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Edvard GriegFamous Norwegian composer
Date of Birth: 15.06.1843
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Biography of Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg, the prominent Norwegian composer, was born on June 15, 1843, in Bergen. His father, a businessman and British consul in Bergen, came from the Scottish Greig family. At the age of six, Edward began studying music with his mother. At the advice of the renowned Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, fifteen-year-old Grieg was sent to study at the Leipzig Conservatory. Although his studies at the conservatory did not have a decisive impact on his artistic individuality, Grieg's acquaintance with the young Norwegian composer Rikard Nordraak, the author of the national anthem, in 1863, after his return from Germany, was of much greater significance. "The scales fell from my eyes," Grieg later recounted, "and it was only thanks to Nordraak that I became acquainted with Norwegian folk melodies and discovered my true self." Joining forces, the young musicians embarked on a campaign against "listless" Scandinavian music, particularly influenced by Felix Mendelssohn, and set their goal to create a stronger and more distinctive "Northern style."
Life and Career
In 1865, Grieg fell ill with tuberculosis and was forced to go to Italy. There, he regained his strength, but throughout his subsequent life, he did not enjoy robust health. In Rome, Grieg became friends with the already renowned Franz Liszt, who expressed great enthusiasm for the brilliant piano concerto in A minor, composed by the Norwegian. Upon returning to his homeland, Grieg conducted symphonic concerts in Christiania (now Oslo) for some time and established the Norwegian Academy of Music there in 1867. In 1873, thanks to a state scholarship and royalties from his compositions, Grieg gained financial independence and was able to fully devote himself to his creative work. In 1885, he settled in "Troldhaugen," a beautiful country villa near Bergen, which he left only during concert tours. Grieg performed in France, England, Germany, Poland, and Hungary, and enjoyed great respect both abroad and in his homeland. He was awarded honorary doctorates in music by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. He was elected a member of the Institute of France and the Berlin Academy. In 1898, Grieg organized the first Norwegian Music Festival in Bergen, which was a resounding success. Grieg's death on September 4, 1907, was mourned throughout Norway. His remains were buried in a rock near the composer's beloved home.
Compositional Style
Grieg was a composer of a distinctly national type. Rather than simply using folklore, he sought to capture the atmosphere of Norway and its landscapes in his work. He developed specific melodic and harmonic techniques, which he may have occasionally overused. Therefore, Grieg particularly excelled in small, predominantly lyrical instrumental forms, which make up the majority of his piano and orchestral pieces, as well as his songs. The Ten Books of Lyric Pieces for piano (Lyriske Stykker, 1867-1901) represent the pinnacle of the composer's creativity. Grieg's songs, numbering 240, were mainly written for his wife, Nina Hagerup, an outstanding singer who occasionally performed with her husband in concerts. They are characterized by profound expressiveness and delicate portrayal of the poetic text. Although Grieg is most convincing in miniatures, he also showcased his talent in chamber instrumental cycles and created three violin sonatas (Op. 8 in A minor, 1865; Op. 13 in G minor, 1867; Op. 45 in C minor, 1886-1887), a cello sonata in A minor (Op. 36, 1882), and a string quartet in G minor (Op. 27, 1877-1878). Among Grieg's most famous compositions are the aforementioned piano concerto and the music for Henrik Ibsen's play "Peer Gynt" (1876). Originally intended for piano duet, it was later orchestrated and assembled into two suites consisting of small characteristic pieces (Op. 46 and 55). Parts such as "Death of Ase," "Anitra's Dance," "In the Hall of the Mountain King," "Arabian Dance," and "Solveig's Song" are marked by exceptional beauty and artistic perfection. Among the compositions that, like the music for "Peer Gynt," exist in two versions - piano (four hands) and colorful orchestral - are the concert overture "In Autumn" (I Hst, Op. 11, 1865; new orchestration - 1887), three orchestral pieces from the music for Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's tragedy "Sigurd Jorsalfar" (Op. 22, 1879; Op. 56, 1872, second revision - 1892), Norwegian Dances (Op. 35, 1881), and Symphonic Dances (Op. 64, 1898). Arrangements of Grieg's most famous melodies were used in the popular operetta "Song of Norway," which emerged in the 1940s and was based on the composer's life.