Edvard Grieg

Grieg’s career would begin around 1861. This was when he made his debut as a concert pianist in Karlshamn, Sweden. A year later, he would finish his studies in Leipzig and subsequently hold his first concert in his hometown of Bergen, where his set included Ludwig van Beethoven’s Pathétique sonata. 

Two years later, Grieg would go to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he would stay for three years. There, he met the composers  Niels Gade and J. P. E. Hartmann. He would also befriend a fellow Norwegian composer, Rikard Nordraak (who was actually the composer of the Norwegian national anthem). Nordraak and Grieg would remain very close friends until the former’s death in 1866. Grieg composed a funeral march to honor his dear departed colleague. 

Grieg would create more works during the 1860s. For instance, Piano Concerto in A minor during the summer of 1868, while on a holiday in Denmark. The concerto would have its premiere performance on the 3rd of April, 1869 at Copenhagen’s Casino Theater. 

In 1870, Grieg would cross paths with Franz Lizst in Rome. The two men went over Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 1, which Liszt really liked. Grieg would also bring him his Piano Concerto, which Liszt sight-read, including its orchestral arrangement. Liszt would go on to perform his own rendition of the concerto, which greatly impressed audiences. Grieg, however, pointed out that he played the first movement a little too quickly. 

Grieg’s music was most notable for its lyrical complexity and folk inclinations; a result of his Norwegian heritage. This was very evident in most of his works, which would help define his legacy as a composer. Eventually, he would retire and die in his hometown of Bergen, on the 4th of September, 1907 due to heart failure.