New-York tribune., 1907-09-05

The composer who died at Bergen yesterday.
care of his health. He leaves wife. who was
well known as an interpreter of his songs, but
children
The death of the composer IS regarded as a
national bereavement. and his funeral on Sep
tenber will he attended by representatives OF
many public bodies
Part Of Ibsen's Peer Gynt," the music OF
which was composed by Grieg. was inserted in
the programme at the National Theatre to-
night. The scene selected was the ending
with the death of Asa The performance to-
night was attended by Queen Maud of Norway.
Queen Alexandra Of England, the Empress Dow
ager Of Russia and Princess Victoria Of Eng
land. The large audience showed its grief.
The cause of Grieg's death was lung trouble.
The body will lie in the State Museum Building
prior TO cremation at Moellendal. near Bergen.
Edward Hagerup Greg was born in Bergen. Nor
way. June L. 1913 He was Of Scotch descent
the patornal side. both his father and his grand
father having been British consuls IN his native
city. The name was originally Greig but the spell
ing had been changed to accommodate the Nor
weEian pronunciation
The boy received his carly musical education
from HE mother. who was woman Of wide
musical culture and Pianist and vocalist Of no
little ability. a ratriouc daughter Of Norway. It
undoubtedly from her that GrieE Imhihed the
intense national spirit marked hls work after
he had broken away from the influence of the in
struCtors who Immediately succeeded her.
While little more than n child GrleE had com
posed several pieces. but without serious thought
Of becoming q professional musician. his inclination
turning rather 70 the Church. = visit from ole
Bull to his fathers house when Edward was about
fifteen years old proved the turning point IN his
career. The celebrated vlonist listened attentive
y % the boys performance Of some youthful
positions. and suggested TO the iaes parents that
the be sent 10 Leipsic There h" remained
the four years from 1855 TO s52 student at the
conservatory. fellow pupil Of Sir Arthur suh-
van and J. F Barnett He studied harmony and
counterpoInt under Hauptmaun and Richter. com
position under Rietz and Reineoke and pianoforte
playing under Wenzel and Moscheles-
Never Of a robust physique. the concentrated
effort that he made TO keep up with his classes
undermined his health. and he broke down under
an attack Of pleurisy, and was compelled 70 return
to Norway Although one Of his lungs was there
after useless he returned TO Leipsic and was grad
uateG with honore
A. ,ba, time Ieipsic was strongly under the in
auence Of MendeIssohn and sohumann. but Grieg
while prohtng by them. was strong enough 70 pre-
serve his Scandinavian in n7tviduality. This he
made clear vher going from Leips!c 20 Copen-
naee. in 1861 he studied composition in in
formal manner with Niels Gade and came under
Emil Hartnanr.'s influence The personality that
most strongly Influenced him. however. was that
If Rickard Nordraak a young Norwegian com
ward,
or his intercourse with Nordraak Grieg writes:
The scales fell from my eyes. 1t was from him
that fret learned appreciate the popular naelo-
dies of the North and TO be conscious Of my own
nature We became determined adversaries of the
eerarYrate Scardinavianism. which was mixture
of Gade and Mendessohr and with enthusiasm
we struck out the new path now trodden py the
Northern school"
Nordraak's death occurred in 1866. and the next
wear C;r;e, founded musical union OF the follow
ers OF the new school, which he continued to con
duct for thirteen years In the mean tire' IN isoo
and again in 1870 he visited Rome, the Norwegian
yoyernnonnt granting him the money for his ex-
Da,sas IN order that he might have the advantage
of association with List, who greatly admired his
work He made several visits to Germany also'
rarely omittine Leipsic from his Itinerary usually
remaining there for considerable periods. and IN
1s-o ba rerfornoed his own pianoforte concerto
Cnrs 1e at n Ciewandhaus concert By 1850 he mad
become widely recognized as composer OF great
and original gifts. as well as CONDUCTOR ana
pianist Of eminence.
From, that wear TO his death he lived except Whlle
-, bis professional tours the most part in
Bergen although for several seasons he went reeu-
ularlv to Christiania where he conducted the con-
certs of the Philharmonic Society Of that city.
He visited London in 1888, and was accompanied
-. b,s wife an accomplished singer whose syrapa
thetic rendering of his Norwegian songs created
e charming impression He hlrnseir conducted one
Of his orchestral compositions. and played his
piano concerto at Philharmonic concert He also
conducted at the Birmingham Musical Festival
On second visit TO England. II the following year.
CSrieg conducted Philharmonic concert with great
success leading the performance OF the Peer
Gvnt Suite" which had bsen heard In London Tor
tbs first time the year before On the occaRion or
his third visit TO England. in 1884 Cambridge Uni
versity conferred on him the degree OF Doctor or
Music He was as successful in France as ne
was in England and Germany his music ana MS
style of conducting and playing appealing strongly
10 the rnusic-loving Parisians. He never came 10
America although often urged to do so.
A breakdown in 1900 necessitated his removal TO a
sanatoriunl so i'll in 1901 that his death
was momentarily expected. and the announcement
Of It was even prematurely cabed TO this country
Nevertheless. he far recovered as to resume
his ENGAGEMENTS 1t only four years ago that
he made his greatest triumph in Paris, where ne
won't al the invitation of Edouard Colonne and this
year he had expected 10 revisit London.
The list Of his compositions IS O long one ond
includes no fewer than 125 songs. Among his best
known works his ''Tableaux Poetiques, "Hu-
,,oresnues" pieces Lyriques." ''Morceaux Sym
nbonio,es" Peer Gynt," his sonatas for piano
sorte for cello and for violin. his String Quar-
t.,te and various compositions for chorus and or
bestrs His one opera. 'Sigur Jorsalfar,' has not
,.esn perforraed in America