Young musicians celebrate 150th anniversary of Norway’s most famous play - Peer Gynt

2017 marks the 150^th anniversary of Norway’s most famous play – Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt. To celebrate the anniversary, four young Norwegian artists were invited to make their own versions of the original compositions Edvard Grieg wrote for the play. The results are four contemporary takes on “Morning Mood”, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and “Anitra’s Dance”.

The compositions Grieg wrote for Peer Gynt have become iconic and are today included in music education across the world and used in numerous films, TV shows and even computer games. In addition to Peer Gynt, Henrik Ibsen also wrote the world-famous plays Hedda Gabler and A Doll House both staged in the UK on a number of occasions. 

The participating artists, Unge Ferrari, Drippin, Øyunn and Fight the Fight, all working within different music genres, have created four unique new songs inspired by the traditional compositions by Grieg mixed with their own distinctive personal style and contemporary tunes of R&B, Groove, Club and Rock (See below for links to songs).

Peer Gynt

Peer Gynt was released in 1867, but was first seen on stage nine years later. On February 24^th 1876, Ibsen's Peer Gynt accompanied by Grieg's music had its premiere at Christiania Theater in Oslo.

The music was inspired by Norwegian folk music, but it was also written in the same way Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt, with an ironic tone of the Norwegian way of being at the time. It’s a reflection of the 1860’s Norway, a time where many people moved away from the traditional family farms and started a new life in the city. Peer Gynt is also a story of the common man and the challenges and conflicts we all face in life, which is why the play is timeless and universal in its appeal.

Numerous versions of Peer Gynt has been staged internationally since the premiere in Oslo in 1876, and the play has cemented its positions as one of the most famous stage plays in the world.

Every year in August, the Peer Gynt festival is held in the Gudbrandsdalen valley in Norway.

The artists

Unge Ferrari, Grieg meets melodic R&B
Unge Ferrari is based in Oslo, where he produces music that combines futuristic 808 beats with melodic R&B, pop, and hip hop. His debut album “Til Mine Venner” (To My Friends) was released in 2015 and received great reviews in the National press.

Listen to “Hologram” and read full interview; http://bit.ly/2hMi1kN

Øyunn, Grieg meets Groove
Øyunn (Siv Øyunn Kjenstad) is one of Norway’s most aspiring drummers recognised by many for her characteristic, steady groove. With clear melodies and hip drum grooves she makes melodic, catchy, and honest music. On the song she made for The Peer Gynt Project, “For A Moment”, she sings and plays all the instruments herself.

Listen to “For A Moment” and read full interview; http://bit.ly/2hY3CFX

Drippin, Grieg meets Club Music
Drippin (Erik Spanne), is a young beatmaker with a flair for club music of all types. Drippin is based in Oslo, where he produces catchy tunes that are embraced by club enthusiasts all over the world. His debut release “Silver Cloak” on New York’s Lit City Trax resulted in numerous festival and club appearances all around the world, including Iceland, Shanghai, Tokyo, and New York.

Listen to Drippin’s version of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and read full interview; http://bit.ly/2iK3DKK

Fight the Fight, Grieg meets Rock
Fight the Fight was formed in late 2016, and has already achieved success worldwide. Before re-naming the band Fight the Fight, the band had played together for more than ten years under the name Faenskap. The band has played at major festivals in Norway, toured in Europe, and received massive praise for their performances.

Listen to “Anitra’s Dance” and read full interview; http://bit.ly/2B6uLds

For more information about the Peer Gynt Project, please visit; https://www.visitnorway.com/the-new-sound-of-peer-gynt/