E. Grieg arr. J. Wong: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1

E. Grieg arr. J. Wong: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Edvard Grieg, the leading Norwegian composer of the Romantic era, was initially reluctant to compose incidental music for Hendrik Ibsen’s 1867 play Peer Gynt. He found the subject “horridly intractable” and did not enjoy the limitations imposed upon him and his music by the mechanical needs of the theatre. Nevertheless, the premiere was a success, in great part due to Grieg’s lush score that encapsulated the nostalgic and ironic Norwegian spirit. Perhaps to take back control of his work, Grieg returned to the music over a decade later, extracting from the 90-minute score two concert suites of four movements each. The opening “Morning Mood” grows from a pastoral dawn to a radiant sunrise, setting us back down gently to bathe in a beautiful day. The tragic “The Death of Åse” brings stark contrast, as Peer Gynt’s longsuffering mother succumbs while her prodigal, oblivious son continues spewing his outrageous stories. In “Anitra’s Dance,” we meet a crafty Bedouin princess at a Moroccan oasis, as she dances a seductive yet crafty waltz in a mirage-like scene. Grieg ends the first suite with “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” a grotesque ballet for the less-than-hospitable daughters of the troll king; one can surmise that Peer has no interest in sticking around any longer than necessary.
Programme Notes by Jonathan Wong
Conducted by Jonathan Wong
10th Annual Season Finale Concert: Celebrating Our Musical Families
June 23, 2024
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Toronto, Canada
Watch other videos from this concert here: [ • 10th Annual Season Fin... ]
Connect With Us:
Subscribe to see more from our orchestra: / @stringsattachedorches...
Follow us on Instagram: / stringsattachedorchestra
Visit our website: stringsattache...
Support Us:
Please like and share this video!
Leave a comment below to let us know what you appreciated about this performance ❤️
Donate to our organization at our CanadaHelps page: www.canadahelp...
About Us:
Strings Attached Orchestra is a member-based group of dedicated amateur string musicians located in Toronto, Canada. We rehearse weekly from September to June and perform around the city for hospitals, community centres, retirement homes, and our friends and family.
Under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Jonathan Wong we perform repertoire from a broad range of styles and periods from the 17th century to the 21st, from popular music to jazz to the serious classics. Now in our eleventh season of making music together, we have received great reviews for both our musicality and our welcoming community.
New members are welcome to join at any time. If you play the violin, viola, cello, or bass, and are interested in joining a group, we invite you to contact us, and we look forward to hearing from you! Our season runs from September through June.
For more information, please contact us by email from our contact info on our website: stringsattache...