CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien were inspired by many old Norse myths. Today we are looking at a Norwegian folk tale which describes Peer Gynt and his travels all over the world. The story was set to music by Edward Grieg.
Grieg travelled around Europe extensively but his heart was in his homeland, Norway. He enjoyed sharing the culture of his country through music. The piece, 'In the hall of the mountain king' is one of the most famous pieces from Grieg's Peer Gynt suite. There are four pieces in Suite 1: Morning Mood (which depicts Peer Gynt's journey to the Sahara) and a second piece reflecting the death of Peer's mother. After you have listened to them, can you describe the difference in tone between the two?
The third piece is a waltz and the four piece is called 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'. Peer is surrounded by a kingdom of trolls and is trying to escape.
Enjoy listening to the pieces and then listen to LaRae's explanation of each one. You could draw a picture of the last movement, describing what you have heard.