EDVARD GRIEG

Born in Bergen, Norway on June 15th, 1843

CHILDHOOD, FAMILY AND MUSICAL TRAINING

• Grieg came from a musical family.

• His mother was his first piano teacher (he began playing at 6 years old.)

• At nine, he began composing.

• He went away to a music conservatory in Leipzig, Germany at the age of 15. He graduated at 19.

• He married his first cousin, Nina, when he was 24 years old.

• They had a daughter a year later, who got sick and died at 13 months old.

HOW HE EARNED A LIVING, POPULARITY WITH SOCIETY, INTERESTING FACTS, KINDS OF MUSIC

• He earned a living as a concert pianist, Music Director for the Bergen Orchestra, conductor and composer.

• He was very popular in Norway. Much of his music was based on Norwegian folk music.

• There were 30,000-40,000 people who attended his funeral.

• He met and played his piano music for Franz Liszt and Tchaikovsky. They were both impressed!

• He wrote piano sonatas and concertos as well as concertos for string instruments. He also wrote symphonic dances and songs, too.

• His most famous pieces were written for a play “Peer Gynt”.

WHEN AND HOW HE DIED

• He died in autumn of 1907 after a long illness. He was 64 years old.

• His own funeral march as well as Chopin’s were played at his funeral (per his request).

• He and his wife’s ashes are entombed in a mountain crypt near his home in Norway.

“MORNING” FROM PEER GYNT

• This is my favorite because I think it has a pretty melody and I love the nature pictures!