In Grieg's home
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- In Grieg's Home
- January 07, 2010
Every single day I take the train to the villa and back. All my ideas get used up there, masses of unborn works are devoured by the soil. When you eventually come to visit, you will only need to dig and Norwegian choirs, orchestras and piano works will come flowing up from the ground.’ Edvard Grieg.
Edvard Grieg wrote this to his publisher in Leipzig during the construction of Troldhaugen in 1885. What was originally conceived as a ‘simple Norwegian farmhouse’ for him and his wife Nina was to turn out as a highly distinctive, richly decorated villa. Grieg wanted this to be a meeting place for his European artist friends, but he received visitors less frequently than he would have liked. At the same time Troldhaugen and its beautiful natural surroundings had already found a place on the sightseeing list of art-loving tourists. Grieg later built a composing hut at the water’s edge in order to have peace and quiet when he composed.
The perfect end to a spring evening is experiencing intimate concert moments in Edvard Grieg’s living room, where he often accompanied his wife on the piano. In the mornings, talented young musicians give recitals in the concert hall built in Grieg’s garden. Large windows form the backdrop, giving a glimpse of Grieg’s composer’s hut by the water. Many of today’s established musicians made their debut in this concert hall during Bergen International Festival.
