Perhaps most famous for his orchestral Peer Gynt suite, Edvard Grieg was a beloved son of Norway and is today remembered for his nationally inspired compositions. During his lifetime he was a celebrated composer who met with such luminaries as Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Ibsen. He is also credited with inspiring Debussy and Ravel. Grieg was so popular in his day that his funeral was a national, even international, affair, which drew political and musical royalty to pay their respects. At his request, his composition, the Funeral March for Rikard Nordraak, a friend and famous Norwegian nationalist, was played in Grieg’s memory.
A Love of Norway
Edvard Grieg was born on June 15, 1843, in Bergen, Norway, the fourth of five siblings.
His father, Alexander, had inherited a fish-export business and British consulship in Bergen, but musical talent had long been evident on his side of the family. Moreover, Gesine, Grieg’s m