Edvard Grieg is a singer of Scandinavian legends. Edvard Grieg: biography, video, interesting facts, creativity Edvard Grieg's most famous works

For choir, soloists and orchestra:

• Bergliot (Bergliot, with l. B. Bjornson a, op. 42. 1871; 2nd ed., 1885),
• At the gates of the monastery (Foran Sydens Kloster , from a poem by Björnsoya, op. twenty, 1870-71 ),
• Homecoming ( Land Kjennmg, sl. Bjorn sona, op. 31, 1872; 2nd ed., 1881),
• In the captivity of the mountains (Lonely, DenBcrgtekne, op. 32, 1878).

For orchestra:

symphony in c-moll, (1863-64),

to onc Dead Overture - In Autumn ( Host, op. eighteen, № 4, 1866 (listen); re-orchestrated in 1888, arranged for piano in 4 hands)

Peer Gynt (1st Suite from music to the drama G . Ibsen, op. 4 li , 1888: Morning, Ose's Death, Anitra's Dance, In the Mountain Ko's Cave role; 2nd suite, op. 55, 1896: kidnapping brides - ComplaintIngrid, Arabic Dance, Stormy Evening on the Shore, Song of Solweig; both suites are arranged for piano in 2 and 4 hands),

Sigurd the Crusader ( Sigurd Yorsalfar, suite for drama by Björnso on the , op. 56, 1892: At the King's Castle, Worghilde's Dream, Solemn March; shifted for piano in 2 and 4 hands),

Symphonic dances on Norwegian themes ( op . 04, 1898, arranged for piano in 4 hands)

Lyric suite,

bell ringing(Klokkeklang, transcription piano pieces, op. 54, 1904).

For string orchestra:

2 elegiac melodies (on the themes of songs on sl. O. Vigne, op. 33, op. 34, 1883),

From the time of Holberg ( Fra Holbergs Tid, arranged the same name. suites for piano, op. 40, 1884- 1885),

2 melodies (on the themes of own songs, op. 53, 1890 )

2 holes Vezhsky melodies (on the themes of folk. songs from Sat., op. 17, op. 63, 1894-95, arranged for piano 4 hands),

2 pieces (Evening in mountains, lullaby, op . 68, 1898, arranged piano pieces#4 and #5from the 9th notebook Lyric plays, op. 68).

Concerts with orchestra:

for piano (a-moll, op . 16, 1868 (listen to "Allergo molto moderato", listen"Adagio - attacca", listen" Allegro moderato molto e marcato"); h-moll, 1882, sketch of the 1st part has been preserved)

Chamber instrumental ensembles :

Andante con moto for violin, cello and piano (1878),

strings n. quartets ( d-moll, 1861, not preserved; g-moll, op. 27, 1877-78; F - dur, without op., 1891, unfinished),

piano quintet(1836, sketches)

D for piano in 2 hands:

variations on it. tune(1854, no manuscript survives),

23 small pieces (1859),

9 children's plays (according topriest fraulein L. Reiss, 1859),

3 pieces ( pos in . Teresa Berg, 186 0 ),

4 plays (op. 1, 1861-62),

6 poetic muses. pictures(Poetiske Toncbilleder, op. 3, 1863),

4 humoresques (op. 6, 1865), sonata (op. 7, 1865),

Funeral march in memory of Rikard Nurdrok (without Op., 1861 ), there is an arrangement for the military. orc.),

25 NO. songs and dances (Norske Folkeviser og Dandse , to tunes from Sat. L. M.pdemana, op. 17, 1870),

From folk life ( Folkelivsbilleder, op. 19, 1872),

Ballad in the form of variations on Norwegian Nar. melodies (Ballade i form at variasjoner over en norsk folkevise, op. 24, 1875),

6 Norwegian mountain melodies ( Sex norske field - melodier, without op., ca. 1875),

4 sheets from the album ( op. 28, No. 1, 1864; No. 2, 1874; No. 3, 1876; No. 4 (listen), 1878),

Improvisation on the normVezhsky Nar. songs ( improvisata over norske folkeviser, op. 29, 1878),

From the time of Holberg ( Fra HolbergS Tid, op. 40, 1884; arrangement for strings, orc., 1885),

transcription of own songs(op. 41, 1885 and op. 52, 1891)

19 hitherto neop ubl. Norwegian folk songs arranged for piano, op .6(5.1896),Slotty.

17 Norwegian peasants sky dances for violin solo, they are performed on nar. instrument "fele", recording I.O. Halvorsen,

arr. for piano ( Slatter. 17 norske Bondedanse for Violinsolo slik som de spilles pa Fele , op . 72, 1901-02),

Moods (Stemninger, 7 pieces, op. 73, 1905),

3 pieces (without op.: B dance, Dansen gar and Dance of the Dwarves, Tusseslat , 1898; White clouds - Hvide skyer, no op.; 1891; publ. 1908)

Lyric plays:

(Lyriske Stykker, 10 notebooks, 66 pieces:

I - op. 12 (listen"Dance of the Elves"" , no.4), 1867;

II - Op. 38 (listen" Berceuse " , no.1 , listen"Folk Song", no.2 ,listen"Spring Dance", no.5) , 1883;

III - op. 43(listen " papillons", no.1, listen "Little Bird", no.4) , 1886;

IV - op. 47 (listen " Spring Dance") , 1887;

V - op. 54 (listen "Shepherd Boy", no.1 ) , 1891, № 3 - Procession of the Dwarves(listen), Troldtog, No. 4 - Nocturne;

VI - op. 57, 1893;

VII-op. B 2, 1894-95;

VIII - op. 65, 1896, No. 6 - Wedding day in Trollhaugen, Bryllupsdag pa Troldhaugen,

IX-op. 68-( listen"Cradle Song"), no.5, 1895;

X-op.71,1901).

For piano four hands:

2 symph. plays (arrangement 2 movements symphony in c - minor , op . 14, 1864),

Norwegian dances(op. 35, 1881; arranged for piano two hands, 1881),

Caprice Waltzes (op. 37, 1883; arranged for piano two hands, 1883).

For 2 pianos :

Old Norse Romance with Variations ( Garameinorsk melodic med variasjoner, op . 51, 1891, arranged for orch., 1904),

2nd piano part to 4 sonatas by V. A. Mozart, without opera, 1876 - 79).

For violin and piano :

3 sonatas (F-dur, op. 8, 1865; G-dur. op. 13, 1867; c-moll, op. 45, 1886-87)

Ha lo (1867)

D la in cello and piano:

sonata (a-moll, op. 36, 1882-1883)

For acappela choir :

4 songs, by from v. Student. choir. about-vu in Copenhagen (1863, unpublished)

evening mood(dedicated to the Norwegian student . choir. about-wu and his hands. J. D. Beren su, sl. Yu My, 1867)

Sailor's song (Norwegian sailor, op. Viernson, no op., 1868)

At the coffin of Velhaven (lyrics by Yu. My, without op., 1873)

Cantata for the opening of the monument x. Hjerulf in Christiania (lyrics by A. Munch, 1874)

Song of the northern fighters for freedom (lyrics by Bjornson, 1874, unpublished)

Two songs per op. W. Lufthus (no op., 1881)

Greeting singers pas with l. skav lanna (for the holiday songs in Trondheim, without op., 1883)

Cantata for the unveiling of the monument x. Holberg in Bergen ( with l. Rolfsen, without op., 1884)

Song of our banner (from L. Bjornson, 1893)

two songs ( with l. J. Dahl, 1896)

Christiania singers greeting(lyrics by I. Lee, no op., 1896), Ave Maria Stella (no op., 1898)

Ole Bullu ( with l. J. S. Velhavena, 1901)

Near 150 songs, romances and songs cycles per from Norwegian, Danish and German poets, including on from fishing X. K. Andersen- 15 (op. 5, 1864; without op., 1865; op. 15, 1870; op. 18, 1865-69),

I. Paupsena- 16 (op. 26, 187(5; op. 58, cycle Norway - Norge ; op. 59, 1893-94),

O. Bigne- 15 (op. 33, 1873-80; no op., 1880),

B. Bjornson - 10 (without op. 1867, 1871, 1873; op. 18, 1868; op. 21, 1870-72; op. 39, 1869-84),

G . Ibsen- 7 (op. 15, 1868; op. 25, 187J),

X. Drahman- 12 (cycle "On the rocks and fjords" - Fra Field og Fjord, op. 44, 1886; op. 49, 1886-89),

O. Benzona- 10 ( op. 69, op. 70, 1900),

A. Garborg- 8 (cycle Girl from the mountains - Haug-tussa, op. 67, 1896-98),

G . Heine- 7 ( op. 2, 1861; op. 4, 1863-64; op. 39, 1869-84; op. 48, 1889),

V. Kraga- 5 (op. 60, 1894),

P. Chamisso- 4 (op. 2, 1861; op. 4, 1863-64),

A. Munch- 4 (op. 9, 1863-65),

K. Winter - 4 ( op. 10, before 1862),

n a with fishing frombooks to read N. Rolfsen-7 children's songs (op. 61, 1894);

on the with l. J. W. Goethe, I. L. Ulanda, K. Rnkardta, F. M. Bo deishtedt and etc.

Music for drama theater performances:

Sigurd the Crusader ( Sigurd Jorsalfar for Bjorn's drama sona, 5 numbers, op. 22, 1872),

Olaf Trygvasop (3 scenes fromunfinished operas on text Bjornson, op. 50, 1873; 2nd ed. 1883; conc. Spanish under ex. G riga ,1889, Christiania; spanish fast. 1908 National tr, Kpnstiania),

Peer Gynt ( music for G. Ibsen's poem, o r. 23 number, 1874-75, arranged as 2 suites forsymp. orc., as well as for piano in 2 and 4 hands).

Literary writings and letters:

Selected articles and letters,

When the piano sings the enigmatic Grieg,
Not only music, but the secret sound of light
Born by the movement of sensitive hands
In an attempt to keep the uniqueness of the moment.
Here beauty is in harmony with simplicity,
And sincerity - with a mysterious silence,
The severity of the north - with a flaming dream,
And eternal passion gentle sounding.
Dreams, memories, reality and dream,
And a ray of love - Nina's crystal voice, *)
Crying Ingrid, faithful Solveig quiet moan,
snowy Norway pictures...
And it seems - the whole miracle of life:
Harmony and ancient chaos of feeling,
The immensity of existence and the transience of "I"
Contained the genius of Norwegian art.

(Jelal Kuznetsov)

Edward Grieg. Norwegian idyll

The city of Bergen is located in the western part of Norway, on a beautiful fjord overlooking the North Sea. The roofs of the houses scattered over the surrounding hills ring for weeks and months under the blows of the long fingers of rain. In the port taverns, old fishermen with fog-damp beards tell tales of fairies and trolls, worldly monsters and terrible storms in calm and stern voices. And only late at night, when the wind goes to bed in the doorways, their steps sound and die down on the streets damp from the rain and drowning in fog.

In this city, on June 15, 1843, Edvard Grieg was born - the most remarkable composer not only of his homeland, but of all Scandinavia. Before his appearance, the peoples of northern Europe did not appreciate folk music, they did not know what a composer could make of it.

They considered the songs and dances of the peasants to be devoid of true value and did not understand that they sounded for centuries of memories. So many joys and sorrows, so many unforgettable holidays! Grieg discovered their beauty already in childhood: his mother, who gave him his first music lessons, often played songs and dances heard from the peasants. The monotonous and powerful fluctuation of their rhythms gave birth to melodies, sometimes cheerful, sometimes sad. At night, before going to sleep, the child remembered them; he would get out of bed, stumbling in the dark, quietly descend the stairs and begin to improvise on the piano, barely touching the keys, so as not to be scolded.

At school, Grieg had to experience a lot of grief because of arithmetic. To get rid of her, he often ran away from lessons. Most often, the boy wandered in the rain, until streams of water began to moan from his clothes. Seeing this, the teacher sent him home to change, and while he returned in dry clothes, the arithmetic lesson was over.

Grieg was twelve years old when he showed his classmates his first musical composition, “Piano Variations on a German Theme”, opus 1. But the teacher, noticing what he was doing, leaned over the young musician and slapped him a good slap in the face:

You better remember the name of the king with whom Olaf Geraldssen negotiated the independence of Norway! he added angrily.

Edward studied at the gymnasium when the famous Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, a former student of Paganini, visited their house. Probably, even the lightning that unexpectedly fell into the room would not have hit young Grieg harder.

This strong, round-shouldered man, with his head always bowed to his left shoulder, spoke about wonderful things. Edward listened to these stories for hours, swallowing his words and looking at his hands. He had to think about how he plays the violin with them, because the violinist arrived without an instrument. But he wanted to listen to Edward play the piano and, having heard, predicted a brilliant future for him. Ole Bull managed to persuade his parents to send the boy to Leipzig, to the conservatory, famous throughout the continent.

Edward left his homeland with deep regret, but soon got used to the new environment and student life.

In Leipzig, memories of Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy lived everywhere, and the young Norwegian discovered with deep emotion the places where these great musicians gave their concerts, where they were applauded and where they taught their students.

Returning to Bergen, Grieg was struck by the beauty of his country, which he now saw through the eyes of a mature person.

The sea stretched out in the distance, soft, green, shiny.

A bluish haze rose, wavering slightly, over the sun-drenched fjord. Red and yellow flowers hid in the grass, bending under the weight of the dew.

Above, in the mountains, snow lay even in summer, sending down to the fjord with lacy shores, cool breaths of wind.

Noisy rivers ran through rocky valleys to the sea, they crossed inexorably noisy forests, dense thickets of blackberries and glades covered with fragrant herbs that reached the waist of a man.

Near the sea, red granite rocks of the most bizarre forms protruded from the side of the mountain. A gentle light lay on everything like brilliant pollen, and silent birds chased each other in its rays.

Grieg loved to be among the peasants, to get acquainted with their customs, songs and dances. At the end of almost every week, he left home and traveled around the country. He heard many melodies, many stories about dwarves and elves, got acquainted with the life and customs ordinary people. Soon he wrote a troll dance: the Norwegians think that these are tiny spirits that hide in caves and turn to stone as soon as the first ray of the sun touches them. Therefore, they wander through the forest only at night and disappear as soon as the first rays color the tops of the fir trees.

The composer was fascinated by the poetic imagination of his people, the songs and colorful clothes of the peasants. He tried to learn all this as deeply as possible and express it in his music. He gave his first concert in Bergen, including several of his compositions. His sincere excitement amazed the listeners, for Grieg had the gift to express his feelings in a lively and free form, conveying in them his impressions of the nature of his homeland, of the people he met. Whenever composing music, he saw them so clearly before his eyes, as if he painted their portraits with the help of musical notes.

“Just as there is no people without art, so art cannot exist without people,” the composer liked to repeat.

Tirelessly improving his skills, the young artist was never satisfied with what he knew; the world of music, with its inexhaustible mysteries, seemed to him too vast for him to consider himself its master. This forced Grieg to go to study again, this time to Copenhagen, where he took lessons from Nils Gade, who was considered the founder of the Scandinavian school of music. There he met the pianist and singer Nina Hagerup, whom he later married, and composed the famous Love Song to the words of Hans Christian Andersen, which he dedicated to his beloved.

During the years spent in Copenhagen, Grieg became friends with the composer Richard Nurdrok, the author of the national anthem of Norway. The musicians decided to fight shoulder to shoulder for the creation national art, alien to foreign influences. Both of them admired folk music and poetry, both were proud of their originality. On the initiative of these enthusiastic composers, the Euterpe Society was created, which set as its goal the struggle for the development of Scandinavian art.

Encouraged by this goal, Grieg launched a wide concert activity. The concert in the capital of Norway, Oslo, was an unprecedented success and led to the appointment of the composer to the post of conductor of the orchestra of the Philharmonic Society. In this capacity, he wrote one of his most famous writings, an A-minor concerto for piano and orchestra, and today appears in the repertoire of all the major pianists of the world. First performed in Leipzig, it was greeted with thunderous applause from the audience. Critics, however, had a different opinion and, as happened more than once, were deceived in their assessment. They wrote about Grieg's "miserable, insignificant little piece", not understanding the value and richness of its bright, original melodies. However, not only critics, but also many of Grieg's compatriots showed complete inattention to his work.

The lack of income was very embarrassing for the composer, especially since, having no means to support the orchestra, he was forced to disband it for a long time. It was during this period, when so many difficulties and sorrows fell upon him, that the composer lost his first and only child. The situation seemed completely hopeless when an enthusiastic letter from Franz Liszt arrived from Rome. The great Hungarian pianist and composer congratulated him wholeheartedly on the Piano Sonata, opus 8, and concluded the letter with the words: “I want to hope that in your homeland you enjoy the success and support that you deserve!” Having shown this letter to the Norwegian authorities, the composer finally received a modest subsidy, and for this amount he went to Rome. There he personally met Liszt, who eagerly asked the composer about Norway, its art and folk music. But even more valuable than Grieg's stories were his writings for him. They seemed to Liszt a treasury of feeling, characteristic of the country from which their creator had come; these melodies sounded outbursts of heroism, the brilliance of the sun and the clink of glasses, gusts of wind flew by, beautiful landscapes loomed.

Your music exudes the wild and intoxicating spirit of the northern forests, Liszt told Grieg when he played the Piano Concerto for him, brilliantly reproducing all its shades.

Then he took the hand of the Norwegian, who was shorter than him, and shook it firmly. Joy shone on his face, he spoke continuously, admiring the sincerity and novelty of a truly folk art Edward Grieg.

Liszt's support was the most important event in Grieg's life. Filled with new inspiration and passion for creativity, he returned to his homeland. There he began to look for a quiet secluded corner where he could settle down and write music, undisturbed by anyone. He wandered from village to village, from one fjord to another, but did not stop anywhere, not finding the solitude and peace necessary for creativity.

After many failed attempts composer, financial situation which, meanwhile, had greatly improved thanks to concerts and royalties, finally bought a house in the wilderness, not far from Bergen. It was a stone building with a small turret on the roof and stained glass windows, surrounded by pine trees and jasmine thickets; the composer called it Trollhaugen, that is, "Troll Hill".

There were friends of the composer, simple, unknown people and celebrities like the writer Bjornstjerne Bjornson, German composer Franz Bauer, playwright Heinrich Ibsen. When Ibsen remade his poem "Peer Gynt" for the theater, he asked Grieg to write music for it. There a suite of the same name was born, which gained fame rarely attained by compositions of this kind. She brought the composer wealth and fame by convincing the Norwegian government to give him an annual allowance.

Never intoxicated by success, tirelessly studying the art of his people, Edvard Grieg was one of those national artists who are able to distinguish and reproduce the subtlest shades. folk thought and feelings. His romantic music contains melodies and rhythms of Norwegian folklore, old songs and dances of the country of the ancient Vikings.

Before last days of his life, having preserved a young soul, Grieg tirelessly wrote works for voice and piano, for solo instruments, chamber music and pieces for orchestra. He especially loved the song in which the poetry of his people sounded. His generous heart was ready to receive everything beautiful with love. He believed that his works are sparks flying out of the soul of the people.

When the composer died, fifty thousand Norwegians accompanied him to last way. His ashes were buried under a stone embankment, on a high rocky promontory, inaccessible to visitors. There, undisturbed by anyone, the author of Solveig's Song and Anitra's Dance peacefully listens to the sound of the North Sea and the rumble of the polar wind in the evergreen forests of Norway.

Sounds of music

Grieg's work is vast and varied. It is diverse both in terms of genre and subject matter. In his writings we also find pictures of folk life, native nature, and images of folk fiction, and human life in all its fullness. The most famous are his suites from the music for Ibsen's drama Peer Gynt.

In the area of piano music Grieg played a very important role. But first, one of the characteristic features of his talent should be noted - no matter what the composer writes about, no matter what genre he turns to, all his works are fanned with lyricism, lively and loving attitude. No wonder P. I. Tchaikovsky wrote: “Listening to Grieg, we instinctively realize that this music was written by a person driven by an irresistible attraction through sounds to pour out an influx of sensations and moods of a deeply poetic nature.”

Imbued with the spirit of Norwegian folk melodies, he put them at the basis of almost all of his works. Especially bright character traits creativity manifested itself in piano works Grieg.

Edvard Grieg turned to the piano throughout his life. His piano miniatures were for him a kind of "diary" in which the composer wrote down his personal impressions and observations, thoughts and feelings. In these miniatures, Grieg appears as a real writer, vividly and figuratively describing the pictures of life.

The composer left about one hundred and fifty piano pieces. Seventy of them were published in ten notebooks, called "Lyrical Pieces". They are in many ways close to Schubert's "Musical Moments" and "Impromptu", Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words".

From Grieg's "Lyrical Pieces" one can see how many thoughts and feelings the composer gave to his homeland. This theme manifested itself in different plays - in magnificent musical landscapes, in genre scenes, in images of folk fiction.

For example, "Norwegian Melody" (listening) draws a whole dance scene. We can visibly see the figures of the dancers, different “pas” of the dance - a swirling springdance. The character is also emphasized by a peculiar accompaniment, imitating the sound of folk instruments.

"Gangar" ("Peasant March") (hearing) is a popular dance procession in Norway (gang - step). It's vintage pair dance calm and majestic-solemn character. While listening to this play, we can imagine a procession of dancers. They seem to first approach us, and then move away.

One of the most striking examples of Grieg's musical fantasy is his play "The Procession of the Dwarves" (listening). Music draws us whimsical fairy world, underworld trolls and gnomes, these terrible and evil dwarfs. The middle section of the play depicts the bewitching beauty and clarity of nature.

One of Grieg's most joyful and jubilant works is "Wedding Day in Trollhaugen" (hearing) (Trollhaugen is a place in Norway where Grieg's villa was located. Here the composer spent last years own life. Despite the fact that most Lyric Pieces are miniatures of a chamber character, this piece stands out among them for its brightness, scale, and virtuosic brilliance. catchy musical images this composition approaches the type of a concert piece.

Wedding marches take great place in Norwegian folklore. And this procession of Grieg sounds confident, proud. But at the same time, the characteristic "pipe" bass gives it the simplicity and charm of a rural scene. The piece also exists in an orchestral version. Grieg presented this work to his wife Nina on June 11 for their wedding anniversary.

Among the "Lyrical Pieces" we meet bright, poetic images of nature: "Butterfly", "Bird", "Spring". In these pieces, the composer's rare gift was manifested to create an accurate and delicate drawing with a few strokes.

A vivid example of this is the piece "Bird" (listening), as if woven from short fluttering trills and a jumping rhythm.

The play "In the Spring" (listening) is the apotheosis of the awakening of nature. The unique charm of sound images is reminiscent of the pathetically uncertain appearance of snowdrops. In a letter to the publisher, Grieg called this collection of plays "spring songs".

Thin pages of lyrical statements are such cycle plays as "Waltz-Impromptu", "Elegy" (listening).

One of the most lyrical episodes of Grieg's work is the play that opens the cycle - "Arietta" (listening). It is remarkable for its amazing purity, naivete, spontaneity, peace of mind. The composer used a very subtle technique in its conclusion: such a kind of ellipsis. The song breaks off on the floor of a phrase, as if the singer's thought has gone somewhere far away.

The presentation used reproductions of paintings by artists: Hans Andreas Dahl, Adolf Tiedemann and Hans Gude; photographs of the sights of Norway.

Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen in 1843 into a wealthy family. Grieg's ancestors moved to Norway as early as 1770 and since then all the older males in the family have served as British vice-consuls. The composer's grandfather and father, as well as his mother, were excellent musicians; Grieg himself was first imprisoned for the instrument at the age of 4. At the age of 12, the future "genius of the Norwegian romance" wrote his first work, and after completing his studies at school he entered the Leipzig Conservatory, founded by Mendelssohn himself. There he studied from 1858 to 1862.

In Leipzig, where R. Shumen lived at that time, and J. Bach had previously spent his last years, Grieg got acquainted with the work of such brilliant composers as Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, Wagner, but still he singled out R. Schumann most of all . In his early works, the influence of this composer is felt.

The beginning of the creative path

In 1863, Grieg returned to his native city, but it was difficult to develop success and talent in small Bergen, and he left to live and work in Copenhagen. It was there that Grieg began to think about the revival of the national Scandinavian culture. In 1864, together with like-minded people, he founded the Euterpe society, the main goal of which was to introduce Norwegians to the works of Scandinavian composers.

At this time, the musician was actively working and released many different musical works, including the plots of fairy tales by G. H. Andersen, An. Munch and others.

Marriage

Grieg was married (since 1867) to his cousin by mother Nina Hagerup, who herself was famous singer, who had a classical and very melodic soprano voice.

Jobs in Oslo

In 1866 due to family problems(relatives did not accept the marriage of young people; such a family union was not considered traditional in Norway) Grieg and his bride moved to Oslo (then Christiania). At that time, the composer worked hard and fruitfully, creating his best masterpieces.

In 1868 Franz Liszt heard the works for violin by the young author. He liked them extremely, about which he wrote in a letter to Grieg. Liszt's letter had a very strong influence on the composer, he realized that he was moving in the right direction and that musical experiments should be continued.

In 1871 he founded the Oslo Philharmonic Society, which still exists today. In the hall of the Society one could hear the music of Liszt, Schubert, Chopin, Mozart, Wagner, Beethoven, Schumann. Many of the works of the Norwegian audience heard for the first time there.

streak of recognition

In 1874, the composer received a lifetime scholarship from the Oslo authorities, and in 1876 he received world recognition.

After several musical seasons, Grieg was able to afford to leave metropolitan life and return to Bergen.

last years of life

In 1883, Grieg was diagnosed with tuberculosis, affected by the damp and cold climate of Bergen. In the same year, his wife left the composer (the relationship between them became more complicated after the death of their only daughter from meningitis). Grieg lived alone for some time, but then he found the strength to make peace with his wife and move to live in the villa Trollhaugen, built according to his order and project.

In 1898, he organized the Norwegian Music Festival in Bergen, which is still held today.

The composer died in 1907 in his native Bergen from tuberculosis. The death was unexpected, mourning was declared throughout Norway. Grieg was buried on the bank of the fjord, not far from his villa, in the bosom of his beloved Norwegian nature.

Other biography options

• Judging by short biography Edvard Grieg, he was both an academician of the Swiss Royal Academy and an academician of the French Academy fine arts, and honorary professor at several universities, including Cambridge.
• Grieg was very fond of fishing and often went out into the countryside to go fishing with friends. Among his friends, lovers of fishing, was the famous conductor Franz Bayer.

There are people whose names will invariably evoke associations with their culture and originality. home country, people whose work is imbued with the spirit of national identity. When we think about Norway, Edvard Grieg, the famous Norwegian composer, who put all the love and ecstasy of his native land into his unique music, will probably be such a person.

Edvard Grieg was born on June 15, 1843 in Bergen, the second largest city in Norway. The love for music of the future composer awakened in a very young age- at the age of 4, Grieg could already play the piano, at 12 he tried to compose his own music.

How often does it happen to brilliant people, Grieg was not particularly diligent in his studies, everyday activities at school (and even music lessons!) He was very burdensome, so the boy had to show ingenuity and come up with all sorts of excuses, just not to go there. This desire of his is quite understandable, taking into account the fact that the school teacher criticized to smithereens the first composing experiments of 12-year-old Edvard Grieg, entitled Edvard Grieg's Variations on a German Theme, op. No. 1". The teacher, looking at them, gave the future composer the following instruction: “Next time, bring a German dictionary, but leave this nonsense at home!”. It is clear that after such a “wish” Grieg did not increase his desire to go to school.

Well, a family friend, the Norwegian composer Ole Bull, helped the young musician to completely restore his musical self-esteem. The “Norwegian Paganini,” as Bulla was called, played a huge role in Grieg’s creative self-determination, since it was he who, after listening to the boy’s piano improvisations, strongly advised him to go to study music in Leipzig. So Grieg did in 1858.

The years of study at the Leipzig Conservatory were in general happy time for the Norwegian, although at first the routine and some scholasticism of education tormented him here too. But the very atmosphere of Leipzig - the city of great musicians, the stormy concert life made Grieg forget about everything except music, and more and more improve his talent.

Grieg graduated from the conservatory with excellent grades and returned to Bergen, from where he soon left for Copenhagen (despite all his ardent love for native land, the composer did not see in a fairly provincial Bergen a wide field for the development of his activities).

It was the “Danish” period of Grieg’s life (1863-1866) that was marked by the composer’s awakening strong love to Norwegian national epic and folklore. Subsequently, this desire to bring a piece of Norwegian identity, Scandinavian romance into almost every piece of music will become hallmark music by Grieg, calling card» of his works. Here is what the composer himself said then: “My eyes have definitely opened! I suddenly grasped all the depth, all the breadth and power of those distant vistas of which I had no idea before; then only I realized the greatness of the Norwegian folk art and my own vocation and nature" .

In fact, this love resulted in the creation of Grieg together with another young Norwegian composer Rikard Nurdrok musical society"Euterpe" (in ancient Greek mythology is the muse of lyric poetry and music). The purpose of "Euterpe" was to promote and "promote" the musical works of Scandinavian composers.

During these years, Grieg wrote Humoresques, Poetic Pictures, a piano sonata, and the first violin sonata. Almost all of these works are imbued with the Norwegian folk spirit.

The same can be said about the composition "March of the Trolls". Despite the name, which seems to foreshadow a collision with something not very pleasant and beautiful, the melody sounds surprisingly light and even joyful. Although, as is often the case with Grieg, there are also notes of some hidden melancholy, which “erupt” with a vengeance in the central lyrical theme compositions.

In 1867, Grieg marries Nina Hagerup. Soon the young couple went on tour together in Europe (Nina performed her husband's romances), but, unfortunately, real world recognition has bypassed Grieg so far.

Famous piano concert A minor, which is considered one of the most significant and brilliant musical works of this genre, aroused even greater interest in the music of the Norwegian, and subsequently brought him worldwide fame. It is also known that the concert was highly appreciated by Franz Liszt.

In 1872, Grieg wrote his main play at that time, Sigurd the Crusader. Fame suddenly fell on the musician, for the arrival of which he was not very prepared, so Grieg immediately decides to hide in Bergen - away from the capital's hype and unnecessary conversations.

It is in Bergen, in his spiritual homeland, that Edvard Grieg writes, perhaps, the main work of his musical life Suite to Ibsen's Peer Gynt. Grieg called the place of his solitude "Trollhaugen" ("troll hill"). Apparently, the passion for Norwegian folklore has penetrated into the very subconscious of the brilliant Norwegian! But the place was really very picturesque: the house was located in the mountains, the famous Norwegian fjords flaunted nearby! Grieg not only loved nature, he found life-giving forces for creativity in it, alone with her he restored his spirit and came to life as a person and as a creator. In his notes, letters, we find many references to the beauty of the surrounding area, the writer sincerely admired the Norwegian mountains, where "healing and new vitality" come. This is why seclusion in Trollhaugen was so important for recovery. creative forces brilliant musician.

From 1878, Grieg came out of seclusion and actively toured, visited France, Germany, England, Austria and other European countries with concerts. During these years, the composer continued to write a cycle of "Lyrical Pieces", as well as "Norwegian Folk Melodies" - 19 genre sketches, poetic pictures of nature and lyrical statements imbued with a patriotic spirit. Grieg's last piece of music "Symphonic Dances" also does not break this good tradition of addressing the Norwegian theme.

In the last years of his life, Grieg maintained contact with famous composers of that time (among them was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky), but despite this, he left his Trollhaugen only for the sake of the tour - secular conventions burdened the composer, nothing can be done!

Unfortunately, the humid climate of Bergen could not but affect the health of the musician, whose weak point since his studies at the conservatory were the lungs. In 1907, he experienced an exacerbation of the disease. On September 4 of the same year, the great composer died.

No one will probably deny that music is the most "emotional" art. Music is built on transitions from one state of mind to another, it plays with our feelings rather than thoughts, and its language is international, that is, understandable to everyone. But when you listen to Grieg, you understand that the musician masterfully managed to combine expression musical language with some epic, artistic comprehension of reality. His compositions (especially the Peer Gynt suite, which will be discussed later) are like small canvases, mini-landscapes - always picturesque, always figurative and almost always "Norwegian". Listening to his works, one wants to write to them little story, a small illustration, where the main character will probably be the beautiful and mysterious northern nature. One of the clearest examples of this kind of music is the famous "Norwegian Dance", but to a greater extent this refers to the most famous work of the brilliant Norwegian - the suite "Peer Gynt", written specifically at the request of Heinrich Ibsen - the author of the play of the same name.

Grieg writes music for Peer Gynt during 1874. The first performance takes place in Oslo in 1876, when Grieg had already become very popular in Europe. The suite is divided into several acts, consisting of separate compositions, which can be considered independent works, since here we do not observe a rigid structural connection of the parts.

The exact attitude of Grieg to the drama is not completely known: V. Admoni, exploring the work of Ibsen, argued that “E. Grieg was extremely reluctant - in fact, only because of the fee - agreed to write music for the play and for a number of years put off fulfilling his promise, ”other sources say differently. Be that as it may, these two works with the same title and plot are absolutely different from each other.

"Peer Gynt" is the story of the adventures of a restless Norwegian guy who travels without a specific goal and encounters various obstacles on his way that test his rather unstable moral attitude kind. This whole story from beginning to end is "seasoned" with mythological Norwegian flavor - trolls, unknown spirits, mountain kings, etc. etc. All this may seem romantic at first glance, but the paradox is that Ibsen himself did not pursue this goal at all: with his unusual work, on the contrary, he wanted to break all ties with romanticism. And indeed, the characters of Norwegian folklore in Ibsen are not only not "romanticized", but also ferocious, scary, and in some scenes simply ugly! In addition, the play also contains clearly satirical scenes that had a direct historical background, so Ibsen's drama is, of course, not romanticism.

But Grieg's "Peer Gynt" can already rightfully claim this title, because all the compositions for the suite are exceptional works in their lyricism, absolutely devoid of a satirical background (unless, with a stretch, this can be attributed to the composition of the fourth act " Arabic dance” (Arabian Dance), but with a rather big stretch!), and even Ibsen’s trolls are not scary, but rather mysterious.

Almost every composition of the Peer Gynt suite is probably familiar to all lovers classical music and even those who do not consider themselves to be such. So often these melodies are heard in the credits for films, at competitions in figure skating and even in commercials. It is worth mentioning only the most famous melody "In the cave of the mountain king" - a melody where Grieg brilliantly depicted the hidden mysticism of Norse mythology. The charm of this composition is given by an unusual tempo: starting slowly at first, the melody breaks into prestissimo (the fastest tempo in music). In this small masterpiece, Grieg even “elevated” disgusting (in Ibsen) creatures, endowing them with some kind of stormy power and grandeur. This melody is deservedly considered one of Grieg's most popular. It is used not only as a soundtrack for films (and there are at least nine such films), but also as a screensaver in television programs and computer games. This stormy and emotional melody "does not give rest" to modern musical groups: more than 5 “cover versions” of “The Mountain King” are known, and in 1994 the British hard rock band “Rainbow” even came up with the text for this melody and also called it “In the hall of mountain hall”. With all due respect to the band's musicians, it cannot be said that they set themselves a task comparable to Grieg's. At the very beginning of the song, the mysterious verse of the “Rainbow” vocalist taking on the role of the mountain king does not fully correspond with musical material: after all, the rather “high spirits” in the first part of the song seem to conflict with the ominous words of the “king” - “Mysteries of ages told, stories now will unfold, tales of mystic days of old are hidden in these walls” (“ Secrets of the ages are told, stories will be revealed, the legends of ancient mystical days are hidden within these walls. And it is Grieg's music (although it is worth noting, of course, expressive voice Dougie Wide) creates a mystical atmosphere in the song. It is also interesting that this composition also used an excerpt from "Morning" - another famous and beautiful melody by Grieg.

Thus, the melody "In the Hall of the Mountain King" has long been "living its own life", and can be perceived in isolation from the whole suite "Peer Gynt".

Listening carefully to Grieg, you begin to understand that his music does not contain any one complete mood - in almost every melody, sadness is hidden behind joy, and behind sadness is a bright hope for happiness.

In Solveig's Song and Solveig's Lullaby (the final chord of Peer Gynt), sadness and joy are wonderfully intertwined, and it is absolutely impossible to tell which feeling prevails. Grieg masterfully manages to build this complex mood with his musical language.

The compositions “Ingrid’s Lament” and “The Death of Ose” are striking in their drama and sharp psychologism - the most heartfelt episodes of Ibsen's drama, since here “there is no conditional national-romantic tinsel and the purely human principle turns out to be decisive - the deepest feelings human soul correlated with the general background of the play as a striking contrast to it” (despite the fact that this “national-romantic tinsel” in Ibsen’s play may sometimes not be entirely clear, for Grieg’s suite it is nevertheless the main material and source of musical inspiration).

I would like to finish the story about Grieg's work with another mention of one of the composer's most romantic musical works. The famous "Morning" from "Peer Gynt" can rightfully be called the most lyrical and sublime moment of the suite. Even in Ibsen, this description of the morning is surprisingly romantic, which is strikingly different from all previous and subsequent scenes of the play. Here is how it is depicted by the famous playwright.

Peer Gynt
(appears, cutting out a fife)

What a marvelous dawn indeed!
The bird is in a hurry to clear his throat,
The snail climbs out of the house without fear.
Morning! There is no better time!
All the strength that was found in her,
Nature has invested in the morning hour.
Such confidence grows in the heart,
As if now I will overcome the bull.
How quiet! Village Supremacy
I didn't understand before.
Let the cities pile up from ancient times,
Any rabble in them is always full.
Look, here's a lizard crawling
Knowing not knowing our worries.
Verily, any beast is innocent!
He embodies the providence of God,
That is, he lives, unlike others,
That is, it remains itself, itself,
Whether he is offended or favored by fate.
(Looks at the lorgnette.)
Toad. Buried myself in the sand
So that with difficulty we find it,
And also looks at the world of the Lord,
Reveling in yourself. Wait a bit!
(thinks.)
Reveling? By yourself? Whose words are these?
And where did I read them during it?
Are they from prayers? From the parables of Solomon?
Damn! My head is getting weak
And I barely remember the past.
(Sits in the shade.)
Here, in the cold, I will be comfortable.
Those roots are edible.
(Eating.)
Food is more suitable for livestock,
"Pacify the flesh!" - they say for a reason.
It is also said: "Kill your pride!
He who is humbled now will be exalted."
(Alarmed.)
Exalted! This is my path.
And could it really be otherwise?
Fate brings me back to my father's house,
Let everything turn out for the best.
First trial, then deliverance.
If only the Lord would give health and patience!
(Flying away dark thoughts, he lights a cigar, lies down and looks into the distance.)