In 12 September 1899, Edvard Grieg did something few musicians ever do.
He turned down a lucrative, high-profile booking with a leading orchestra. The invitation to guest-conduct a concert of his own works with the Colonne Orchestra in Paris, where Grieg had appeared three times previously, would normally have been highly appealing. But the tone of the Norwegian composer’s reply to Édouard Colonne, the concert’s organiser, was unexpectedly sharp.
‘I cannot in all conscience travel to Paris,’ he wrote. ‘Like any other individual who is not a member of the French nation, I am shocked by the disgusting manner in which your compatriots treat both the law and justice, and my disgust is so great that I have no desire to appear before a French audience.’ What had so piqued Grieg’s ire that he found himself unable to accept Colonne’s prestigious invitation?
What was the Dreyfus affair?
The answer lies in an event which happened three days earlier, when the French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was found guilty of treason for a second time – at his first court-martial four years previously, he was convicted for allegedly passing intelligence documents to the Germans.
Grieg was not alone in finding the case against Dreyfus hopelessly unconvincing. Outraged, the novelist Émile Zola penned ‘J’accuse’, an open letter accusing the military authorities of corruption and distorting evidence. Public opinion swayed in Dreyfus’s favour, although a virulent strain of anti-Semitism was also evident, not least among the military establishment.
Hate mail and death threats
Grieg’s gesture of solidarity with Dreyfus might easily have gone virtually unnoticed had he not authorised the publication of his letter to Colonne in a Frankfurt newspaper.
There, the words of the eminent Norwegian composer stirred both approval from the pro-Dreyfus factions and bitter opposition from those who supported the treason verdict. Hate mail, including death threats, rained in Grieg’s direction, and his controversial letter led to splits with friends and a string of cancelled concert engagements.
Colonne himself was none too pleased that Grieg’s letter had been published and that his orchestra had been associated with the ongoing Dreyfus furore. But he admired Grieg’s music immensely and, three years later, invited him back to Paris to perform it. Grieg wanted to accept, but worried about the ongoing vitriol his Dreyfus stance was attracting. Colonne was reassuring. ‘The storm has passed,’ he commented.
Grieg needed a police escort
Unfortunately it hadn’t, as Grieg discovered when he arrived in Paris for his concert in April 1903. Dreyfus was by then a free man, having accepted a presidential pardon a week after his second trial. But memories of ‘l’affaire Dreyfus’ were still raw in the French capital, with controversies around it continuing to rage. A police escort was needed for Grieg and his wife to make the carriage ride from their hotel to the concert venue, where a milling crowd provided a mainly warm welcome.
Boos and catcalls could be heard, however, as the composer came on stage to conduct the concert. Grieg stood silently by as police inside the hall forcibly ejected the agitators, and then took up his baton. ‘I energetically signalled the orchestra to open up with a fortissimo,’ he later reported, ‘and from that moment on I was in complete control.’
Grieg was, though, shaken by the level of personal animosity he encountered while in Paris. The joyful celebrations which greeted his return to Norway, marking his 60th birthday, no doubt helped to re-establish a sense of personal well-being and belonging. But a scar remained – in the four years that were left until his death in 1907, the composer did not return to Paris again.
Grieg: lyrical, folk-loving Romantic
The Norwegian composer and pianist Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) produced evocative, late Romantic music, often strongly influenced by the folk traditions of his native land. His music often features a strong emotional pull, lyrical and songlike melodies, and programmatic or picturesque qualities.
Grieg’s major achievement could be seen as bringing the sounds of Norwegian folk music into the classical music repertoire. He was inspired by the harmonies, rhythms, and modes of traditional Norwegian music, and many of his works have a distinctively Nordic flavour. In this way, he did for the music of his native land something similar to what Dvořák and Smetana did for Czech music, or Sibelius for the music and folklore of Finland.
Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway. He later studied at Germany’s prestigious Leipzig Conservatory but then returned to Norway, feeling the pull of his native land and culture. His influence can be heard in the likes of Ravel and Debussy, who much admired, and built on, Grieg’s subtle use of musical texture and harmony.
Where to start with Grieg: six beautiful works
1. Lyric Pieces
A collection of 66 short works for piano, Grieg’s Lyric Pieces are a treasure trove of miniature gems—poetic, tender, and full of Nordic charm. Spanning his career, they range from delicate melodies to playful dances inspired by Norwegian folk tunes. A perfect showcase for Grieg's gift for melody, mood, and evocative storytelling in music.
2. Piano Concerto
The Piano Concerto in A Minor is Grieg’s only concerto, and a brilliant showcase for the composer’s lyrical gifts and sense of drama. It dazzles with its dramatic opening, lyrical melodies, and folk-inspired rhythms—an early masterpiece that blends Romantic passion with Norwegian spirit and enduring popular appeal. We named this work one of the greatest piano concertos of all time.
3. Peer Gynt Suites
Grieg composed incidental music for the play Peer Gynt, by his compatriot Henrik Ibsen. The two suites taken from this music include some of Grieg’s best-known pieces. Highlights include ‘Morning Mood’, a tranquil, pastoral melody that evokes peace and the serenity of a sunrise. In marked contrast, ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ evokes images of trolls and other mystical beings from Nordic folklore.
4. Holberg Suite
Grieg’s Holberg Suite, originally for piano and later arranged for strings, is a sparkling neoclassical homage to the Baroque era. Its elegant dances—like the sprightly Prelude and stately Sarabande—combine classical poise with Grieg’s lyrical, folk-tinged charm, making it one of his most beloved and frequently performed orchestral works.
5. Violin Sonata No. 3
Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 3 stands as a chamber music masterpiece thanks to its emotional depth, structural elegance, and dramatic contrasts. Fusing Norwegian folk influences with Romantic expressiveness, it features some profound interplay between violin and piano, creating a richly textured, lyrical dialogue that captures both intimacy and passionate intensity.
6. Ballade in G minor
Grieg’s Ballade in G minor, Op. 24, is a monumental set of variations on a Norwegian folk tune. Dark, turbulent, and deeply expressive, it reveals Grieg’s command of form and emotion. The piece builds from lyrical sorrow to thunderous climaxes, showcasing his most intense and virtuosic piano writing.
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