Grieg: Sigurd Jorsalfar / Bergliot / Den Bergtekne

Featuring

Ole Kristian Ruud
Håkan Hagegård
Gørild Mauseth
Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
Bergen Filharmoniske Kor
Seim Songkor

Bergen Vocal Ensemble
Edvard Grieg

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Håkan Hagegård, the baritone on this recording, made his debut as Papageno in Mozart's Magic Flute in 1968 and later played the role in Ingmar Bergman's 1975 TV version.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Grieg's collaboration with poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was inspired by ancient Norwegian heroic poetry, or skaldic poetry, which formed the thematic basis for works like Bergliot, Sigurd Jorsalfar, and Landkjenning.

Composer Biography

Grieg's Funeral March for Rikard Nordraak (a fellow Norwegian composer and Grieg's friend) was composed after Nordraak's sudden death in 1866 and Grieg later wished for it to be played at his own funeral.

Composition History

Grieg composed the incidental music for Bjørnson's drama Sigurd Jorsalfar in just one month, as requested by the playwright.

Historical Context

The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1765, is one of the world's oldest orchestras, and Edvard Grieg served as its artistic director from 1880 to 1882.

Composer Biography

Edvard Grieg considered the poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson a true friend and credited him with providing courage during a musically challenging period from 1868 to 1872.

Recording & Production

This album is part of a larger project by BIS Records to record Edvard Grieg's complete orchestral works, marking the first time a Norwegian orchestra has undertaken such a comprehensive recording.