it absolutely reeks of cow-pies, exaggerated Norwegian nationalism, and trollish self-satisfaction! But I have a hunch that the irony will be discernible."

Grieg'sHolberg Suitewas originally written for the piano, and later arranged by the composer forstringorchestra. Grieg wrote songs in which he set lyrics by poetsHeinrich Heine,Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Henrik Ibsen,Hans Christian Andersen,Rudyard Kiplingand others. Russian composerNikolai Myaskovskyused a theme by Grieg for the variations with which he closed his Third String Quartet. Norwegian pianistEva Knardahlrecorded the composer's complete piano music on 13 LPs forBIS Recordsfrom 1977 to 1980. The recordings were reissued during 2006 on 12 compact discs, also onBIS Records.Grieg himself recorded many of these piano works before his death in 1907. PianistBertha Tapperedited Grieg’s piano works for publication in America by Oliver Ditson.

List of selected works

Main article:List of compositions by Edvard Grieg

• Piano Sonata in E minor,Op. 7
• Violin Sonata No. 1 in F major,Op. 8
• ConcertOvertureIn Autumn,Op. 11
• Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major,Op. 13
• Piano Concerto in A minor,Op. 16
• Incidental musictoBjørnstjerne Bjørnson's playSigurd Jorsalfar,Op. 22
• Incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's playPeer Gynt,Op. 23
• Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Songin G minor, Op. 24
• String Quartet in G minor,Op. 27
• Two Elegiac Melodiesfor strings or piano, Op. 34
• FourNorwegian Dancesfor piano four hands, Op. 35 (better known in orchestrations byHans Sittand others)
• Cello Sonata in A minor,Op. 36
• Holberg Suitefor piano, later arr. for string orchestra, Op. 40
• Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor,Op. 45
• Peer GyntSuiteNo. 1, Op. 46
• Lyric Suitefor orchestra, Op. 54 (orchestration of fourLyric Pieces)
• Peer GyntSuiteNo. 2, Op. 55
• FourSymphonic Dancesfor piano, later arr. for orchestra, Op. 64
• HaugtussaSong Cycle afterArne Garborg,Op. 67
• Sixty-sixLyric Piecesfor piano in ten books, Opp. 12, 38, 43, 47, 54, 57, 62, 65, 68 and 71, including:Arietta,To the Spring,Little Bird,Butterfly,Notturno,Wedding Day at Troldhaugen,At Your Feet,Longing For Home,March of the Dwarfs,Poème érotiqueandGone.

See also

• Bust of Edvard Grieg,University of Washington, Seattle
• Edvard Grieg's music in popular culture
• Grieg (crater)
• Peer Gynt Prize
• Song of Norway

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Benestad, Finn;Schjelderup-Ebbe, Dag(1990) [1980].Edvard Grieg – mennesket og kunstneren(in Norwegian) (2 ed.). Oslo: Aschehoug.ISBN978-82-03-16373-9.

Further reading

English

• Carley, Lionel (2006)Edvard Grieg in England(Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press)ISBN978-1-84383-207-2
• Finck, Henry Theophilius (2008)Edvard Grieg(Bastian Books)ISBN978-0-554-96326-6
• Finck, Henry Theophilus (2002)Edvard Grieg; with an introductory note by Lothar Feinstein(Adelaide: London Cambridge Scholars Press)ISBN978-1-904303-20-6
• Foster, Beryl (2007)Songs of Edvard Grieg(Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press)ISBN978-1-84383-343-7
• Grimley, Daniel (2007)Grieg: Music, Landscape and Norwegian Cultural Identity(Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press)ISBN978-1-84383-210-2
• Jarrett, Sandra (2003)Edvard Grieg and his songs(Aldershot: Ashgate)ISBN978-0-7546-3003-6.
• Kijas, Anna E. (2013). ""A suitale soloist for my piano concerto": Teresa Carreño as a promoter of Edvard Grieg's music ".Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association.70(1). Music Library Association: 37–58.doi:10.1353/not.2013.0121.S2CID187606895.

Norwegian

• Bredal, Dag/Strøm-Olsen, Terje (1992)Edvard Grieg – Musikken er en kampplass(Oslo: Aventura Forlag A/S)ISBN978-82-588-0890-6
• Dahl Jr., Erling (2007)Edvard Grieg – En introduksjon til hans liv og musikk(Bergen: Vigmostad og Bjørke)ISBN978-82-419-0418-9
• Purdy, Claire Lee (1968)Historien om Edvard Grieg(Oslo: A/S Forlagshuse)ISBN978-82-511-0152-3

External links

• Grieg 2007 Official Site for 100th year commemoration of Edvard Grieg
• The Grieg archives at Bergen Public Library
• Troldhaugen Museum, Grieg's home
• Works by Edvard GriegatOpen Library
• Edvard Grieg statuebySigvald AsbjørnsenProspect Park (Brooklyn)
• Films about Grieg's life:What Price Immortality?(1999)
• Edvard Grieg picture collection at flickr commons
• Edvard and Nina Grieg,Dictionary ofUnitarian&UniversalistBiography

Recordings by Grieg

• Papillon – Lyric Piece, Op. 43, no. 1as recorded by Grieg on piano roll, 17 April 1906, Leipzig (Info)

Recordings of Grieg works

• Edvard Grieg, Sonata No. 1 in F major, I. Allegro con brio – Gregory Maytan (violin), Nicole Lee (piano)(Page will play audio when loaded)

• Edvard Grieg, Sonata No. 1 in F major, II. Allegretto quasi Andantino – Gregory Maytan (violin), Nicole Lee (piano)(Page will play audio when loaded)

• Edvard Grieg, Sonata No. 1 in F major, III. Allegro molto vivace – Gregory Maytan (violin), Nicole Lee (piano)(Page will play audio when loaded)

• Edvard Grieg, Sonata No. 3 in C minor, I. Allegro molto ed appassionato – Gregory Maytan (violin), Nicole Lee (piano)(Page will play audio when loaded)

• Edvard Grieg, Sonata No. 3 in C minor, II. Allegretto espressivo all Ramanza – Gregory Maytan (violin), Nicole Lee (piano)(Page will play audio when loaded)

• Edvard Grieg, Sonata No. 3 in C minor, III. Allegro animato – Gregory Maytan (violin), Nicole Lee (piano)(Page will play audio when loaded)

Music scores

• Free scores by Edvard Griegat theInternational Music Score Library Project(IMSLP)