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Holberg Suite, Op.40

Suite · in G major · Op. 40

Edvard Grieg 1843–1907
G major
Key
Suite
Form
Op. 40
Catalogue
Score
First page of Holberg Suite, Op.40

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Themes & character
Written for a bicentenary·Suite in olden style·Baroque dance forms·Originally for piano

At a glance

Catalogue
Op. 40
Key
G major
Form
Suite

Movements

I
Praeludium

A brilliant, rushing opening in constant motion.

II
Sarabande

A slow, dignified dance in triple time.

III
Gavotte

A crisp, courtly dance with a musette-like central trio over a drone.

IV
Air

The emotional centre of the suite, a deeply felt slow movement in G minor.

V
Rigaudon

A vigorous, foot-stamping French dance to close.

About the piece

Composed in 1884 for the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Ludvig Holberg, the Norwegian-Danish playwright known as the father of Danish literature, who was born in Grieg's own city of Bergen. Grieg subtitled it Suite in olden style and cast it in the Baroque dance forms of Holberg's era, filtered through unmistakably nineteenth century harmony. He wrote it first for piano, premiering it himself in 1884, and arranged it for string orchestra the following year, the version in which it is most often heard today.

The composer

Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
1843–1907

Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions brought the music of Norway to fame, as well as helping to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius did in Finland and Bedřich Smetana in Bohemia.

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