Edvard Grieg, the greatest Norwegian composer, was of Scottish ancestry on his father's side, with his great-grandfather having left Scotland after the Battle of Culloden.
Performer Biography
Jerzy Maksymiuk, the principal conductor, won first prize in the Paderewski Piano Competition in 1964 but later focused on conducting, particularly with the Polish Chamber Orchestra.
Composition History
Grieg's incidental music for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt was first performed in Christiania (Oslo) in 1876.
Composer's Artistic Vision
A meeting with Rikard Nordraak, a young Norwegian, inspired Grieg to seek inspiration in the folk-music of Norway, which became a principal influence on his life.
Compositional Technique
Grieg arranged two of his Lyric Pieces, Op. 68, 'Evening in the Mountains' and 'Cradle Song', for orchestra, a technique he used to expand his catalogue of works.
Composer Biography
Grieg's musical background was fostered by his family, with notable visitors like the distinguished violinist Ole Bull persuading his parents to send him to the Leipzig Conservatory.
Performer Biography
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1935, was the first full-time professional orchestra in Scotland.
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Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2 / 3 Orchestral Pieces From Sigurd Jorsalfar
