Grieg for kids: his life, his music, and what to play first

Edvard Grieg was a Norwegian composer who lived from 1843 to 1907. He wrote the music for the play Peer Gynt, which includes “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and “Morning Mood.” He used the sound of Norwegian folk songs and dances in his own music. The best first piece for a child is “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” which starts soft and slow and ends loud and fast.

Quick facts

• Born: 1843, in Bergen, Norway
• Died: 1907, in Bergen, Norway
• Era: Romantic
• Played: piano
• Known for: the Peer Gynt music, the Piano Concerto in A minor, and the Lyric Pieces

The life in short

Grieg grew up in Bergen, a rainy port town on the west coast of Norway. His mother was a pianist, and she gave him his first lessons when he was six.

When he was 15, a well-known Norwegian violinist heard him play and urged his parents to send him to music school in Germany. He studied in Leipzig for four years.

Back in the north, Grieg met musicians who wanted to write music that sounded like Norway. He began to collect folk tunes and to use their rhythms and scales.

In 1868, in his mid-twenties, he wrote his Piano Concerto. It made his name across Europe. A few years later, the playwright Henrik Ibsen asked him to write the music for Peer Gynt.

Grieg married Nina Hagerup, a singer, and he wrote many of his songs for her voice. The two gave concerts together for years.

In 1885, they built a house on a hill near Bergen and called it Troldhaugen, which means troll hill. Grieg wrote in a small hut by the water at the foot of the garden. The house is now a museum.

He was a small man, and he was nervous before concerts. He kept a little toy frog in his pocket and rubbed it for luck.

What the music sounds like

Grieg’s music is clear and fresh. Many of his tunes have the lilt of a country dance.

He wrote many short pieces. Among them are 66 piano pieces called the Lyric Pieces, each with a title that sets a scene, such as “Butterfly,” “Little Bird,” or “March of the Trolls.”

Four pieces to play first

“In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Peer Gynt creeps into the hall of the troll king. Bassoons and plucked strings start a tiptoe tune. It repeats, faster and louder each time, until the trolls are chasing him.

“Morning Mood.” A flute and an oboe trade a rising tune as the sun comes up. The Peer Gynt listening guide covers both pieces.

“Wedding Day at Troldhaugen.” A piano piece that sounds like a happy parade coming up the road. Grieg wrote it for his own 25th wedding anniversary.

Piano Concerto in A minor, first movement. A drum roll swells, and the piano crashes in with chords that tumble from the top of the keyboard to the bottom. Play the first minute.

Things to do together

Tiptoe to a run. Play the Mountain King. Start on tiptoe and speed up with the music. Freeze at the end.

Name the piece. Play one of the Lyric Pieces with no title. Ask your child to give it a name. Then share the name Grieg chose.

Lucky charm. Talk about Grieg’s frog. Ask your child what they would keep in a pocket before a big day.

Troll parade. Play “March of the Trolls” and stomp around the room. Stop and sway for the calm part in the middle.

Print and play

Print the Grieg fact sheet. It has the story, three pieces, and room to write and draw. For the way a piece can grow from soft to loud, read dynamics in music for kids.

For all 24 composers by era, see classical composers for kids.