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The University High School Band
The History and Theory of Music

Edvard Grieg

Since 1397, Denmark and Norway had been a single kingdom. During the Napoleonic Wars, Norway was attacked by the United Kingdom. This caused it to enter into an alliance with Napoleon. When they lost the war in 1814, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden.

In response, Norway declared independence, establishing a parliamentary democracy and electing the crown prince, Christian Frederick, as king. Sweden and Norway went to war, which resulted in a peace treaty in which the Norwegian parliament was forced to elect King Charles XIII of Sweden as King of Norway. Norway was allowed to keep its parliament and constitution, but Sweden determined foreign policy.

This arrangement led to a surge in Norwegian nationalism, one of the heroes of which was composer Edvard Grieg. He had begun piano lessons at a young age, and later studied at the Leipzig Conservatory in the German Confederation, but later reported that he did not learn much.

His style was intricately connected to Norwegian folk music. He did so much to promote Norwegian culture and national identity that the parliament granted him a lifelong state pension at the age of just 29. Grieg met and befriended many of the leading composers of the day, including Franz Liszt, Percy Grainger, Johan Halvorsen, and Peter Tchaikovsky.

Compositions

Piano Concerto in A Minor, Movement 2

Peer Gynt Suite, Movement 1

Peer Gynt Suite, Movement 4