Edvard Grieg

Friday 4 August ~ Bergen 
There was no sunshine today; it was merely overcast with sporadic misting - balmy for Bergen.

Statue of Edvard Grieg in Bergen Park

Nordås Lake

We took the trolley 6 miles out of town to Hop (pronounced with the "oo" of the word "good"), then we walked another 25 minutes to Troldhaugen (Troll Hill), the former home of Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina. 

Situated on the idyllic Nordås Lake, Troldhaugen was their summer home, since 1885, and is where he composed much of his impressive oeuvre for the next 22 summers of his life. 

Note: Both Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina (his first cousin and an accomplished vocalist for whom he composed) were very short. 

We enjoyed an intimate piano concert of a selection of Grieg's work.

The pianist, Rune Alver, performed a lovely program and explained (blessedly in English) the story behind the pieces he played.

Edvard Grieg had a special fondness for trolls.
This was his favorite mascot troll.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is Norway's most famous composer. His music clearly conveys a sense of Norway's distinctive cultural character (complete with homage to trolls!). Grieg had a strong sense of national pride, and his music reflects the dramatic majesty of the Norwegian landscape. He made his mark by fusing Norwegian folk tunes with the bombast of Europe's Romantic style. Henrik Ibsen commissioned Edvard Grieg to compose the music for his play Peer Gynt.