Grieg

(grSg), Edvard Hagerup, compr. b. Bergen, June 15, 1843; a. Bergen, Sept. 4, 1907. After first le ons on pf. from his mother, he began to compose at age of 9; on advice of Ole Bull sent to Leipzig Cons where he studied composition with Hauptmann, Richter, and Reinecke, pf. with Wenzel and Moscheles; after further study with Gade at Copenhagen and influence of Hartmann there, he at last broke away from German traditions; his Scand in avian feeling was stimulated by friendship with compr. Richard Nordraak; after N’s death 1866, G. founded and conducted mus. union m Christiania; 1865 and 1870 he visited Italy and saw much of Liszt at Rome; 1879 played pf. concerto at Leipzig; except for occasional trips to Germany, and visits to England in 1888, *89. ’94 (when he received degree of Mus. Doc. at Cambridge), and 1896, he lived quietly at Bergen. His works are not very numerous, about 100 songs, some 20 groups of pf. pieces, the two suites based on Peer Gynt Aus Holbergs Zed (suite), two GROVE Nordwche Weisen for string orclh., Sigurd Jorsalfar, sonatas for pf. and vln. and lor pf and ’cello, and the pf. concerto are the most prominent. “ His music is lyrical, intimate, exotic, suggestive, of striking fine e; there are phrases polished like gems, melodies of perfect proportion, cadences consummate as novel. Its defects are shortne of musical phrase and too frequent repetition; he was satisfied with the dialect of folk music which fitted his personal expre ion.” [D. G. Mason ] But that he gave adequate expre ion to his personal feeling and to his national emotion, that he contributed the “ e ential quality of naive and spontaneous romance/' is surely enough.