Peer Gynt in volksmuziekversie en Tsjaikovski’s Strijkersserenade

Peer Gynt in folk music version

Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg were champions of Norwegian art and culture. At a time when music and theatre were largely imported, they gave Norway a distinct identity: Grieg introduced a typically Norwegian sound, inspired by the unique beauty of nature; Ibsen was a founder of modernist drama in the Norwegian language. Together, they created Peer Gynt , a play brimming with beautiful music based on a folk legend. Grieg's music is cheerful, mysterious, and a touch melancholic. Its roots lie in Norwegian folk music, in which the Hardanger fiddle is the instrument. This is a richly ornamented variant of the violin that, with its extra vibrating 'resonance strings,' has a sound all its own. Hardanger virtuoso Ragnhild Hemsing created an arrangement of Grieg's suites from Peer Gynt for her beautiful instrument.

Tchaikovsky's String Serenade

Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings is captivating music full of passion and romance. In four movements, including the well-known Waltz, Tchaikovsky composed, by his own account, a sincere piece, from the heart, with emotional depth. Tchaikovsky—like the audience—was very fond of the piece, in which he combines his own patented melancholic lyricism and rich sounds with the classical clarity of Mozart.