Download Matthew Richardson Music 1010 – 10 10-9

Matthew Richardson
Music 1010 – 10
10-9-11
In the Halls of the Mountain King
And Other Song Histories of Evard Grieg
In the world of Edvard Grieg, a Norwegian Composer, his music is regarded more
popular than the man. From the late 1850s to 1907 his compositions stem from a very pleasant
national influence. The song “In the Hall of the Mountain King” would be one of many
compositions that reach critical acclaim. However it was the “Piano Conerto in A minor that
would finally mold Greig into a respectable new composer in Denmark. The “Master of
Miniature,” his songs would break through the normality of formal compositions and display
Norwegain nationalism.
In the Hall of the Mountain King is an incidental Music written for Peer Gynt, A Play by
Henrik Ibsen. In the Play a foolhardy young man goes out on adventures in spite of incurring
incidents like impersonation, kidnapping, and abandonment. In the scene of one of Grieg’s
famous compositions, he meets a young woman out in a field, who says she invites him to meet
her father, a troll king inside the mountain. The music depicts his escape from the threshold of
the mountain king. The music is very soft at first, building to a glorious crescendo, with
instruments being added at the middle of the song and speeding up to build a sense of haste and
action.
This song along with Morning Mood and Solveig’s Song, which are together included in
Peer Gynt Suites I and II (1888 & 1893), are arguably his most popular songs from Peer Gynt.
Both the play and the songs were created with a national character in mind. Working on the
music together, Herik and Edvard both attempted to adapt the poem into a musical-like
performance1. While Henrik wanted his songs to have a tone poem feel, Edvard instead brought
up the idea that Melodrama and accentuating the drama would make the play more exciting,
bringing up leitmotifs and songs accompanying spoken word or chorus. When the premiere of
the play took place on February 24, 1876 in Christiana (Oslo now), Grieg did not attend, saying
it for emphasizing stage effects, instead letting newspapers tell the nation who wrote the music.
1
Melodramas are music accompanying spoken word. He thought it would help the drama rather than interrupt it.
A similar concept would be underscoring. http://www.kennedycenter.org/calendar/?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=3971
Of importance was also his famous Piano Concerto in A Minor (1868). The concerto is a
national piece, written for the piano solo accompanied by a small orchestral group. It was
influenced, largely in part by the music of Robert Schumann, whose concerto is also in A Minor,
and was used as a kind of model for Greig’s own piece. He wrote the piece in Denmark,
following the birth of his only daughter, Alexandra. He considered it a large scale
accomplishment, representing the fullest musical embodiment of Norwegian Nationalism.
Again, Grieg wasn’t at the premier of his concerto in Copenhagen, but musical
luminaries were, such as Niels W. Gade and Edmund Neupert, the soloist at the premier, who
gave a report of what transpired that evening to Grieg. However, Franz Liszt (1881 - 86), a
Hungarian composer, and a connoisseur of past and present music, had a rather interesting
reaction to the piece. In a visit on April of 1870, Grieg brought with him a copy of the
composition. Having not nearly the proficiency to play the piece for Liszt himself, Liszt took the
opportunity to sight-read the composition himself, enthusiasm while playing ever increasing.
While playing the music he suddenly got up, raised his hands high and started bellowing the
theme, walking around the room as he did so. When he sat back down he’s quoted as saying:
“Keep on, I tell you. You have what is needed, and don’t let them frighten you.”
--Franz Liszt2
Other works that he would be known for would be the Holberg Suite (1884), a pastiche of
a French Dance Suite, which would be popular during the time of Ludvig Holberg’s (1684-1754),
who was popular in Denmark because of his written works. He would also be famous for
composing the 1865 Violin Sonata #1 Op. 8, the only sonata he would work on for a while,
which would inspire Liszt. But perhaps his most important national works would be his Lyric
Pieces, which he would work on his entire life spanning nearly 40 years (1867 - 1901). The
collection would end up a mainstay in pianist’s bookshelves for a long time3. Many of these
pieces would be written in a cottage owned by Greig not far from the Norwegian fjords near
Hardanger.
2
This comes from a letter sent to home by Grieg. http://www.kennedycenter.org/calendar/?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=2131
3
This would become a form of income for the composer. *Burrows, John, et al, Eyewitness Companions: Classical
Music, London: Penguin, 2005, 10-11-11
In 1907 Edvard Grieg would die before a trip to London, simply out of exhaustion, after
touring to perform his compositions. Although his portfolio cannot be on as grand a scale as
someone like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, it still is certainly well-defined. His songs are
instantly recognizable as the music which represents Norway. And with memorable melodies
like the songs of Peer Gynt or the world-renowned Piano Concerto, it proves without a doubt that
no composer should only be remembered for his songs, but for his pluck and ideals that help
create the compositions as well.
Bibliography
Edvard Grieg, Monica Jangard, John Hovland, 14-7-2008, The Municipality of Bergen, 1011-11
Edvard Grieg, Classical.net, 10-11-11
Franz Liszt, Classical.net, 10-11-11
Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16, Richard Freed, Nov. 3-5, 2005, The Kennedy Center, 1011-11
Peer Gynt, Incidental Music to Ibsen’s Drama, Op. 23, Richard Freed, June 5-7, 2008, The
Kennedy Center, 10-11-11
Edvard Grieg, Steven Ledbetter, Boston Symphony Orchestra, 10-11-11
“Ludvig Holberg,” NNDB, 2011, Soylent Communications, 10-11-11
Burrows, John, et al, Eyewitness Companions: Classical Music, London: Penguin, 2005, 10-1111