Trolling Around with Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No 1
IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46
Hello, I'm Edvard Grieg, and I'm about to explain IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King, the final movement of my Peer Gynt Suite No 1. You'll hear one two-phrase theme begin slowly and quietly in the cellos, double basses and bassoons, then climb higher and faster until the whole orchestra is racing toward a loud, frantic finish. If you'd like to put that to use, take the Trainer for a spin , where my fellow composers and I help you recognize our pieces the moment they begin.
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Keep Your Ears Low, Then Hold On
Before you press play, I'd ask you to listen for one tune that never changes, only the way it's dressed. I marked the piece Alla marcia e molto marcato, quarter note = 138, which simply means a march with every note clearly pressed. It starts so quietly that you may think nothing is happening, and that's exactly where I want you: leaning in toward the low instruments. From there, just follow the tune as it gets higher, faster and louder, and you'll never lose your place.Why There's a Mountain and a King
I gave the piece its title because of the scene it belongs to in Ibsen's play. In Act II, Peer makes a dream-like entrance into the troll king's hall, and this music walks him in. That's why the tune sneaks about at first, like someone who knows he isn't really welcome. I also hoped you'd catch a little irony in it, since I said myself that it reeks of cowpats and ultra-Norwegianism.A Form That Simply Keeps Climbing
Choosing the form was less of a puzzle than you might expect, because I didn't want anything as grand as a sonata or a rondo. Instead, I took one short theme in two phrases and let it return again and again, each time a little higher and a little more crowded. The piece stays in B minor the whole way, so the drama comes from speed, volume and the instruments I hand the tune to. I'll walk you through it in four sections, and in each one the tune sounds a little less sure that it's alone.Section 1: Tiptoeing in the Dark
The theme begins slowly and quietly in the cellos, double basses and bassoons. These are the deepest voices in the orchestra, so the tune seems to come from somewhere underground. Its two phrases are short and simple, which is why you remember them almost at once. The mood here is sneaky and curious, and nobody has noticed the visitor yet.Section 2: The Neighbors Wake Up
Now the theme is repeated higher, and I give it to other instruments, so the tune seems to travel from one troll to the next. The march is still steady, but it no longer sounds like a secret. Listen for the way the sound brightens each time the tune moves up, because that's the music telling you the hall is filling. The mood changes from sneaking to being watched, and I enjoy that shift very much.Section 3: Somebody Pressed the Fast-Forward Button
Here the tempo starts to speed up, and it keeps speeding up, a little at a time, so you hardly notice until you're already running. The tune is still the same one, but it's louder now and surrounded by more and more of the orchestra. The march has turned from a stroll into a chase, and the tension is the whole point. If you feel your foot tapping faster, you're listening exactly as I hoped.Section 4: The Roof Comes Off
The ending is a loud, frantic prestissimo, which is the fastest marking there is. The theme is still there underneath, but now it feels less like a melody and more like a crowd chasing Peer out of the hall. The whole orchestra pushes toward the final chords, and the music ends almost before you've caught your breath. After the quiet start, the contrast is the biggest moment in the piece.Your Turn to Walk In
So now it's your turn to step into the hall, and all you have to do is press play. Start with the quiet low voices, and try to follow the tune as it climbs and speeds up. Keep in mind the sneaking, the waking and the chase, and see if you can hear where each one begins. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I enjoyed building it.---
So we've come to the end of the Mountain King's hall, and I hope the quiet footsteps at the start still echo a little in your ears. Did you enjoy learning about the listen guide to IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King? I find it a funny thing that a theme so simple, which begins hushed among the low instruments, can grow into such a frantic rush. I always hoped listeners would sense the irony in it, and I'd like to think that after this guide you hear a little smile behind all that noise. Next time it plays, notice how the same small tune keeps climbing higher and moving faster, and see whether you can feel the moment when it slips out of anyone's control. There's much more to discover in my Peer Gynt Suite No 1 than this one movement. You can meet the gentle sunrise of Morning Mood, the hushed farewell in Åse's Death, and the delicate dance of Anitra. You can also read how a play I was reluctant to score in 1874 became music that people still turn to, and where else you might have heard this very tune. If any of that sounds inviting, click on the links here and carry on exploring the suite at your own pace. I'd be glad to have you along for the rest of the journey.