Born in Bergen, Norway, 15th June 1843 to a family steeped in music, Edvard Grieg was receiving piano lessons from his mother, a skilled concert pianist, from the age of 6. He didn't particularly like school and this continued to be his attitude towards the establishment in general throughout his life. He was a rebel in the broad sense of the word and showed this in his attitude towards music in the same way, even during his later studies at Music Conservatories around Europe.
He was born in an age when very few countries in Europe were responding to the National Heritage of their country. The exceptions included Czechoslovakia, Poland and his native land, Norway, which at that time was united with Sweden having its own constitution yet with one monarch. Nationalism was beginning to to have influence on the writers and musicians of the country.
At this time Olav Bull, a great Norwegian violinist and composer was scouring the land gathering folk songs and music of long ago and his research was to be the impetus which would have a lasting effect on young Edvard. In his early twenties he was to make a pact with a fellow composer to make their music express the 'Spirit of Norway'. Thus Norwegian folk music was to become the backbone of almost all his later composition and a typical example of these was the 25 Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances, Opus 17 which Grieg wrote for the piano in 1869. He was inspired to produce a unique blend of passion and simplicity, the inspiration for which he found in his native land. In many of his compositions the haunting sound of the Hardanger fiddle is often reproduced in the score.
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