Edvard Hagerup Grieg (1843 – 1907) was a Norwegian
composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of
the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is
part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide.
His use of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions
brought the music of Norway to fame, as well as helping
to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius
did in Finland and Bed?ich Smetana in Bohemia. He is
the most celebrated person from the city of Bergen,
with numerous sta...(+)
Edvard Hagerup Grieg (1843 – 1907) was a Norwegian
composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of
the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is
part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide.
His use of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions
brought the music of Norway to fame, as well as helping
to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius
did in Finland and Bed?ich Smetana in Bohemia. He is
the most celebrated person from the city of Bergen,
with numerous statues which 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.
Grieg composed the incidental music for Henrik Ibsen's
play Peer Gynt, which includes the excerpts "In the
Hall of the Mountain King" and "Morning Mood". In an
1874 letter to his friend Frants Beyer, Grieg expressed
his unhappiness with "Dance of the Mountain King's
Daughter", one of the movements in the Peer Gynt
incidental 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.
The Paulsen settings (Five Songs By John Paulsen: Op.
58) “are among Grieg’s weakest, which is not to be
wondered at when one reads the generally unimportant,
often utterly flat verses which could not possibly
engage the deeper powers of Grieg” (ibid. 318). Half
a century later Benestad and Schjelderup-Ebbe wrote:
“Unfortunately, the Five Songs, Opus 58, and Six
Elegiac Songs Opus 59 – both with texts by John
Paulsen – are among his weakest. It is surprising
that these banal rhymes, which are almost totally
devoid of artistic feeling, could give him such
enthusiasm for work” (Benestad and Schjelderup-Ebbe
1988: 323). I couldn't DISAGREE more!
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Grieg).
Although originally composed for Voice (mezzo-Soprano)
and Piano, I created this Interpretation of "Hjemkomst"
from 5 Songs of Norway (Op. 58 No. 1) for Oboe & Piano.
SHEET MUSIC