Peer Gynt Suites
Encyclopedia
Peer Gynt, Op. 23 is the incidental music
to Henrik Ibsen
's 1867 play of the same name
, written by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg
in 1875. It premiered along with the play on 24 February 1876 in Christiania
(now Oslo).
Later, in 1888 and 1891, Grieg extracted eight movements
to make two four-movement suite
s: Suite No. 1, Op. 46, and Suite No. 2, Op. 55. Some of these movements have received coverage in popular culture; see Grieg's music in popular culture
.
.
Various recordings have been made of this music. Some recordings that claim to contain the complete incidental music have 33 selections; the recording conducted by Ole Kristian Ruud
is split into 49 items. Both recordings include several verses from the drama, read by actors.
The original score contains 26 movements:
Movements in bold means they are extracted by Grieg into two suites.
The complete score of the incidental music includes several songs and choral pieces. The complete score was believed to be lost until the 1980s and has only been performed in its entirety since then. (See the article on Ibsen's play
for a list of notable productions, including concert performances of the incidental music.)
(Originally, the second suite had a fifth number, The Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter, but Grieg withdrew it.)
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
to Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
's 1867 play of the same name
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
, written by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
in 1875. It premiered along with the play on 24 February 1876 in Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
(now Oslo).
Later, in 1888 and 1891, Grieg extracted eight movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
to make two four-movement suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s: Suite No. 1, Op. 46, and Suite No. 2, Op. 55. Some of these movements have received coverage in popular culture; see Grieg's music in popular culture
Grieg's music in popular culture
The music of classical composer Edvard Grieg continues to be relevant in popular culture into the 21st century. This is due to his music's fast pace, instrumentation, and similarity in feel to many popular musical genres. This is not a coincidence, since Grieg was known for taking many of his...
.
Original score, Op. 23
For many years, the suites were the only parts of the music that were available, as the original score was not published until 1908, one year after Grieg's death, by Johan HalvorsenJohan Halvorsen
Johan Halvorsen was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist.-Biography:Born in Drammen, Norway he was an accomplished violinist from a very early age and became a prominent figure in Norwegian musical life...
.
Various recordings have been made of this music. Some recordings that claim to contain the complete incidental music have 33 selections; the recording conducted by Ole Kristian Ruud
Ole Kristian Ruud
Ole Kristian Ruud is a Norwegian conductor.He studied clarinet with Richard Kjelstrup at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy and made his debut in Oslo with the National theater...
is split into 49 items. Both recordings include several verses from the drama, read by actors.
The original score contains 26 movements:
Movements in bold means they are extracted by Grieg into two suites.
- Act I
- Prelude: At the Wedding (I bryllupsgården)
- Halling
- Springar
- Act II
- Prelude: The Rape of the Bride / Peer and Ingrid (Bruderovet / Ingrids klage)
- Peer Gynt and the Herd-Girls (Peer Gynt og seterjentene)
- Peer Gynt and the Woman in Green (Peer Gynt og den grønnkledde)
- Great folk may be known by the mounts... (På ridestellet skal storfolk kjennes)
- In the Hall of the Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain King is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg for the sixth scene of Act II in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, which premiered in Christiania on February 24, 1876....
(I Dovregubbens hall) - Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter (Dans av Dovregubbens datter)
- Peer Gynt hunted by the trolls (Peer Gynt jages av troll)
- Peer Gynt and the Boyg (Peer Gynt og Bøygen)
- Act III
- Prelude: Deep Inside the Pine Forest
- Solveig's Song
- The Death of Åse (Åses død)
- Act IV
- Prelude: Morning MoodMorning MoodMorning Mood is a composition belonging to Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, op. 46. This composition is often used in films, television commercials, and shows . The piece depicts the rising of the sun. Along with In the Hall of the Mountain King, Morning Mood is one of Grieg's best known works....
(Morgenstemning) - The Thief and the Receiver (Tyven og heleren)
- Arabian Dance (Arabisk dans)
- Anitra's Dance (Anitras dans)
- Peer Gynt's Serenade (Peer Gynts serenade)
- Peer Gynt and Anitra (Peer og Anitra)
- Solveig's SongSolveig's SongSolveig's Song , is sung by Solveig in the fourth act of Edvard Grieg's original Peer Gynt Op. 23, and for Suite No. 2, Op. 55, which was written as incidental music for inclusion in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt....
(Solveigs sang) - Peer Gynt at the Statue of Memnon (Peer Gynt ved Memnonstøtten)
- Prelude: Morning Mood
- Act V
- Prelude: Peer Gynt's Homecoming. Stormy Evening on the Sea (Peer Gynts hjemfart. Stormfull aften ved kysten)
- Shipwreck (Skipsforliset)
- Solveig sings in the hut (Solveig synger i hytten)
- Night Scene (Nattscene)
- Whitsun Hymn (Pinsesalme)
- Solveig's Cradle Song (Solveigs vuggevise)
The complete score of the incidental music includes several songs and choral pieces. The complete score was believed to be lost until the 1980s and has only been performed in its entirety since then. (See the article on Ibsen's play
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
for a list of notable productions, including concert performances of the incidental music.)
Suite No. 1, Op. 46
- Morning MoodMorning MoodMorning Mood is a composition belonging to Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, op. 46. This composition is often used in films, television commercials, and shows . The piece depicts the rising of the sun. Along with In the Hall of the Mountain King, Morning Mood is one of Grieg's best known works....
(Morgenstemning) - Aase's Death (Åses død)
- Anitra's Dance (Anitras dans)
- In the Hall of the Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain King is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg for the sixth scene of Act II in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, which premiered in Christiania on February 24, 1876....
(I Dovregubbens hall)
Suite No. 2, Op. 55
- The Abduction of the Bride. Ingrid's Lament (Bruderovet. Ingrids klage)
- Arabian Dance (Arabisk Dans)
- Peer Gynt's Homecoming (Stormy Evening on the Sea) (Peer Gynts hjemfart (Stormful aften på havet))
- Solveig's SongSolveig's SongSolveig's Song , is sung by Solveig in the fourth act of Edvard Grieg's original Peer Gynt Op. 23, and for Suite No. 2, Op. 55, which was written as incidental music for inclusion in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt....
(Solveigs Sång)
(Originally, the second suite had a fifth number, The Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter, but Grieg withdrew it.)
External links
- "Solveig's Song" performed by Luisa TetrazziniLuisa TetrazziniLuisa Tetrazzini was an Italian coloratura soprano of great international fame.Tetrazzini's voice was remarkable for its phenomenal flexibility, thrust, steadiness and thrilling tone...