Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is the very symbol of Norway in the world of music. Few Norwegians have become so widely known or made such a profound impression as Grieg. The famous music genius from Bergen had a great influence on the Norwegian style of music and is considered as one of the top 10 most important classical composers in the world.
Music from Norway
The innate melodiousness and vitality of Grieg's music have won him the acclaim of generations of music lovers all over the world, and the music seems as fresh today as it did when it was first composed. Its strong appeal lies not only in its markedly national character but also in the universality of the human emotions expressed in the music. Thus, Grieg's art is an embodiment of his own artistic creed: "One must first be a human being. All true art grows out of that which is distinctively human."
Morning Mood
" The first piece "Morning Mood" is played when Peer wakes in the Arabian desert, robbed and deserted by the Anitra. Ibsen felt that Grieg had unusual musical and intellectual capacities and asked him to write music to his dramatic poem Peer Gynt. The contrast of the beautiful sunrise in the morning to the panic of trying to escape from the lair of the trolls can clearly be distinguished in the two pieces. Even though the dynamic is still piano there is a slight build in the sound due to an increase in the number of instruments playing. At the age of fifteen in October of 1858, Grieg left to attend the Leipzig Music Conservatory. He leads a life of self indulgence and infidelity, ruining young maidens, escaping trolls and dealing with slaves. In the same year that another Norwegian, Henrik Ibsen, wrote Peer Gynt.
