Cover Picture © Credits to iStock/Bergen Library
Cover Picture © Credits to iStock/Bergen Library

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Bergen - musical home of Edvard Grieg

3 minutes to read

You might not recall the name. I would call it an homage to his work because for sure you will recognize this masterpiece called 'In the hall of the mountain king'. I will show you all about Edvard Grieg and his hometown Bergen.

The region where a person is from is incredibly important for how they will evolve as a person. What he is doing is explaining Norwegian culture and nature through his musical colours. The ability to do this is exceptional and intuitive. You can hear some of his songs are like the busy marketplace down at Bryggen Bergen

Related to Edvard Grieg are Henrik Ibsen's hometown, The famous Troll of Norway, and Have fun in Bergen

Artists like Bach and Beethoven erected churches and temples on the heights. I only wanted to build dwellings for men in which they might feel happy and at home

The Bergen Harbour

Picture © Credits to iStock/Denisbin
Picture © Credits to iStock/Denisbin
Bryggen
Bryggen
Bryggen, 5003 Bergen, Norvège

Bryggen Bergen was the centre for trade throughout history and significant merchants from all over Europe arrived with supplies along the years and it's a quintessential point in the Market History of Norway.  Common for Norwegians is that we explore for ourselves and try to work out how something operates by patiently trying out various functions of the gadget. Grieg demonstrated this during his childhood and consolidated with a tremendous excitement for music and he played around by himself on the piano with no mentor present. Just him and his musical talent in a peaceful home in Bergen.

To have the ability to withdraw into oneself and forget everything around one when one is creating is what I think is the only requirement for being able to bring forth something beautiful
Picture © Credits to iStock/Bergen Public Library Norway
Picture © Credits to iStock/Bergen Public Library Norway

The home of Grieg

Troldhaugen
Troldhaugen
Troldhaugvegen 65, 5232 Paradis, Norvège

A spot called Troldhaugen was the home of the legendary composer. He lived here for 22 years and you can visit it! A glorious part about remarkable characters is that you can witness how they lived. His most celebrated works were produced in this serene Norwegian fjord house. Go visit the cafe, concert hall, and his hiding place for composing the most prestigious music of his time. You can even get people to guide you through the house.  Why Grieg is so appreciated in Norway comes down to his way of getting our folk tones into his pieces. The rhythms and instruments are particularly Norwegian at times which puts Norway in a good light when the piece is good. 

Picture © Credits to iStock/Svein Magne Tunli
Picture © Credits to iStock/Svein Magne Tunli

The Grieg Orchestra house

Griegahllen Bergen
Griegahllen Bergen
Edvard Griegs plass 1, 5015 Bergen, Norge

Grieg was the foremost conductor of the Bergenhus philharmonic orchestra, one of the earliest orchestras in the world founded in 1765! The best part is that it's still living and Edvard Grieg had the concert arena named after him, it's called Grieghallen. All the goodies of classical music are played in this house. Mozart, Beethoven, and The Great American Symphony by Andrew Litton, and Vadim Gluzman.

Photo @ Sweitzerzombie
Photo @ Sweitzerzombie

The play called Peer Gynt

Henrik Ibsen made the poem about Peer Gynt which tells you how to find yourself and shows an exploration of Norway with a mix of real-life things and mythological creatures like the Troll and the mountain king. As this was a theatre play, Edvard Grieg produced the music for it and from Peer Gynt comes his most notable pieces.


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The author

Kai Bonsaksen

Kai Bonsaksen

I'm Kai from Norway. I always follow that little voice in my head that tells me to go and explore new places … and on itinari, I talk about the ones I know the best!

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