Edvard Grieg and the Troll King’s Mountain

A famous playwright challenged Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg to write music for shipwrecks, flying reindeer, and a kingdom of grumbling trolls. This episode explores how Grieg created musical magic for the impossible through his beloved “Peer Gynt” suite.

Duration: 20 minutes | Composer: Edvard Grieg

What You'll Learn

Learn what incidental music is — music that paints pictures a stage cannot show, like magical special effects made only from instruments
Master the concept of dynamics — how music grows from piano (soft) to forte (loud) to fortissimo (VERY loud) — through the famous build-up in 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'
Discover that music paints FEELINGS, not just places — Grieg's 'Morning Mood' captures the feeling of ANY sunrise, whether in Norway or Morocco
Explore the character of Peer Gynt — a dreamer whose imagination was too big for his village
Learn how Grieg captured Norwegian landscapes and folk tales in his music — music that 'tastes of codfish' because it tastes of home

Music Featured

Composer	Title	Source
Edvard Grieg	Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 – Morning Mood	archive.org
Edvard Grieg	Lyric Pieces, Op. 43 No. 6 – To the Spring	archive.org
Edvard Grieg	Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 – Åse's Death	archive.org
Edvard Grieg	Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 – Anitra's Dance	archive.org
Edvard Grieg	Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 – In the Hall of the Mountain King	archive.org
Edvard Grieg	Lyric Pieces, Op. 54 No. 1 – Shepherd Boy	archive.org
Edvard Grieg	Lyric Pieces, Op. 38 No. 1 – Cradle Song	archive.org

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