Grieg. Edvard Grieg.
Composer extraordinaire. Musical genius. Norwegian superstar. Albert Einstein look-alike. You may have heard of him as referred to as any of these things – and they’re all true.
Born in 1843, Edvard Grieg is very possibly Norway’s most famous person of note. He hated school due to bullies and lack of things that interested him, but became a skilled pianist at an early age. Grieg was playing pieces at 10 that I still have trouble playing at 20. Go figure.
Grieg has written some of the most beautiful and celebrated music ever. After learning more about him in a music class, I fell in love with his music and was even luck enough to visit his home in Bergen, Norway a few months ago. I was also the youngest person there by 40 years – but I’m sure I was the most excited.
Here’s a few reasons you should totally love him (and his music) too.
He dropped out of music school.
When he left, he said that he had left the Leipzin Conservatory “as stupid as when I entered it.”
He’s truly a man after my own heart.
He stuck to his roots.
Grieg always loved his homeland. Even while he spent years away, he always dreamed and composed of Norway. He believed that it’s landscapes, people, tradition, and culture were the ultimate inspiration. They drove his imagination, and if you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit the country, it’s not hard to see why.
He didn’t need much. Literally.
In short: Grieg was short. Like, really short. Both he and his wife had special furniture commissioned for their home because they were so tiny. They were also pretty considerate though, and had regular sized chairs for their regular sized guests. How cute is that?
And for a well-known composer? There home is pretty small. He also had a composition hut, but it’s definitely no grand mansion. I appreciate a man who is happy with a beautiful view.
Family was important to him.
One of his most timeless and popular works, Piano Concerto in A Minor, was written from a bolt of inspiration after his daughter, Alexandra, was born.
If you visit his house, you can see where “Edvard and Nina” was carved into the stone on the hill below the home, and that’s where the two of them are buried.
He wasn’t a hermit! (I know, crazy)
I feel like a lot of artists are heralded as such because they seclude themselves, but Grieg did not such thing. Although he liked to be alone while composing, he was actually known for his parties. On the walls of his living room you can find several pictures from photographs and other get-togethers featuring many other masters of the day.
His most famous work, Peer Gynt, was commissioned by Henrik Ibsen who had written the play of the same name. In The Hall of the Mountain King has become one of the most popularized staples of our time.
Today, Grieg is considered one of the best Romantic Era composers ever. He is truly able to paint a picture with music in a way that few others have ever been able to come close to. But, as with all composers, the best way to understand why there are worthy of such praise and love is to listen to them and hear for yourself. Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
Foxtrot 