“Norway in music” - this is how critics succinctly and succinctly characterize the works of composer Edward Grieg. His creative heritage has more than 600 tunes. The most recognizable - "In the cave of the mountain king." The composition has survived many treatments and is often used as a soundtrack to films and commercials.
Biography: early years
Edward Hagerup Grieg (Edvard Hagerup Grieg) was born June 15, 1843 in Bergen, in western Norway. His father was a diplomat, and his mother a pianist. Thanks to her, music often sounded in the house. The mother of the future composer was considered the best pianist in Bergen. It was from an early age that she introduced Edward to music and noticed his composing talent. Mother loved to play songs and dances heard from peasants. Edward really liked folk music. He often went down at night, secretly from his father and mother, and began to play his favorite tunes on the piano, as well as improvise.
At age 12, Grieg wrote his first song, which he called "Variations for a Piano on a German Theme." Soon, the famous Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, a former student of Paganini himself, visited their house. Hearing Edward play the piano, he predicted a brilliant musical future for him.
It was Ole Bull who persuaded his parents to send Edward to the Leipzig Conservatory, which was founded by Felix Mendelssohn and was famous throughout Europe. Grieg was then 15 years old. Within the walls of the conservatory, for four years he comprehended the subtleties of playing the piano.
Creation
Returning to Bergen, Grieg was struck by the beauty of his country, which he now looked with different eyes. He was inspired by the harsh Norwegian nature and local peasants. Grieg became interested in the culture and life of the common people. He expressed his impressions in music.
The first concert of Edward Grieg took place in his native Bergen. He included in the program not only the works of famous composers, but also his own. The audience enthusiastically accepted Grieg’s concert, which inspired him to write new compositions. Even then, Edward loved to repeat that just as there is no people without art, so art cannot exist without people.
In little Bergen, Grieg had nowhere to turn around, since the musical culture there was poorly developed. In 1863, Edward went to Denmark, where he underwent an internship in Copenhagen with the founder of the Scandinavian school of music - composer Niels Gade. There he met the famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. His poems inspired Grieg to write several romances.
In the same year, Edward composed Poetry Pictures. These are six pieces for piano, in which national features first appeared. The rhythm underlying the third play is often found in Norwegian folk music and becomes characteristic of many of Grieg's subsequent tunes.
In Copenhagen, Edward became close to a group of like-minded people who dreamed of creating a new national art. In 1864, in partnership with several musicians from Denmark, he founded the Euterpa Music Society. His main goal is to acquaint the public with the tunes of the Scandinavian composers. Grieg performed in this society as a conductor, pianist and author.
Over the three years spent in Copenhagen, he wrote several works, including:
- "Six poems";
- The First Symphony;
- "Humoresques";
- "The first violin sonata";
- "In the fall";
- "Piano Sonata".
Grieg launched a wide concert activity. He performed not only in Copenhagen and Bergen, but also in Oslo, Leipzig. The people with pleasure attended his concerts and applauded while standing. However, experts were of a different opinion. Thus, a number of critics considered Grieg's melodies “miserable and insignificant.” This drove the composer into gloom. He stopped giving concerts and was already completely desperate when once from Rome he received a letter with words of delight from Franz Liszt. By that time, he had already written the legendary “Hungarian Rhapsodies” and gained world fame. After the letter, the Norwegian perked up.
Soon Edward went to Rome to visit Liszt. He wanted to play his compositions for him personally. Listening to Grieg’s melodies live, Liszt noted that they exude the wild and heady spirit of the northern forests. His support was the most important event in the life of Edward.
Returning home, he began to look for a quiet secluded corner where he could live and make music. Grieg did not find anything suitable and began to build a house according to his project in the wild, near Bergen. A stone building was erected with a turret on the roof and stained glass windows. The composer's new home was framed by pines and thickets of jasmine. Grieg himself called his house "Trollhaugen, " which means "Troll Hill." Within its walls, imperishable works were created that made the composer famous. So, it was written there:
- "In the cave of the mountain king";
- "Morning";
- "Dance of Anitra";
- "Song of Solveig."
Edward Grieg passed away on September 4, 1907. On his last journey he was escorted by thousands of Norwegians. Grieg's death was perceived as national mourning. According to the will, the composer's ashes were buried in a rock above the fjord near his house. Later, a memorial house museum was founded here.
