The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-30
Grieg Lives at Bergen.

.-. Grieg Lives at Bergen.
Bergen's most famous living citizen
is Edward Gr1eg, the composer who has
immortalized the wierd peasant music
Of Norway and at the same time has
is now 62 years old and lives retired
life in his villa at Hop, a suburb
reached by ten minutes ride on the
railroad This villa he has named
Troldhong,' or Hill of the GobHns,
and here he finds that quiet and solitude
his soul seems to crave. To very few
visitors is his door open, as the master
hates notoriety and avoids public no
tice as much as possible. On rare oc-
casions he leads. the orchestra he
founded in Bergen and once il a while
he makes pilgrimage to Leipzig,
where he studied in his youth But his
health, always precarious, is now more
delicate than ever and more and more
does he withdraw from the world TO the
companionghip of his relatives and
we cane n a sfm ed h9Wsyer Wsh the
er, Bjornstjerne Bjornson, some of
whose poems he has set to music, and
that proved on open sesame to the cot.
tage among the beech trees at Hop
Another, circumstance favored U.S.
There was to have been family party
at a point some distance away, but the
forced to give up all idea Of attending
But he consented to receive us two
Americans for brief visit.
Grieg is small man and upon his
shrunken frame suffering has laid a
heavy hand. He is said to be sen
sitive about his wasted physique and
the twist that years Of battle with pull
monary weakness have given his body
But the magnificent head that sur
mounts it, the poet 8 dreamy eyes, the
noble forehead, the bullying brows that
betoken the deeply. emotional tempera
ment Of the, creative musician-these
quickly arrest the attention and I'M
press the imagination. -.
Greetings from Bjornson. /
He listened with eager ears to oul
story Of Bjornson at Aulestad and witt
embarrassed pleasure to our tale of hi
popularity as composer in Minneap
oils, where 50 many of his countryme r
live. When he learned that Mrs. Cham
| berlain had for some time been study
| ing his songs under Fraulein Schoen
Rene, he insisted upon her singing some
| Of them, and himself led the way to thu
| piano, 'WnoTe ne p1ayeu rCu0 ACCOM- pain
ments. He was good enough to approx,
the Interpretation Of his songs, as wei
as to make some suggestions that were
most Illuminating. And as for his play
ing Of the Accomplishments - how i
brought out the meaning Of the notes al
never before and yet subordinated thu
! whole into most expressive comment
| on the song itself!
| "America is great country sait
he, "and it's appreciation Of music j
second to none. It is perhaps to,
young in history and tradition to hav'
produced many great composers yet
tho your Mcdowell and the lamentet
Nevin have written some wonderful,
fine things. But your composers do no
have the wealth of legend and tradi
tion to draw upon that we do i,
Europe.
Of politics Herr Grieg would no
talk. further than to express his salts
faction at the step Norway had taken
II leave politics to the politicians, ,
he said with wan smile that gave u
| warning that we had already too lon,
trespassed in his quiet retreat. An,
SO we took our leave of one Of tn
worlds great men, who has espresso.
| in marvellous music the wierd melan
| choly that is characteristic of tn
| Northman g nature.