8. Other works.

Most of Grieg’s large-scale vocal works date from his sojourn in Christiania, early in his career, when his composing was significantly influenced by his association with the poet Bjørnson. Two choral works which became very popular, Before a Southern Convent op.20 for women’s voices and orchestra (1871) and Land-Sighting op.31 for men’s voices and orchestra (1872, later revised), are attractive, if unadventurous. The melodrama Bergliot op.42 is also a product of this period, as are the incidental music to Sigurd Jorsalfar op.22 and the abortive opera project Olav Trygvason, of which the three completed scenes were later published as op.50.

At once more unusual and more important than these Bjørnson collaborations is The Mountain Thrall op.32, written during Grieg’s stay in Lofthus in 1877–8. A setting of folk poetry for baritone solo, string orchestra and two horns, the work is simply constructed yet has a vivid expressive power. The haunting sense of loneliness and a mystical communion with nature depicted in the words, as in Norwegian folk art generally, is ingeniously mirrored by the music.

The most extensive and best-known of Grieg’s dramatic and large vocal works, the incidental music to Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, was his first composition after leaving Christiania in 1874. It was not completed until the summer of 1875, and Grieg worked at it more slowly and seriously than had been the case with most of his earlier works, although it shares with them a direct melodic charm and perennial freshness. The familiar concert suites (opp.46 and 55) include only eight of the 26 numbers, and as the order of the pieces within them is completely independent of the sequence of events in the play, they give no idea of the sustained dramatic impact of the entire work. The music to the scene with Peer and the sæter-maidens and I Dovregubbens hal (famous as ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’), both from Act 2, display a forceful side of Grieg’s art which seldom found expression elsewhere. All the same, he was first and foremost a lyrical composer, and perhaps the finest music from Peer Gynt is contained in Solvejg’s songs and in the poetic introduction to Act 4, Morgenstemning (‘Morning Mood’). Here Grieg’s unique gifts are given their fullest voice.

Grieg, Edvard

9. Influence and reputation.

Grieg anticipated Debussy not only in his String Quartet but in other works of the late 1870s and later, and there are plausibly Griegian features in pre-1900 Debussy works besides the quartet. Debussy's silence on the matter need not be considered disproof when it is countered by Ravel's outspokenness. Ravel's remark that he ‘had not written a single work that had not been influenced by Grieg' need not be taken too seriously, but Percy Grainger reported a more striking admission in a conversation Ravel had with Delius. ‘Modern French music’, Delius ventured, ‘is simply Grieg plus the prelude to the third act of Tristan’, and Ravel replied: ‘You are right. We have always been most unjust towards Grieg.’ Delius and Grainger, both of them more generous, were close friends of Grieg's and Delius especially was clearly influenced by him. So too was Bartók, by the later music. The Slåtter and Four Psalms look forward to traits in such works as the Allegro barbaro.

Grieg's music spread rapidly through Europe during the latter part of the 19th century. His concert tours and the efficient follow-up marketing of his publisher, Peters, no doubt played a part in this, but no less important was his strong appeal to public taste. His Lyric Pieces were exactly adjusted to the limitations and desires of amateur pianists (and have remained essential to that repertory), while the melodic charm and straightforward manner of his earlier orchestral compositions, especially the Peer Gynt suites, assured them abundant life on orchestral programmes. Around 1900 Grieg was one of the most popular composers in western homes and concert halls, and though there was some falling off after 1920, his music was well back in favour by the time of his sesquicentenary, in 1993, which brought a peak in scholarship and general enthusiasm.

Grieg, Edvard

WORKS

Peters (Leipzig) eventually published nearly all works, but only first editions are cited here; opus numbers are given in brackets when they duplicate, in the case of arrangements, the opus numbers of original versions; for clarification see Fog (1966)

Edition: Edvard Grieg: Gesamtausgabe/Complete Works (Frankfurt, 1977–95) [GGA]

EG numbers are given as listed in GGA xx

stage

other vocal works with orchestra

orchestral

choral with piano or unaccompanied

songs

chamber

piano solo

works for two/four pianists

other works

Grieg, Edvard: Works

stage

—	Arnljot Gelline (op, B. Bjørnson), sketch frag. Bjarkemål, 1872, N-Bo [See also Foran sydens kloster op.20]
22	Sigurd Jorsalfar (incid music, Bjørnson), 1v, TTBB, orch, 1872, Christiania, 10 April 1872, vs (Copenhagen, 1874), rev. 1892, fs, nos.4, 8 (Leipzig, 1893), GGA xix: 1 Innledning til Akt I, 2 Borghilds drøm [Borghild's Dream], 3 Ved mannjevningen [At the Matching Game], 4 Norrønafolket [The Northland Folk], 5 Hyldningsmarsj [Homage March], 6 Mellomspill I [Interlude I], 7 Mellomspill II, 8 Kongekvadet [The King's Song], Hornsignaler [Horn Signals]
23	Peer Gynt (incid music, H. Ibsen), solo vv, chorus, orch, 1874–75, Christiania, 24 Feb 1876, vs, nos.1, 4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 26 (Copenhagen, 1876), rev. 1885, 1891–2, 1902, fs, vs (Leipzig, 1908), GGA xviii
Act 1: I bryllupsgården [At the Wedding, Prelude to Act 1], 2 Halling, 3 Springar [Nor. dances]
Act 2: 4 Bruderovet. Ingrids klage [The Abduction of the Bride. Ingrid's Lament], 5 Peer Gynt og seterjentene [Peer Gynt and the Herd Girls], 6 Peer Gynt og Den grønnkledte [Peer Gynt and the Woman in Green], 7 Peer Gynt: ‘På ridestellet skal storfolk kjendes!’ [Peer Gynt: ‘You can tell great men by the style of their mounts!’], 8 I Dovregubbens hall [In the Hall of the Mountain King], 9 Dans av Dovregubbens datter [Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter], 10 Peer Gynt jages av troll [Peer Gynt hunted by the Trolls], 11 Peer Gynt og Bøygen [Peer Gynt and The Bøyg]
Act 3: 12 Åses død [The Death of Åse, Prelude to Act 3]
Act 4: 13 Morgenstemning [Morning Mood], 14 Tyven og heleren [The Thief and the Receiver], 15 Arabisk dans [Arabian Dance], 16 Anitras dans [Anitra's Dance], 17 Peer Gynts serenade [Peer Gynt's Serenade], 18 Peer Gynt og Anitra [Peer Gynt and Anitra], 19 Solveigs sang [Solveig's Song], 20 Peer Gynt ved Memnonstøtten [Peer Gynt at the Statue of Memnon]
Act 5: 21 Peer Gynts hjemfart. Stormfull aften ved havet [Peer Gynt's Homecoming. Stormy Evening on the Sea, Prelude to Act 5], 22 Skipsforliset [The Shipwreck], 23 Solveig synger i hytten [Solveig sings in the Hut], 24 Nattscene [Night Scene], 25 Pinsesalme: Velsignede morgen [Whitsun Hymn: Oh Blessed Morning], 26 Solveigs vuggevise [Solveig's Cradle Song]
50	Olav Trygvason (op, Bjørnson), inc., 1873, rev. and orchd 1888–89, vs (Leipzig, 1889), fs (Leipzig, 1890), GGA xix: Scene i: Skjult i de mange manende navne [Though to Whom Fancy Lends Many Titles], Scene ii: Ej er det nok naevne ved Navn [Tis not Enough that ye Invoke], Scene iii: Giv alle Guder gammens og gledesskål [Give to all Gods a Grace-Cup of Gratitude]

Grieg, Edvard: Works